The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-04-15

We are indebted to Isaac n. Fordyce,
of the 25th U. s. Infantry, formerly of
this city, now of Memphis, for copy
of the Memphis Blletin of April 7th,
in which we find full exposition of
the Ku-Klux Klau, as it exists in that
city. s. B. Beaumont, superintendent
of the police, addresses a letter to the
Bulletin, in which he states thatin order
to satisfy himself of the objects of thls
organization, he had for several weeks
tracked its members to their place of
meeting, until finally on the preceding
night, he had arrested about twenty
young men as they were leaving their
den. Upon one of them was found
among other papers what appears to
be the constitution of the order, from
which, as printed in the Bulletin, we
take the following extracts:
ORGANIZATION.
The name of this den shall be the Su-
preme Cyclopean Council, and its ofi-
GERS shall consist OF a7Grand Cyclops, a
Vice Grand Cyclops and n Secretary.
All funds coming into the association
shall be under the control of the three
officers above named, and two direc-
tors to be elected, who shall act as a
supervising council, and their decision
upon rail- questions shall be final. The
meetings shall be called by the Grand
and shall be done through the papers
in the cipher of the organization.
OBJECT.
The object of this organization is for
the purpose of protecting the people of
the South from the band of murderers
and robbers now preying upon them,
even to the last resort-assassinatio
and we pledge ourselves one to the
other that nothing shall be allowed TO
deviate US from this noble object.
INITIATION.
All candidates shall be balloted for in
open council, and if any applicant re-
ceive three black balls he cannot be adj
mitted. As soon as a candidate is
elected, he shall be introduced by
brother appointed by the Grand Cy-
clops. The members OF the lodge, all
shrouded, will rise and receive him and
conduct him into the middle of the
room. Each member OF the order shall
have drawn dagger or other weapon
in his hand, pointed toward tho candi-
date, and each member will be requir-
ed in the presence of the candidate, to
swear that should said candidate prove
recreant to the oath which he is about
to take that he will killhim, and make
ii his special duty to do SO on the first
opportunity. As soon as the shrouded
brothers have taken the above oath, the
following charge and oath shall be ad-
ministered by the Grand Cyclops, or In
his absence, the Vice Grand:
"Here, in the presence of this skull
and the members here assembled,
solemnly swear TO be true 10 the
Order, TO It's members individually
ever, by sign, word or deed, betray
secret, or member of the Brother
hood, that the skull upon which now
lock may be a counterpart OF mine,
and hope that all the social relations
which now enjoy may be sundered,
that honesty in tho men or virtue in
the females may not be known in my
family and generation, and that all
who own nv name shall be branded as
dogs and harlots. I further swear to
obey implicitly the orders OF the Grand
Cyclops, regularly issued through his
Council, and as soon as receive an
order to fulfill 1t. 1 again swear that,
should member of this order be in
danger, that, even at the risk OF my
life, 1 will defend and endeavor to
save him. That willgive no outward
sign or hint that u person may know
of the existence of the K. X. X. unless
authorized by the Grand Cyclops,
and that each member of this or
der, as soon as the sign is givenI i
will recognize, defend and protect as u
brother. I further swear that will,
under and in all circumstances, bear
true allegiance to the South and her
interests, as Interpreted by the Supreme
Cyclopean Council, and when / receive
Its orders, should be even in the em-
braces of my wife, will leave her to
obey them. I further swear that all
Radicals and negroes, who have placed
themselves opposite to the interests OF
the owners OF the soil of Tennessee
shall forever be my enemy, and tEat
under no circumstance will have 9TH
er connection with them, If can help
it than TO "welcome them with bloody
hands to hospitable graves" That my
family, and the family of Radical
shall never Interchange visits, and 1
further pray that the God OF the South
land, whom now invoke, shall strike
me dead should ever, either in letter
or in spirit, infringe upon the things
set forth in this oath. TO all of which
1 swear in honesty of heart and SINGER
ity of purpose. So help me God"