, 1864-03-27
THE NEW C0P@ERHEAD.
RITUAL.
Exposure Of tic x G. Css and their
f: - Plan Of Organization

On the inside pages of this issue will be
seen q full exposure Of the first degree Of the
new ,itual Of the E. 6. C.s Fin this city aud
State. Il has not escaped the eyes Of Union
men that the Coppcrhcads were secretly Or
ganIdng in Chicago and elsewhere in the
State. It is known to many Of onr c1ti-
zcns that secret Copperhead Convention Of
Delegates from the various lodges Of the
4tKnights'' met in the ftth or top story Of
AIcCormiclz'e block, corner of Dearborn md
Randolph streets, on Tuesday. March
.Sth, 1864, and that the conclaye re-
mained. in session from Tuesday alter
noon until Friday, meeting at night
as well as In the day time The number In
attendance were estimated by different per-
sons at 100 to 1s0. They were from a1l the
chief towns and villages of the State. 4
portion Of the proceedings were quiet and
portion was conducted In boIstezous, an
err tones, easily heard by persons in the Vi
cil.ity of the ROOM Many Of the delegates
were biueted On the brethren" in yarious
parts OF the city, in order to conceal their
presence, which would have been observed
If they had registered their names at the no.
tels. We have a list Of the names Of scv-
spirntors who were here,
What they were doing may be readily In
fcrred from the character Of the document
which We publish. That their purposes
were disloyal, and that they were here to
hatch treason and coucoct means to help
their rebel brethren, admits Of no doubt.
The increased bold, defiant, impudent tone
in which the rebel organ lately indulges may
be traced to the formation Of this secret Sc
ccssion society. It thinks 1t now has body
of sworu organized hackers on whom 1t can
rely; 1cuce it announces that II the fur
1oughed soldiers shall mob 1t, that Its
<sfriends,r in revenge, will destroy all the
ether newspapers in Chicago.
If this reasonable organization can be suf-
acienuy wide spread to support the design Of
the leaders, steps may be taken at the Chica-
go CoppcIAcad National Convention to COM
mence the long threatened "dre-in-the- rear"
and inaugurate civil war in the North for the
purpose Of hiding the rebellion The mem
bership In this city is reported to be two
thousand at this time; bat a good many who
had joined are growing sick Of It.; aud haye
Withdrawn tsevcral chiefs Of clubs ~ lave
backed out as they became acquainted with
the wicked. and diabolical object Of the or
ganization.
It viii be observed that one o: the pledges
Of the newly initiated dupe, is to conceal not
only the principles but the Exs1EscE OF the
order; to pledge himself not to let 1t be
known that such fraternity is In being; but,
above all, not to let outsiders know who be-
long to the conspiracy. But concealmeat is
well provided tor by the construction ol the
ritual. The dupes arc not allowed to know
the nnmcs Of their leaders; their knowledge
is restricted to the membership Of their owu
club The ehigh-cockolorums are away up
among the clouds, out of sight; where the.
pull the wires and make their puppets dance
Ali orders and commands descend from de-
spotic head; there Is circle withina circle:
4 wheel inside Of a wheel, where the deyIltry
is hatehed and work cnt ont for the tools and
fools to perform.
II this stream of ftreason is traced back to
Its head, 1t Will be found located In the brain
of the editor Of the Chicago organ of JEFF
Davis. That il where the fountain is loca
ted, but tho main spring Of the whole thing
is in Richmond; this is only the Illinois
branch Of the rebellion,