Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-08-12
4HE CONSPIRACY TO ESTABLISH
.IfAi kldliE la.5.shsd y aah d q 9!


ganized attempt to Overthrow the Federal Gov
eminent by tbaKen0xal of Alr.Aineoln and the
establishment Of AZ NORTH wst5n CoInedaey.
was too briefto- be satisfactory Since tbeRwe
have been P8 80 posse ession Of hndre of the de-
tails OF this astounding and wicked conspiracy
against the nations life. The revelations made
TO the Protest Marshal Of St. Loais BY men
whom he had arrested, show nothing less tban
this; aynumeTous desperatesbedy of men have
landed tbgeshersD carry oat spar5tsss i5stare
revotmg tos contemplate. f0OnFicted Of their
guilt and alarmed at this unreasonable exposure
OF their shame, Che Democracy are making vain
attenlEts @ fsny tlF eSstehc9of ssch body Of
The testimVny ELECTED at st, Louisha been
SetssAIoe1 ~ ep; Roseeyans TO Washington,
exposure of the whole affair. In the meantime
we synoPsize some Of the leading features of the
conspiracy, as furnished by-a St. Louis CORES
p66dehtsf BE Cinchhati edzette sea - q
The eFdersis secret Que. = Itis called By diff
ferent names different localities or States
and is known amoug its ABembeFs by these ini-
tials, written thus; o. "A T., Its real object is
to embarrass and thwart the administration of
the general government IN the conduct of the
war, and to overthrow the Government, if that
be necessary to secure the supremacy of the
order.
The idea ON which the organization is predi-
Gated is that Abraham Lineelh is 1suTpef, and
that it is not only the right but duty of all true
democrats to drive hun from his, seat even, by
force. To make this evident read the following
part of the oath: :5Fnl'-s .essaifk
sIn accordance with the principles upon
which is founded the American theory, Govern
| ment can exercise only. delegated powers; hence
| if those who shall have been chosen to oadmiHis-
ter the Governments, shall assume to exercise
powers not delegated they. should be regarded
and treated as usurpers- -.s-ffs ,5rVtts.f
/ The meaning Of this, to leave no doubt, is ex-
planned in the same obligation still further by
these words: ~ fH0gN l4ssAf
~The reference to inherent power, as also to
existing necessity, on the part Of the funetiona-
| ry for the sanction Of any arbitrary exercise of
power by him, we will not accept In palIiation
or excuse.
The Order Of American Knights, as It Is termed.
is built upon the ruins of the Knights of the
| Golden Circle. The chief commander of the
new order is the rebel General Price sf-i s.ss.-
q" While Vallandigham was at Richmond, he
was made commander Of the northern section.-
He then proceeded to Windsor, Canada, To com
| plete the organization of the northern section
Among those who are said to have aided him
are such men as William B. Reed of PhiIadel-
phia; George H. Pendleton and George E. Pugh,
| of Ohio Christian Cribben, of st. Louis; Will
bur F. Storey and Merrick, of Chicago 81.
| On the 10th of last March it was decided to
inaugurate an outbreak, but for some reason it
was adjourned Ameeting was subsequently,
held in April at Windsor, when a programme
was agreed upon which viii be forthcoming be-
The 6bligatiohs Of this order are ofa truly as
tonishing character. A few extracts from them
will show their nefarious character:
al solemnly promise that viii never reveal
or make known to any person or persons, by
sign or signs, word or words, nor in any other
manner, the ceremonies in which have Just tax
en- part, nor the names nor persons who have
participated with me, nor any single word nor
thing which have heard or seen herein
l. -EE,t-r-at So
Il do solemnly promise and swear sacredIy
to observe, perform and keep, with full knowl-
edge and understanding and with my full as
sent, that the penalty which will follow viO-
latiOn of any or either of these my solemn vows
will be a StdnettlH deGth''
Ofthe strength of the organization the follow
ing statements are made: r..
Between 10000 and $4,000 in Missouri; near
ly 10000 in Illinois, of whom $4,000 are well
armed and organized 100000 in Indiana: near
ly 100000 in Ohio of whom oue-half were well
armed and organized; IN Kentucky, from Co.
900 to 10000; in New York, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania, already very strong, are rapidly
on the increase; in Michigan, Iowa and other
western States, not yet very strong, neverthe-
less making rapid progress. A principal officer
| of the organization in New FORK State, where
tits known as the Mcclellan Minute men, has
stated its strength in that State at over 300 000 "
The programme agreed upon in Windsor last
April was that Vallandigham must be sent back
to his Congressional district and be made del
/ egate to the Chicago Convention At Chicago
he was to proclaim Lincoln a usurper and urge
his removal by force. In this he was to be sus-
tanned by delegations, well armed, from the va
rlOus lodges. His sudden return from Canada
and appearance at the Congressional conven-
tiOn was to insure his being sent to Chicago.
Last January Vallandigham issued an address
to the lodges or temples throughout the loyal
States. The following is an extract from that
address. s-fi TTfr- t.-
j brothers, again renew your solemn VOWS
4 Swear at your hearthstones-a the altars con-
secrated to your household Godsl Swearin in tn
holy sanctuaries where your fathers wOrshipped
at their tOmbs and by their sacred memOriesl
that here quoting the language of the obliga-
tions of the order Il viii at all times ifneed be-
take up arms in the cause of the oppressed in
my own country. First of all against any
armed monarch, prince, potentate, power or
i government usurper, which mEy be found in
arms and waging war against people Or peo-
pies who are endeavoring to establish or have
inaugurated government for themselves of
their own free choice, in accordance with, and
formed upon, the eternal principles of truth
This do promise without regard to the name
station or designation of the invading power,
whether it shall arise from within or come from
without"
This is no matter of conjecture, but the most
indubitable evidence is at hand, such as can not
be gainsayed either by himself or his friends.
or any one else. As already stated, the pro-
gramme agreed upon for Vallandigham's dem
Onstration at Chicago, if suppressed would lead
to general conflict between the people of the
free states. Members of the order were EXPECT
ed to rise, kill and make prisoners of the civil
and military authorities, such as governors.
commanders of armies. commanders of depart
ments, districts, posts forts, DC, seize the arse
nels arms, public property of all kinds, and
proclaim the revolution complete, But more of
this hereafter.
The report goes on to show that the order is
also used for the circulation of books, documents
and publications of various kinds inculcating
rebel views and sentiments. Agents belonging
to the order are employed in the various states,
for this purpose, and immense numbers are be-
ing secretly circulated by them. Prominent
among those thus circulated are
Pollard's Southern History Of the War; Off
cial Reports of the Confederate Government;
Life of StonewaH Jackson; articles from the Me-
tropolitan Record, and several other documents.
The letter to the Gazette concludes by show
ing the relations Of this order to the Southern
traitors, The recent murderings in Missouri are
only parts of grand scheme which was to have
been carried out about the 4th of July.
As there will shortly be full exposition of the
whole conspiracy, as developed by the men in
/ st. Louis, we forbear further comment The
facts already developed show, however, to what
a wicked audacity the traitors in our own midst
are going.
'et ssPIRin Questions for Honest PeePle.'s
Under this caption the Washington (IOwa)
Democrat propOunds the following questions, to