Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-10-14
dax or two before tns late Democratic Oonveu-

u, there.
The "TempIes" or Lodges" OF the order are
numeronsly scattered through ths States of Ia
diana Inino,s, OHIO, Missouri, AMI Kentucky
| .TIpy also officially report ~ estaDlisn he'd,
| to less extent, III Michigan, and the other
| e-terp States. as well as in New York. and
| also IN Psnpsy ivania- New Ismp,h,re Rhode
Is ard Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland,
| Delaware, and Tennessee Uodd the Grand
| Commander OF Indiana, III An ad trsss to tue
men bers In that State OF February last clai ms
mat al tne next annual meeting OF the Supreme
! Council lin February, 1861 every State In the
! Union will be represented.
The actual numerical strength OF the order
| has never been officially reported. Delegates
/ to the last Supreme Council place the number
| summer at Dayton, placed the numoer At
| 500, GOO, which ia supposed 10 De nearer the
! true total The order is more widely extrndet
| at the South than in the North, and not only
| officers of the rebel army, but guerrillas. are
| admitted to mem hership
| In the summer and fall of 1863 the work OF
| armipg the members was commenced, aud it is
pstimaied that the force capable of being
mohIiizea for effective service was $40, 600 men.
Arms were distributed at all points, and efforts
were made 10 get arms from Nassau through
Canada. The members OF the order in Missouri
joined the militia for the sole purpose of eating
possession If arms; and It was at one time
lucky, for the purpose Of getting possession Of
their weapons.
The discovery OF a number OF copies Of the
ritual OF the o. A. X. at tho office of Hon. ID.
W. VOORHEES,, in Indiana, gave the military
authorities full possession of the signs, pass
WORDS, &c. Both the U. A. X and 0. S. l..
societies are what are termed progressive, and
there are five separate degrees of membership
but the great majority of the members only
attain to the first or lower degree. The oath
aiken by mem bers is considered paramount to
all other oaths, and in obedience to the regula-
lions of the order all other oaths may be vio-
| lated with IMMUNITY There are signs, signals
and passwords in use among members both
North and South. There are also signs of
We
| battle signals, whereby a soldier belonging to
| the order 10 spared by the enemy. In corres-
| pondenc e cipher Is used, or letters are writ
ten with cipher marks under certain words to
show that they are to be read in a sense direct.
| ly the opposite of their apparent purport
The written principles of the order in which
the peophyte is instructed. and which he is
sworn to cherish and observe as his rule OF &C.
ion, when, with arms placed in his hands he
is called upon TO engage in the overthrow of
his Government declares the absolute right Of
slavery: recognizes State sovereignty and the
right of secession; asserts the right OF armed
resistance 10 constituted authority on the part
| OF The oisafected and disloyal whenever their
ambition may prompt them to revolution
| The members are also pledged not to take u o
| arms in the cause OF the Government
The specific purposes of the order have by
| the confessions of arrested members been dis
covered to be-lst, To aid soldiers to desert, and
| to harhor and protect deserters. ID, To dis
courage enlistments and resist the draft, and
| IDt mbers OF the order, when drafted and com.
PEELED to enter the field were instru cted to use
their weapons against their fellow soldiers
rather than against the enemy. Sd, To circu-
late disloy al and reasonable publications 4th,
| To communicate with ard give intelligence to
| the enemy. 1t was testified to by Smith, Gran d
SecIe airy OF the order in Missouri that for this
purpose rebel spies, mail carriers and
| emissaries were admitted to full membership
| and amply protected. 5th, To aid the enemy
| by recruiting for them or assisting them to re-
cTuit W ithIn our lines. 6th To furnish the re D.
els with arms. am unition, &c. 9TH, To COOP
crate with the enemy in raids and invasions.
sth, To destroy Government property. 9th, To
destroy private property and prosecute Union
men 10Th, To assassinate and murder Union
CONF deracy.
were obtained from various sources and wit
nesses, among whom were shrewd and INTEL
HgeHt detectives who succeeded in gaining the
confidence OF the prominent members of the or.
der; rebel officers and soldiers VINO made dis.
closures to our military authorities; scouts EN-.
ployed 10 travel through the Border States:
lannon's designs, deserted it, officer Of the order
OF high rank who could not go the full length
OF the treason; deserters from our army who
upon being apprehended confessed that they
had been induced to desert by members OF the
order and the witnesses before various Grand
Juries in 1868.
Judge Holt says: at need only be added
that most salts factory test Of the credibility
and weight of much OF the evidence which has
been furnished is afforded by the printed testI-
mony in regard to the character and intention
of the order, which is found in it's national and
State constitutions and its ritual. Indeed, the
statements OF the various witnesses are but
presentations OF the logical and inevitable con.
sequences and results Of the principles therein
set forth
aBut, although the treason Of the order has
been thoroughly exposed, and although it's
capacity for fatal mischief has, by means Of the
arrest of its leaders the seizure OF its arms and
the other vigorous means which have been
pursued, been seriously impaired. 1t is still
busted with its secret plottings against the
Government, and with it's perfidiouS designs
TO have recently issued new signs and pass
words, and its mem ers assert that foul means
will be used to prevent the success of the
Administration at the coming election, and
threaten an extended revolt in the event of the
re election of President Lincoln"
In conclusion, Judge Holt urges upon all
loyal men 10 work as to defeat the plans
and purposes of the reasonable order.