The Portland daily press., 1866-10-24
DAILY PRESS.
Wednesday Morning, October "a, 1856.
The Souihesn knights Errnnf.
PORTLAND.

The SOuthe1M knights Errant'
On Saturday the 9th instant we publisheda
startling dispatch forwarded to the tribune
from New Orleans, and furnished to the AsSo-
ISOLATED Press in accordance with the rules OF
the association. The dispatch announced that
the whole South was permeated by secl ct
organization. taking different nsmes in differ
ent places but really one and the same having
branches in New York and in the West. wen
armed and ready at moments notice to
renew the struggle for the slost ca,Ise.o One
of the chief members Of the organization, the
dispatch continued, wS in prison and had
made important disclosures The next Mon
day New Orleans correspondent of the New
York Times wrote letter which was pub
llshed IN due time and with more of detail
substantially repeats the statements forward
ed to the Tribune. The imprisoned Knight
is III. r. III. McIyor, Scotchman and so,-
der of the Dugald Dalgetly stripe. having
fought in the British army in the Crimea, in
the Liberal army i'm Mexico, and in the Con-
1ederate army in tho United States, all as he
says in a purely professional way and without
the slightest prejudice tor or against the par
ties he served. Ills revelations amount sim
ply to questionable confession that the
Knights of Arabia, . he chooses to cali them.
are engaged in grand filibustering scheme
against tsome country unknown, and the sur
render OF pretended copy of the bylaws of
the order, said to have been printed in New
York. from Davis, Benjamin and
other prominent Rebels were found i'm his
possession and show conchlsiyely. that he was
engaged in the Rebel secret service during the
war. The Times correspondent declares pos
itively that the order is disloyal and enter
tains other designs than those SO freely con-
fessed by McIvor. -so-2as
The Tribune dispatch was generally looked
upon as canard. The confirmation afforded
by the letter to the Times has not attracted
much attention. Nevertheless we do not hes
itate to say that the story is far fre m improb-
able. Southern youth to this day preserve a
silly custom OF holding tournaments, in which
the gallant knights appear with pasteboard-
visors down, under such pompous titles as an
ill-trahled fancy may suggest, and tilt with
wooden lances at cheap jeweIry which the
victor carries off on the Epoint of his stick and
presents With high ceremony to the "queen
of love and beauty, who, tor her part wears
congress boots, a patent hoop skirt and a,
bonnet, as big as the palm of her knights.
hand, and is anything but a medieval. object
We read ofaone Of these affairs in the loo a,
columns of 1.-The Washington Chronicle lately.
The tournament was held in Virginia or
Maryland, just outside the district, and the
victor was announced as the Knight of the
Lost Cause. The amusements OF people
furnish the lest means of Judging of their
character, since in their amusements tbey fol-
low freely their natural bent People who
amuse themselves with pasteboard tourna-
ments are not too grave and sensible to en-
gage in iantastical conspiracies like this Of the
Knights OF Arabia. So much a priori ses 80
But wei have little positive confirmation
of the New Orleans rumor. A few weeks ago
young Texan, who served in the Union ar
my during the war, was returning from
visit to his friends at the Westto Washington
where he is employed in one of the DEPART
ments. Choosing the Grand Trunk route, he
arrived at Montreal and stopped al st. Law
renee Hall, registering his name and adding
for his residence. Texas During the alter
noon gentleman from Louisiana sent up his
card and followed it in person, to make the
acquaintance of our Texan. 81 After dinner
this new acquaintance returned with two
other Southerners, one from Louisiana and
one from Virginia. After some Indifferent
conversation they proposed a stroll about
town, and after walking about a mile from the
hotel called at the house OF one Col Carroll,
OF Tennessee. After getting in doors the
conversation, which had before been guarded.
took a political turn. Our young friend main
tanned a discreet policy of non-committal.
Col. Carroll, who claimed his title by virtue of
service in the Confederate army, at last in
vited the company to walk into another room
and explained point blank, t. at the object of
bringing the traveller to his house was to Of
fer him the inestimable privilege of Joining
an association called in Montreal the "United
Loyal Empire" and designed to operate
against the United States by the plainly sug-
gested means Of the cup, the knife, the pistol
and the torch. A roll of parchment was dis
played, on which was engrossed the oath of
the order, and after that appeared first of
all the notable signature of &C. N. Sanders,
followed by five or six sheets of letter paper
covered with names. At this point our Tex
an friend found himself compelled to throw
of the mask and declined to go any further
in the business, adding that he had served in
the Unionarmy during the war. With this he
started Tor the door and succeeded after des-
pirate struggle in efecting his escape, though
he was followed all the way back to his hotel.
We tel the story as it came to MS, without
vouchine for it in ally particular. The folly of
the thing seems incredible, but SO to any well
regulated mind does the management of
knaves andconsmrators always. The story
was told by the CHEF actor in straiellt-for-
ward way whichw ploof against cross-ex-
animation. 1t was told BEFORE these rumors
came from New Orleans. and tallies remarka-
bly, with them. Iii it stood alone. we should
dismiss it as unworthy of attention. In con-
nection with other indications it has sufficient
weight to justify its publication, .gf41l9
IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE IN New YoRK.-The
proceedings of the State convention of color.
ed men which met at Albany last week affords
very satisfactory proof of the intelligence and
responsibility OF The class there represented
The convention declared for impartial suffrage.
and pledged the support of colored voters for
, those candidates who will support it and
against all others. The law of New York re-
quires white citizens to have been inhabitants
of the State for year before voting; colored