Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-02-16


conflict with bis own rights aud safety only
and as this administration aud its leading
p%Artisans perseeate aud Cypress and trample
only upon the rights ofthe people who are not
OF them, they thereby become pledged TO
every outrage which may be ordered
against any and every other member Of the
community. BY these secret inquisitofs OF their
masters In Washington. The pledge Of Sc
cresy ensures the concealment Of every plot
and Of every order until il il developed by
the blow that fails upon the victim How
many Of lincoln 8 Generals are members of
this ~cAnspiring order2 Were Butler, and
Burnside, aud Scheuok, aud Milroy, and tho
contemplate Hascall, among its high priests
and executiouers2
IT'S soSGs.
Among the "pa,riotic songs sung in these
loyal leagues, and not specifically named in
the ritual, is the notorious one in honor of
the murderer aud thief, John Brown.
a sreASGE NECESSITY.
strange and sad" says the Vice Pres
ident in his address to the candidate, "is the
necessity which requires American citizens
to organize in this manner to support the
Constitution and the Union" There is pal
pable truth In that That the support ofmen,
ever conspiring and acting in secret every
where should be required by an sdministra-
ton which holds in its own hands, directly or
indirectly, all the powers Of both Federal and
State Governments, and which has two hun
dred thousand dependents, civil and military,
and expends three millions of money per day
and controls ambition of soldiers, is one Of
the strangest phenomena the world ever wit.
messed 1t is indicative only Of its excessive
] and 0FnWln0 pnpula ritz NTH fhn u,aoaaa nf
the people. It was not until Illinois, Indiana,
Ohio, New York, New Jersey, and almost
Pennsylvania aud Connecticut, had pronoun.
ced, sixteen months ago, against the admin
i%stration, that tho Traitor Forney and his
clique of Treasury leeches, instituted these
loyal leagues 10 control future elections.
And few car fail to admire the sublime as
surance with which such shameless paftisaus
hauut their bold pretens0 On of rising above
the level Of the mere partisan to defend,--
they should have said 10 subvert, by ~iuuovs.
ton upon the Constitution and by blood
the boon OF freedom" meaning, of course;
onfy freedom to the negro.
rue sERvITUDE TO MERE PARTY EpIcTs.
But the worst and most slavish and degrad-
ing feature of the organization, is to be found
in the obligation assumed by the neophyte.
He must pledge himself, with his hand upon
the flag OF his country which he thus desc
crates, to "do all in his power" to elect true
and reliable supporters Of the Government"
(administration) and none others 70 all oil
GERS Of profit or trust, from the lowest to the
highest, in ward, in town, county, stpte, and
and general government And ho must
swear to laid all worthy members of the
Union League, the term worthy in such
secret organizations being applied to mem.
bers in good standing in the particular or.
ganization, and not to the intrinsic worth
which is the true measure OF the man.
THE LEAGFE CLERGY.
There are clergymsn in this city who are
known to be in the habit of taking part in
these desperate, yet despicable, partisan num-
meries. Their attendance in such an order,
which, ia its very ritual, classes all who do
not co operate with its objects as "disloyal,
is insulting to every Democrat who attends
their ministrations; and their friendly minis
terial association with such "disloyar' mem.
Y bers, can be nothing short OF hypocrisy. We
never have objected to clergymen holding
. their own opinions on public affairs, and
voting accordingly, IL is their right. But
lor a clergyman to mingle in the heated cleo
pioneering Of a political canvass, is an evident
e improperly. For him to convert his church
into 4 political arena and preach politics from
his pulpit, is a scandal to his sacred calling
Y and to religion, and an insult to his dissenting
hearers who pay him to preach, not politics
but the gospel, and Christ the crucifed. Blu
to pray for and with an organization which
d denolnces one-half of his congregation a.
copperhead4 and traitors and disloyal
and thu tens them with the sword
5 of aveDging %.ailitary power, and to conspir,
with and abet in secret a cabal Of mutually
pledged otfice-seekers, is a depth of degrada
ton Of The clerical character which demand
a prompt Reputation Of the ministrstions o
Ie such clergymeu, even to the organization O
a new church, as Ohio Democrats are eve
nnw hRinn forced 10 do