Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-08-08

As the Presidential election has been
Appropriated, the reasonable Order has |
increased its membership and grown ae-
tive and vicious. Vallandigham, whose
headquarters were awhile at Niagara,
removed to Windsor, near Detroit, where
be could confer with his Copperhead
friends more readily. He has been very
active in spreading the organization, and
Dodd, Bowles, Develin, Humphreys,
HeHren, and plenty Of other traitors,
have been at work, 10 season and out Of
season, in executing his commands in
this State The Order is now Stronghold
well organized, and doubtless well armed
1t is ready to strike the olo~ Of rebellion
against the Government whenever disas-
ter overtakes our armies Let Grant
and Sherman be defeated, and the trea-
son which broods in the hearts Of its
members will ripen into the covert act.
They will attempt to FIRE the Northern
heart by "sprinkiing blood in the face
of our people, as their rebel friends at
Charleston Sired the Southern heart.
The Order, while going under the
name at the North Of the knights of
the Golden Circle was exposed, or
rather the authorities became possessed
Of its secrets. The tame was then
changed to "Order Of American
Knights" Another exposure followed
under this name, and the style Of "Soes
of Liberty" was adopted. The Order
under this title is the same old serpent
that was imported into our Eden BY Val
landigham, and the same that cursed
he country with constant eHIoroilmenis
ais-iug the fIibustering period, and
which at one time ripened-under Blu
chanas, Mason, and SouIe-,into the Os-
tend Manifest0--a document which we'll
nigh made the name of the Nation infa-
nous abroad.
This, then, is the reasonable eabal
and conspiracy which has been unearth-
ed. 1t is a conspiracy which is in league
with JEFF. Davis; which treats the Ad-
ministration as usurpationi which
makes il the duty Of its members to over
throw that Administration; which also
treats Governor Morton as a usurper;
which arms its members and enjoins on
them the duty Of rebellion against the
constituted authorities; which, in short,
makes the rebel cause its own, and IS
ready to aid in the overthrow Of the
Government, whenever a favorable op-
portunity offers
What on the other hand is the Union
League, whose existence the " Sons OF
Liberty claim was the cause Of the or
ganizaiion Of their 0rder2 II is so
eiety of thoroughly loyal, unconditional
Union men, whose object is, 10 the words
Of its Constitution, to maintain and
preserve the supremacy Of the Govern
ment Of the United States over all the
States and Territories thereof" Again,
(quoting again for the same Cons,itu.
tion), The League was organized solely
for the purpose Of maintaining the Ma
tioual and State Governments against all
enemies at home and abroad The Oh
jects of the League are further set forth
in the Ritual We copy:
81. Are you Internationally and I'M
comparatively opposed to secession
and dsunionp
- Are you opposed, in any eontin-
gency, to the withdrawal Of the Western
States from the Union, and to the form.
alton of a Western or Northwestern
Confederacy2
80 Do you acknowledge that your
first and highest allegiance, under God,
is dae to the Government Of tho United
States Of American
a. Are you willing to unite with your
loyal fellow-eitizens, pledgiug yourself,
to the utmost extent of your power,
to resist all attempts 10 establish
Western or North Western Con.
federacy, and to assist in restoring
our Territorial and National integrity.
and the supremacy Of the Constitution
and Government Of the United States 2
And more Of the same sort
There is nothing in the Constitution
and Ritual of the Union League which
does not express the highest patriotism,
the greatest devotion to our free institu-
tons, the strongest determination to
stand by the constituted authorities in
their efforts to suppress rebellion wher
ever it is attempted There is nothing
that its members are ashamed Of: on the
contrary, there is everything for them to
be proud Of and to glory in.
The League was formed in coase-
qusRce Of the existence of the Knights
Of the Golden Circle in the North, rea-
son which is set forth in the Ritual.
The secret societies in opposition to the
Government pre-existed, and hence it
became necessary to use the same means
in support of the Government. In other
words, loyal men were compelled to
Eight the devil with fire
But the tenth article Of the Constitu-
ton Of the League worries the Knights
very much Ii says:
" Each member Of this League shall
promptly provide himself with at least
one good shotgun, musket, or rifle, aud
sufficient supply of fixed ammunition
for the effective use of the same.
Il would be idle for the League TO
pledge themselves to maintain the Gov
eminent against all enemies at home
and abroad, without arms to give force
to their resolve, especially as the eoun-
try opposite was and Is swarming with
~.