Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-10-27

has been devised Thus at the time of the iSsu-
ing OF the general order in Missouri requiring the
enrolment ofall citizens. it was proposeS in the
lodges of the @. A X, at st. Louis that certain
members should raise commands in the militia, in
their respective wards, and thus get command oi
as many government arms and equipments as pos
sible. for the future use of the order. Again. il
was proposed that all the members should enroll
themselves in the militia, instead of paving COM
mutaiion in this way obtaining possession of Uni
ted States arms aud having the advantage OF the
drill and military instruction. In the councils oil
the order in Kemtuck V, in June last, scheme was
devised for disarming all the negro troops, hich
il WAS thought conld be done without much diff
Guilty, and appropriatng their arms for the purpo-
scs orthe order.
The despicablc treachcry Of these proposed
plans as evincing the aaimus of the conspiracy,
need not be commented upon.
1t is to be observed that the order in the State
of Missouri has counted greatly upon support from
the enrolled militia, in case of an invasion by
Price, as containing many members and friends of
the O. A. X and that the "Paw Paw militia" Il
military organization of Buchanan county, as
well as the militia of Platte and Clay counties,
known rs "Flat FoOts" have been relied upon
almost to 4 man, to join the revolutionary move
ment.
YRS RITUAL, oATHs, AND INTERIOR FORMS.
The ritual of the order, as well 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 of the o .
A. X were seized in the Office OF Hon ID w.
Voorhees,, NJ. c., at Tcrre Haute, and large num-
Der of the rituals of the O. 5. l., together with
copies of the constitution of tie councils, &c, al
ready referred TO, were found in the building at
indianapolis, occupied by Dodc, the grand com
mauder of Indiana as has been indicated by the
Government witness and detective Stdger. at the
residence of DR.. kliuS, concealed within he mat
tress Off is bed where, also, Stdger had ascertain
cd that they were kept.
The ritual of tie o. A. X. has also been furnish
cd bv the authorities mt St. Louis From this
ritual that of the o. 5. l.. does not materially
differ Both are termed progressive in that the
provide for five separate degrees Of membership,
and contemplate the admission OF member OF a
lower degree into 4 higher one only upon certain
vouchers and proofs of fitness, which, with easy
ascending degree, are required TO be stronger and
more imposing.
L ch degree has It's commander or head; the
ourth or Grand Is the highest in a State; the
Fifth or Supreme is the highest in the United
States; but to the first or lower degree only do the
great naiorits OF members attain. a large pro
portion of these enter the order, supposing it to be
"a Democratic" and political association merely:
and the history of the Order furnishes a most
striking illustration Of the gross and criminal de-
ccption which NAV be practiced upon the ignorant
masses by un<crupulous and unprincped leaders.
The members of the lower degree often for Il
considerable period kept quite unaware Of the true
purp ses Of their chiefs. But to the latter they
are bound by their .,obiiration'' To Weld promut
and implicit obedience to the utmost of their a
bilitv, without remuneration, hesitation or delay,
and meanwhile their minds under the discipline
and teachings to which they subjected, become
educated and accustomed 70 contemplate with
comparative unconccrn the treason for which they
preparing.
The otths .'invocat;ons," charges etc, Of
ritual, expressed as they are in bonbastc and ex-
travagant phraseology, would excite in the mind
of an educated person only ridiculr or contempt.
but uron the Iliteratc they are calculated to make
a deer in preston, the effect aad importance of
which were doubtless fully studied by the ffamers
OF the instrument
The oath which is administered upon the intro
duction ofa member into any degree, is especially
imposing in its language: it preScribcs rs penal
ty for violation of the blieation assumed, "a
DEATH" and fur her that the body ofthe
person guilty of such violation shall be divided in
four parts and cast the four gates Of the
temple. Not only, rs has been sad. does it cnjoih
a lind Obedience TO The orders of the supsiors OF
the order. but it is required to be held of para
mount obligation to any OATH which may bc admin
iStcred to member in Il court oil justice or else
where. Thus, in cases where members have been
sworn. nv officers empowered to administer oaths.
to speak the whole truth in answer to questions
that may be put To them, and I'VE been examined
in reference to the Order and their connection
thcrcwith, they have not only refused to give any
information in regard to its character, but have
denied that they were members, or even that they
knew of lis existence \ conspicuous instance Of
this is prescnted in the Case: of Hunt, Dnna and
Smith, the chief officers of the order in Missouri.
who 0pon their first examination under oath, after
their arrest. denied all connection with the order,
but confessed, also, under oath, at a subsequent
pcIiod that this denial wholly false, although
in accordance with their obligations as members
of the order. Indeed Il deliberate system OF, de-
ception n regard to the details of the conspiracy
is incucated upon the members, and sudonsIy
pursued; and il NAV be mentioned in this connec-
ton, as similarly deceptive feature ofthc organ
zatiCn, that il is held bound to ujure the admins
tration and officers Of the Government in every
possible manner, by misreprcsc- tation and false
hood starf
Members are also instructed that .hcir oath of
member. hip il to be held paramount 70 oath of
allegiance or any otter oath which may impose
obligations inconsistent with those which are as
sumed upon entering the order. Thus, if a mem
Der. when in danger, or for the purpose of Eci:
tatiag some triitOrous design, has taken the oath
of all cgiancc to the United States. he is held at
liberty to violate it OIL the first occasion, his obi-
CATION to the order icing deemed superior to any
consideration of duty or loyalty prompted by such
oath.
ltisto be added that where members are threat
cned with the penalties OF PERJURY in of tn cir
answering Falsely 10 questions propounded to them
in regard 10 the order before court or grand jury,
they are instructed to refuse to answer such aues
tons, alleging as a ground for their refusal that
their answers may criminate themselves. The
testimony shows that this coui 'e has habitually
been pursued by members, especially in Indiana,
when placed i'm such a situation.
Besides the oaths and other forms and ceremo-
nies which ha e bcceu alluded to, the ritual con-
tains what is termed s'DecIasation of Principles
These declarations. which are most Important as
exhibiting the creed and character of the order, as
inspired by the principles of the rebellion. will be
fully presented under the next branch; of the Sub
subject
The signs, signals, passwords. &c. of tie order
are set forth NJ length in the testimony, but need
only be briefly alluded to- 1t il most signifca mt
fact, as showing the intimate relations between
the northern and southern sections of the secret
conspiracy, that member from Northern state
is enabled to pass without risk through the South
by the use of the signs of recognition which lrav
been established throughout the order, and by
means of which members f,om distant points,
though meeting as strangers, are ut once made
known to each others as .'brothcrs." Mary Aen
Pitman expressly states in her testimony that
whenever important dispatches required to be
sent by rebel generals beyond their lines, members
OF the order are always selected to convey them.
Certain passwords are also used in common in
both sections, and of these, none appear to be