Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-03-31

Testimeny Of Hen. &. O.. yaIiandig- |
ham before the Military Commits
sion nm Cfncfnnasi
Ma. vAIrAxDsoaAN. as Wintess. ssbpeDsed
By the defense IN the trial Of The alleged Chica-
20 conspiratofs, before q military commission |
convened ia Cincinnati. gave his testimony on
Wednesday last This distinguished gentleman, a.
IL veil known. the supreme commander OF
the secre, political organization, know as TIC
Order Of American Knights. or Sons of Liberty
The position Of MR YALLAsDiGHAa. and the Ct
forts which have been made to fasten the char
res OF disloyaIty and treason upon this organi
zAtion, gives bis testimony ar absorbing interest
and IL win excite the attention Of the country
We regret that sc aave not space 10 give the ev
idsnce in full. for. as The Cincinnati Enquirer
Justly charseterizes Il: "it IS complete vindica-
ton 10, only of ME. VALLASDIGHAN, but OF the
secret order TO which he belonged" Noorgani
zation vas ever more industriously and persistent
ly maligned than the Sons Of Liberty" and oil
for the accomplishment OF partisan purposes.
The influence and power Of tue government
pose has been to hold the organization response
bic for the crime. snd errors Of few bad or mis-
guided men. This morning We have only space
70 give the leading points in the examination OF
Mr. VALLAsDIGHAx. which was most rigorous
and searching throughout.
According to his statement, IN the month OF
February, 1854, at Windsor, Canada West. oppo-
site Detroit, he was collected TO become a mem
Der aud chief officer OF what he understood TO be
the order of American knights In his reply to
this request be gives .ha' he understood 20 be
the objects of the organization. his reasons for
joining it, and the attending circumstances:
Nv answer was. that | had understood there
was some such organization, perhaps known by
that name, in existesee year or more; that |
never heard Of il previous 10 the fall Of 1862;
that bad always declined having any connection
with il, because apprehended that might have
some connection with the southern government,
or place members of il under some sor, of obi
CATION, with reference 10 that government, thst
was inconsistent with the oath OF allegiance Of 8
citizen of the United States; and that would
beloue to none, directly or indirectly. looking TO
any sort of connection with those who were in
arms against the federal authorities. / went o.
then, to express my convictions as 10 secret p0-
litical organizations: that circumstances had al
tered cases, and, whereas, had always hitherto
opposed them 50 a member OF the demo
cratic party, but that | believed the time had
come when they were useful aud necessary, pro
vided fhey were kept legitimate and lawful The
Assurance given By these gentlemen that
there was nothing of the kind had apprehcnded
AZ all events, there was 10 be change made, or
4 new arrangement in the organic alton, and that
all objections OF that kind, il any existed, would
be obEiared; and further. that all they proposed
was simple and informal communication of
the ritual. principles and obligations; with refer
ence TO the purposes of which have spoken,
they assured me that it was only political or
ganizaton, having reference to affairs III the
states that had adhered TO the union, and recog-
Eized the federal government, and its authorities
accordingly consented, and informally, by read
ing in part, and showing in part, without any at
tempt at ceremony, the ritual, principles and OBJ
legation were made known TO me: no part Of any
of them was read in full to me, but the books
ard pamphlets were left with me for exsnina-
ton. The principle objects with reference 70
which made inquiry. as stated there, were dc
clared to be OF a political character. and for the
defense OF members OF the democratic party
Those were the circumstances. and that ras the
extent 10 which WIS member Of the organi-
zation.
Mr.. VALLASDIeHAx states that the ritual and
the form OF expression, at least OF the principles
and some of the obligations ofthe order Of Amer
lean Knights. were changed few DAYS after biz
initiation. and the name of the order va, altered
because the idea of knighthood was objectiona
bic. On occupying the position of chief officer
be details the following circumstance:
There was no form of oath prescribed in writ
ing. IL was suggested to me what should it be.
answered that it should be oath to support
the constitution Of the United States and faith
fully discharge the duties of chief officer Of THU
organization. In that torn the oath was admin
istered by DR.. Massey Whether he had author
ity do not know He so administered il at all
events. The papers were then produced and
gone over. Large changes were made in the
ritual; In the FIRST place, large amount of il va.
stricken out / desired to strike it all OUT it was
OF no value. but merely retain promise or obi
ton and the recognition Of certain principle,
but others thought il was better, for some Dor
ton, at least, for the form aud ceremonies in
secret societies. and borrowed all. believe, from
the same fountain head. There was one por
ton OF the oath OF obligation. III was not called
N oath in the order. but promse.) which no
ticed. after Mr.. Green and Mr.. Barrett
had left in the middle of February, and
rs soon as the other gentleman came
called their attention TO it, asking then
whatever they might think in reference TO il
whatever might be Its actual purport, IL wa, =
least. ambiguous and must not be retained. anC
would not consent to il because Is looked, a.
least, like al obligation calling upon men Il
give aid and comfort TO the southern govern
ment Whether | was right in the nterpreta
ton, do not know. Accordingly that portion
of the oath from the Order Of the American
Knights was stricken out. and RENTED in th'
revised obligation The rest was merely forn
and ceremony. great deal stricken ou
which was mere words, and which ! regarded \,
beneath the digHity of men: but some portion
of the same sort however. was retained. Their,
was but one change or addition inside to the
principles of the order
The addition | made VAS tie kentucky ana
Virginia resolutions. constituting the Les
son OF the lnncr Temple cut them out 81
an old volume of The Kentucky aud Virgin.
Resolutions of o. aud 20. / think il was III,
second Virginia aud the first and third kentuckT
but of that | am not positive: but they were a.,
Virginia resolutions without any alteration. ex
cept 8 local allusiOn to the tine they weF,