The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-07-04

ton shall be to Rne9ataln and preserve
the supremacy OF the Government of the
United States over all the States and
Territories thereof
ART. 6. This League being organized
solely for the purpose of maintaining the |
National and State Governments against !
all enemies, at home or abroad, no par !
tisan politics shall be introduced into its !
deliberations, and any member violating
this rule shall be promptly called to Or
der"
"Art. g. No person shall become a
member of this League unless be is
known to be thoroughly loyal, and three
persons Directing to or voting against a
candidate shall be sufficient to reject
him."
The questions asked of an applicant
for admission are
al. Are you Internationally and I'M
compromisingly opposed to secession
and disunion?
80. Are you opposed. in any contin-
pency, to the withdrawal of the Western
States from the Union, and to the forma-
| ton of a Western and North Western
Confederacy?
SO. Do YOU acknowledge that your first
and highest allegiance, under God, is
due to the Government of the United
States of America?
IL. Are you willing to unite with your
fellow citizens, pledging yourself to the
utmost extent of your power, to resist all
attempts to establish Western or North
Western Confederacy, and to assist in
restoring our territorial and national in
tegrity, and the supremacy ofthe con-
stitution and government of the United
States?"
In the preliminary remarks of the
President, preparatory to administering
the pledge Of honor to applicants for
ave claim to be, solely, loyal league
Of Union citizens, pledged to the uncon-
ditional support of our National and
StateIGovernments in their efforts to sup
press this accursed rebellion, and to an
uneompromising opposition to treason
in whatever character it may assume.
sit is charged that ours is a secret or
ganization. This we deny. We hold
our business meetings in private, as the
only practicable means of excluding
disloyal men from membership with US,
but the existence of our association, its
principles aims, and purposes, we openly
avow and publish to the world. And nc
| one need entertain a fear that either at
our public or private meetings he will
hear or witness anything that any other
than traitor will condemn.
1
We have not room to quote further
from this document. Suffice it to say,
that the Constitution, Ritual and Pledge
of Honor, contain nothing but the mos
noble and loyal sentiments.
The pledge contains a promise tina
the person taking it will defend this
State from any invasion, instruction OIL
rebellion, and all loyal citizens of tht
country in the lawful protection of thei
persons, property and families" In pur
suance of this provision, the constitution
requires that Each member of thu
League shall promptly provide himsel
with at least one good shotgun, musket
or rife, and sufficient supply of 6xet
ammunition for the effective use of tn
same"
In view of the recent invasion of th
State, how proper and necessary pre-
vision this is.
In regard to the secresy of the bus
ness meetings, to which some good me
object, this secresy is certainly no NOR
Objectionable feature in the Unio
: League than in Odd Fellows, Free Ma
sons, and other benevolent societies, an
in the meetings of boards of directors G
roailroads, partners of business firms
t etc. Every family, firm, company, an
} society has some private matters that
is not proper for the public at large t
, know, and no objection is raised to tn
keeping of such matters secret
Why should the Union League b
blamed for exercising the same cautio
!, against imposition and intermeddlin
= than is exercised in the instances we hav
mentioned.
The Union League now numbers j
this city, we are told, nearly seUen han
, dred members, land it is a subject for r,
joicing that there are that number
s loyal men willing to unite together fc
; mutual protection and the defense an
honor of their Government With sue
an organization in our midst, our city
. secure against any ordinary invasion
insurrectionary outbreak.
In justice to this organization, whic
- is doing so much good here and els
IS where, we could not say less than v
l. have. Justice, duty, and the interests
t. the Union cause demand that such q
Vt organization should be generally know
and appreciated.