Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-10-27
m.-rrs oReANIz.rroN ANp orrrctns.

FROM pflntcu copies neTetOtpre SelZcu by tile
Government, of the Constitutions of the Supreme
Council, Grand Cornell. and County Parent TEN
pies, respectively. of the Ordcrof Sons of Liberty
in connection with other and abundant testimony,
the organ zaton ofthe Order in il, latest FORM is
ascertained to be as follows:
/. The government of The order throughout the
United States is vested in IA Supreme Council, of
which the officers are supreme commander, Sec
retary of state, and treasurer. Thes officer are
elected for one yeai, at the annual meeting of the
Supreme Council, which is made up of the grand
commanders of the several States, cr oficio, and
two delegates elected from each State ia which the
or0er is established.
2 The government of the order in n State is
vested in GRIND Council. the officers OF which
| are Grand Commander, Deputy Grand Com
mandcr, Grand Secretary. Grand Treasurer, and
! a certain number of Major Generals, or one for
each Military District. These officers are also
elected annually by representatives from the
County Temples each Temple being entitled to
two representatives, and one additional for each
/ thousand members. This body of representatives
is also invested with certain legislative functions
! 3. The Parent Temple is the organization ofthe
order Tor n county, each Temple being formerly
instituted by authority OF the Supreme Council, or
of the Grand Council or Grand Commander of the
State. BY the same authority. or by that of the of
ficers of the Parent Temple, branch or sutordi-
nate temples may be established for townships in
the county.
But the strength and significance of this organi-
cation lies in its military character. The secret
constitution of the Supreme Council nrovides that
the Supreme Commander "shall be Commander
in Chief OF all military forces belonging to the or
der in the various States when called into actual
service" and further that the Grand Commanders
"Shall be Commander Chief of the military for
ces of their respective States" Subordinate 10
the Grand Commander in the State are the 'Ma-
jor Genera Is" each of whom com nands his sepa-
rate district and army. In ludian1, Tie Major
Generals four in numl,cr. In Illinois. where
the Organz ton of the Order is considered most
perfect, the members in each congressional dis
rrict compose a .brigadc" :" which is commanded
bv "Bricacier General The members OF each
county constitute "reeimrnt," with Colonel
in command, and those of each township form 4
company" a somewhat similar :, stem prevails
in Indiana, where also each company is divided
into squads" each with It's cllirl--an arrange
mcnt intended to facilitate the guerilla mode of
warfare in case of general outbreak or local dis
order.
The Mcclellan Minute Guard" as appears
from circular sSiSd 10y the Chief Secretary at
New York in March, Ia /, Is organized upon mil
itary bsis similar To that of the order proper. 1t
is composed of companies, one for each election
district ten of winch constitute ''bri gde," with
'Brigarlicr General at its head. The whole
is placed under the authority OF Commander
in-Chiei." "A strict obedience on the part of the
meHbcrs To the orders OF their superior is cnjoin
ed.
TIE first "Suprcmc Comm .ndcr" Of the order
was c. Wright, of New York, editor of the
New York News, who in Nav last pIac Cd in
arrest and confined in Fort Lafayette. His sue
cessor in office was Nallandie ham. who was elect
ed 1T tie annual meeting of the Supreme Council
in February last. Robert Hollow ~. ot Illinois. is
represented TO have acted a. Llcutcnlnt General,
or Deputy Supreme Commlnd Il ring the alb
scncc of Vallsnd CHAM fiom the country. The
Secretary Of State chosen 1T the last election, was
Dr. Massey. .oi Ohio.
In Missouri, the principal officers were Chas l..
Hunt, Grand Commander, Charles l.. Damn, Dep
uty Grand Commander, and Green Ii. Smith,
Grand Secretary. Since the arrest of these three
person tal of whom have made confessions, which
will be presently alluded to- James a. BIrret has
il is understood. oilicatod Grand Comm lnder.
He j. stated to occupy also the position OF Chief
Staff to the Supreme Commander.
The Grand & inmantcrn In,Ina, II. H Dodd,
has. Just been tried a. indianapolis bv military
commission, for conspiracy .linst the govern.
mcnt, !" "Nioation OF the laws OF war;" and other
charges. The Deputy Grand COMMANDER in that
State is Horace lellrcn, and the Grand Secretary
w. NJ Harrison. Tue Mlior Generals are w a.
Bowles. John c. Walker, l.. +. Milligan and An.
drew Humphreys. Among the other leading
members OF the order in tat State are DR.. Athon,
State Secretary, and Joseph Ristine, State Audi
tor.
The Grand Commander in Illinois. is-~-Judd,
CT Lewis'own; and b. B. Piper, of Spring rficd, who
is entitled Grand Missionary of the State, and
designated also as member OF Vallandigham's
staff, is of the most active members having
been busilv engaged throughout the summer in
establishin temples initiating members.
In Kentucky, Judge Bnltt. of the Court of
Appeals Is Grand Commander, and with DR.. u. +.
Kalfus and w X. 1homas. jailor in Louisville,
two other OF the most prominent members have
been arrested and confined by the military author
tiles. In New York, DR.. r. +. Stevens. the
Chief Secretary of the Mcclellan Minute Guard,
is he most active ostcnSible representative of the
secret order.
The greater part of the chief and suborlinlte
officers of the oi de, and it, branches, as well as
the principal members thereof. are known To the
Government. and where not already arrested. may
regard themselves under constant military
surveillance So complete has been the exposure
of this secret league, taat. however frequently the
conspirators may change its name, ioyms. pass
words aud signals, its true purposes and operations
cannot longer be concealed from the military au-
thCrities.
Ii is to be remarked iha. The supreme counri' Of
the order. which annually meets on February 22d, =,
convened this yearat New York City. and Il spc-
cia meeting was then appointed to be held at Chi.
cign On July !s, oriust prior 10 the day then fxed
for the Convention OF the Dem DcTitic purity. This
Convention. having been postponed t. August 29th.
the special meeting OF the supreme council was nj
pos poned t. August 9th. Mt The same place,
AM was duly convened accordingly. II will br re
memoeref thata leading mrmbcr of the Conven-
tio1, III the course OF speech made before that
body alluded approvingly to the session of the
Sons of Liberty nj Chicago III the s1me time. as
that of organization i'm hir mnmv with the senti-
mcnt and projects ofthe Convention.
II may be observed. in conclusion, that one not
fully acquainted with the true character and inten-
ton of the order, might we'll suppose that IN de-
signaling its officers By high mit.ry titles, and in
initiating in its organization that established in
or armies. it was designed merely to render itself
to invest its chiefs with certain degree of sham
dignity; but when IL il understood that the order
comprises within itself n large arnv OF we'll armed
meme instantly drilled aud exercised as soldiers,
and that this army is held ready at any time for
such forcibe resistance To our military authorities
and such active cooperation with the public ene-
my aS il NAV be called upon to engage in by its
commanders, il will be perceived that the titles OF
the latter are not assumed for a mere purpose Of
display, but that they the chiefs of an actual
and formidable force OF consprators against the
life of the Government. and that their military
system is, as it has been remarked by Col. Sander
son, ''ihe grand lever used byg the rebel Govern
ment Tor its army operations" -tll-.f tts