The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-05-04

4 Win beGltb buStubAco AVLhStlS AhoNu /"
Knights Of the Golden Circle, but at tha
| time as the Sons Of Liberty. They claimet
10 1854 to have 10000 members In tn
State. They were lawless and defiant
plotting treason against the United State
and the overthrow Of the State govern
ment. In some counties their proper
tions were 50 formidable rs to requirt
the militia to be kept on war footing
Throughout 1868, and until the final ex
plosion Of the organization In August
1874, they kept the whole State in uproal
and alarm. So bold were their demon
strations during the summer Of 1868 tha
General John Morgan, Of Kentucky, wa
induced to invade the State with BIZ
forces In the belief that there Wonlt
be general uprising In his support. II
1854 so numerous were these treasonablt
organizations and 40 confident were they
Of their strength that they plotted Tor .
general upri.ing in the city Of Indiana
polls on the 18th Of August, to be under
the cover Of mass meeting Of The Demo
cratic party, to be attended by mem.
bers OF these organizations from all
parts OF the State. The plan Us shown by
the subsequent confessions of some OF the
leading c0nspirators, was on that day To
release about 1000 rebel prisoners con.
fined. in Camp Morton, seize the arsenal
and arm these prisoners, oyerturn the
State government and take possession oi
the State. This plan could not be kept
secret. II was known some three weeks
before the time Fixed and was abardoned
by the leading conspirators, and orders is.
sued countermanding the march Of their
forces on Indianapolis. Subsequently,
he discovery and seizure OF q large
amount Of arms and ammunition collect.
ed at Indianapolis for reasonable pur-
poses, and the seizure of the records and
rituals OF the Order Of the Sons OF Liber-
ty, giving the names Of the principal con-
spirators, and the arrest Of eight Of the
leaders, had the effect to break up
and destroy the power Of the or
ganization. And I regret TO have
10 say that in the list Of the principal
members OF this organization were found
the names OF three OF the State oificers, in.
to whose hands the Legislature Of 'GS had
attempted 10 place the whole military
power OF the State On trial Of these ring
leaders before n military tribunal
appointed by the President, under the act
of Congress, some Of them turned States
evidence and disclosed the full character
and extent Of the conspiracy. Four oi
them were convicted and sentenced to
death, one Of whom escaped. Another was
pardoned outright by President johnson,
and the two others, Bowles and Milligan,
had their punishment committed byPresi-
dent johnson to imprisonment Tor lie,
but we're afterwards released by the de-
cision Of the Supreme Court ofthe United
States to the effect that the Military
Committee had no jurisdiction to try
them for the offence. There is large vol.
ume Of unpublished history show
ing the details OF these organizations,
who were their aiders and abettors, and
the connection they had with the politics
OF the day. 1t may beproper TO state
here that the Democratic Legislature Of
1868 before its sudden adjournment had
appointed an auditing committee Of It's
own members, to audit and supervise all
my accounts and expenditures for militia.
ry purposes, which sat almost
continuously ill January, 1865, and
that this committee did audit and ap.
prove every one Of my expenditures, in.
Guiding that OF the Sl33.302 OF the fund
obtained from the President. The same
Legislature also appointed a committee
to inystigatss all.lpy espendituEss; and
accounts, irom tie beginning ,ot The
war up to J aIuary, 1866. Thisj In
yestigation -7was prosecuted with great
energy till late ID the spring OF 1868, and
after the breaking up Of lthe Legislature;
failing to find any thing wrong in my &C.
counts;to tho AMOUNT Tof even one cent,
The Democratic majority Of the commits
tee refused to make any report ut all but
the Republican minority report favorably
on my official copdnct nesery particular.
SENATORIAL or1sIoss ON NORTON, Is,
Mr. Anthony spokeain, ,eommendation
Of the course Of Motion when Governor Of
Indiana and condemned the investigations
that were being made. He stated that
witnesses were discharged, employees
broken down, contractors, Illicit distillefs
and disappointed Office seekers, and the
penitentiary and mad-house had given up
their dead In this general resurrection oi
false swearing and perjury. -
Mr.. Cameron, Of Pennsylvania, also
approved the course Of Morton'when Gov:
ernor OF Indiana, and said no man did
more to give victory to our arms. = s'l
JAPANESE INDEMNITY. ,,sss
The. consideration OF unfinished bust.
ness, being bill in relation to the
japanese indemnity fund, was then re-
sumed.