Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-10-28


It is to be remarked that the Supreme Council
Of the Order, which annually meets on February
22d convened this year at New York city, and j
special meeting was then appointed TO be held at
Chicago, July 1, or just prior to the day then fix
cd for the convention Of the Democratic parity
This convention having been postponed to Au-
gust 80 the special meeting of the Supreme Coun-
ell was also postponed to August y, at the same
place, and was duly convened accordingly Il
viii be remembered that a leading member Of the
convention, in the conrse Of a speech made before
that body, alluded approvingly to the session o.
the Sons of Liberty at Chicago at the same time,
as that Of an organization in harmony with the
sentiments and projects of the convention.
IT'S EXTENT AND NUMBERS.
The Temples or Lodges Of the order are
numevlsy scattered through The States of Indiana,
Illinois, Ohio Missouri, and Kentucky. They are
also officially reported as established, to less ex-
as in New York and also IN Pennsylvania, New
Hauahire, Rhode Island Connecticut, New Jers y
Maryland, Delaware, and Tennessee, Dodd, the
Grand Commander Of Indiana, in an address to the
members Of that State in Febualy last, claims that
ut the next annual meeting of the Supreme Council
lin FEBRUARY 1862 every State IN the Union viii be
represented, and adds, this Is the first and only
true national organization the Democratic and Con
servatYe men of the country have ever attempted =
4 provision made in the Constitution Of the Coun-
Gil for representation from the YaTitories shows,
indeed, that the widest extention Of the order is
contemplated.
The actual ai,ubely Of the order have, it is be-
lieved never been officially reported, and cannot,
therefore be accurately ascertaincd Various esti-
mates have been made by Leading members, some Of
which are no doubt considerably exaggerated Il
has been asserted by delegates to the Supreme
Council, Of FEBRUARY last, that the number was there
represented to be from SQ0,oe0 to ,000 GOO; but
Vallandighan in his speech last summer at Day
ton Ohio placed it 100000, which Is probably
much nearer the true total
1t is to be noted that the order, OF It's counter
part, IS probably much more widely extended at
the South even than at the North, ard that a
large proportion Of the officers Of tha rebel army
are represented By most reliable witnesses to be
members In Kentucky and Missouri the order
has not hesitated TO admit as members not only Of
icers Of that army, but also a considerable number
Of guerriIas, class who might be supposed to ap-
appreciate most readily It's aims and purposes Its
fully shown that as lately as in July last several Of
these rufians were Initiated into the first degree
By DR.. Kalfu:, in Kentucky
Tfih AnaInp FoRCE.
In March last, the entire armed force Of the or
der, capable of being modified for effective ser
vice, was represented to be $4,000 men. The de-
tails, however, upon which this statement was
based are imperlectly set forth in the testimony
and it Is not known how far this number may be
exaggerated. 1t is abundanty shown, however,
thai the order, by means Of a tax levied upon its
members, has accumulated considerable funds for
the purchase Of arms and ammunition, and that
these have been procured in large quantities for its
use. The witness Clayton, on the trial of Dodd es
tmated that t,Co thirds of the order are furnished
with arms.
There remains further to be noticed, in this con
nection, the testimony of Clayton upon the trial Of
Dodd to the effect that arms were to be furnished
the order from Nassau, n p by way Of Canada !;
that to deay expenses of these arms or their trans
portaton, formal assessment was levied upon tbs
lodges but that the transportation into Canada
was actually to be furnished by the Confedorat au-
thorities.
ITS RITUAL, oATIs, AND INTERIOR FORMS
The ritual of the order, as wei as its secret signs
passwords, &c, has been fully made known to the
military authorities In August last one hundred
and twelve copies of the ritual afthe O. A, K. were
seized in the efhce Of Hon. d. W. Voorhees,, N
G. at Terra Haute, and large number Of rituals
Of the 0. S. i. together with copies Of the consti
tutpns Of the councils, &c, already referred to-
wele found in the building at Indianapolis, occu-
pied By Dodd the Grand Commander Of Indiana
as had been indicated by the Government witness
an( detective, Stidger Copies were also diseov-
ed ut Louisville, at the residence Of Dr. Kalfts
concealed within the mattress of his bed where, al
so, Stidger had aseertained that they were kept
Zach degree has its commander or head the
Fourth ore Grand is the highest in a State the
Fifth OF Supreme, the highest in the United
States but to the first or lower degree only do the
great majority Of members attain.
The fatt which is administered upon the intro
ductionof member into any degree IS especially
imposing in itslangaage Tt precribes as a penalty
for yi,lation of the obligation assumed "a shame
fui deatl : and further shat the body Of the per-
son gully Of such violation shall be divided into
pour pars and cast out at the four gates Of the
temple Not only, as has been said, does it enfoin
blind obedience 20 the orders Of the superors Of
the ordor,but it is required to be held of para-
mount o6lhatioa to any oath which may be admin
istered to-. member in a court ofjustice or else
where
Mennbe's are also instructed chat their oath Of
membership is to be held paramount to an cath Of
or any other oath which may impose
inconsistent with those which are as-
suncd upon entering the order Thus, If a mem
beri whenin danger, or for the purpose Of ftc]itl
ting some traitorous design has taken the oath of
allegiance to the United States, he is held at liber
ty to violate it on The first occasion, his obligation
to the order being deemed superior to any consid-