The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-05-13

nipple of the piece when the trigger Is pulieo
and the hammer snapped. Bringing the piece
to full cock is the challenge, and the answer
is given by the challenged party full-cock.
ing his piece, and, instantly pulling the try
ger. swapping the hammer.
The society really has no name 1t IS never
spoken of by its members, among themsel
YES, rs the Ku-klux Khan, or by any Other
name. The three emblems, the Cross, the
Crescent, and the Lone Star, are used IN the
oaths of initiation, and to bring the compa.
MES together; bat they do not, either single
or together, give the order any name recog-
nized among its members as the proper dis
tinctive designation of the association.
The order has no aoritten records. Not
line will ever be found of the official records
of the society, for it has none. No muster
rolls can be produced, for there are none
No orders or communications are ever writ.
ten, but, on the contrary, everything OF the
kind is strictly prohibited. The brothers
work in silence and IN darkness There are
no witnesses against them but human wit
ncsses, who are always liable to their ven,
geance as TRAITORS! No tell-tale-paper and
ink witness will ever appear against them
by their own acts! ~
At the meetings of the largest companies
the brothers always appear with their faces
partially covered If the meeting is in a
building of any kind, there is never a light
to show the faces of those assembled; and
if there be fire, the brothers keep away
from its light as much as possible. Always,
when practicable, the meetings are held in
some wilderness, and no meeting is ventured
upon for any general business that requires
the presence of more men than might acct
dentally meet, without The utmost prccau-
ton in the way Of sentinels, etc.
The organization includes fully-off1cered
companies, regiments and brlgades. VI
course, every brother knows the officer OF
his own company, but that is all he IS sup
posed to know. The commander OF the
company knows where his orders come from,
and that is all he is expected to know. The
matter is never discussed. but every one I'M
derstands that the officers are men who have
seen service in the late war, and are quail
fed for their positions. When new com
pany is organized, its officers are appointed
by the commander of the regiment to which
it is to belong, and the ordero appointment
is transmitted through the captain of a
neighboring company, who details men to
organize the new One.
The orders for my company l knew came
from Columbus, and that, of course, was the
headquarters of the regiment to which I
colonel, but he was an old brigade comman-
der in Longstreet's corps.
MODE OF RECOGNITION.
When a brother desires to ascertain wheth-
er stranger belongs regularly to the order,
he must not pursue the inquiry in the pres.
ence of Others. Engaging the stranger in
conversation, the brother finally says:
I" I reckon you're true Southerner
If the strangers answers directly "Yes,
the brother continues
May be, then, you've been tested 2"
The word tested refers to the initia-
ton of the order. If the stranger is also a
brother, he replies:
"Iknow what is the work of Silence and
Darkness"
The brother then with the right hand
makes the sign of recognition, as given in
the illustration, and the other responds by
repeating the motion, and bringing the fore
finger and thumb together, the whole repre-
senting the hammer of gun as it is cooked
and snapped.
The brothers are cautious against the use
Of these signs without cause, and none is
allowed to seek out members by the above
means, merely for the qualification of curl
osity.
The sign of the Crescent is used for sum
moning meetings of the companies at irreg-
ular times, and when business of importance
is to be attended to at once. In towns and
hamlets this sign is made anywhere, so that
it is likely to be seen, on. fence, sketched
with stick on walk and sometimes
leaves torn in two, so that the halves resem-
BILE rude crescents, and are dropped about
where they will attract the attention of the
brothers, while no one else will notice them.
1t must be understood that the companies
never meet to discuss any proposition.
That is done without general meeting,
which is only called when some initiation is
to take place, or when some action requir-
ing the whole or part of the band has been
decided upon.
A general rallying cry is provided for
cases of emergency. as, for instance, if a par
ty of brothers were engaged in any expedi-
ton, and should encounter such assistance
as to make aid necessary, the cry is: The
Cross! The Cross The Cross! !" I never
knew this cry to be used, but when the time
comes for active and extended operations in
the cities, it will be.
THE WORK DONE.
In the code of the Brothers of the South.
ern Cross, every loyal Southerner is a trail
tor, and every loyal Northcrner is born
enemy. The command is to "smitc every
vulnerable point" and enough is published
every week to show that +" vulnerable points
are found every day, when the brothers put
an enemy out of the way. Details are made
from the companies when the death of any
person has been decided on. The precise
time for action is never given with the order
the brothers wait the favorable moment for
their work of Silence and Darkness. AL
ways enough men are detailed to cover all
possible contingencies or ordinary resistance
er is never free until it is done, even if no
opportunity occurs for months.
Every State OF the South has its perfect
organization of these brothers, and the order
is yet in its infancy. Members arc at work
in Northern border States organizing among
those who are Southern born, or who are
known to side with the South against the
North. This is the principal point where
the "lurid flames " ARE to be brought to the
aid ofthe South, though the brothers have al
ready been in every Northern city of any pro.
minence and accessibility. The "pestilence'
will go broadcast over the whole North
how, may readily be imagined from the
events of the late war.
Any favorable opportunity during the
impeachment trial, or afterward, would see
this slumbering volcano throughout the
South burst forth with frightful violence
Impeachment, or the coming Presidential