, 1880-08-23
Reasonable Conspiracy.

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issued in the name OF " y. 8. Grant, Cons
mander-in-Ch Boys in Blue" coun-
tersigned Drake DeKay, Adiutant Cen
eral," giving instructions for the imme-
Glate enrolment and reorganization of
the Union Veterans" for political party
purposes in the present Presidential
campaign. The instructions are specifi>
cally to organize under military ritual.
by companies, battalions, regiments, bri>
gades and divisions, under the command
severaly of officers of rank correspond
ing with the army grade. receiving their
commissions from the Commander-in-
Chief, to whom they are required to re-
port, and whose absolute authority they
are commanded to obey by their oath of
enrolment They are instructed to arm,
drill in infantry tactics and maintain
military discipline, holding themselves
in readiness to respond to call to active
service made by their superior officer
under the authority of the Commander
in-Chief. The purpose to elect Garfield
is Clearly stated in this secret military
order; and the design of forcible resist
ance to the Inauguration of Hancock is
Enthusiastically Indicated. The order to
organize, officer, arm and drill secret
oath>bound army outside of the laws, for
the ostensibls purpose Of maintaining a
party in power, means military domina-
tion or rebellion. It will not admit OF
any other construction. A secret political
organization of any kind is, in popular
government, conspiracy against popu>
lar rights-an attempt to appropriate to
the sole use of the conspiraters what be-
longs of right to all citizens in common
But secret military organization for
political purposes IS covert treason con-
templating the subversion OF popular
rights by intimidation, or failing in that,
by lawless violence. No free people who
have any regard for popular liberty can
afford to countenance or tolerate any such
reasonable organization IN their midst :;
it is no less infamous and more to be de-
precated than organized bands of horse
thieves, house breakers or highway rob-
bers, for the latter generally belong to a
class whose characteristics are manifest
and can be hunted down; while the po-
litical conspirators pass among us un>
suspected, with treason in their minds
and murder in their hearts, only waiting
favorable opportunity to rob us of our
dearest right as American citizens the
right of choosing onr own rulers, "un-
awed by influence and unbribed by gain :"
Without the secret circular above al>
luded to-which We were not permitted
to retain or copy-the proof OF the exist
ence of such secret military organiza-
tion for political party purposes is con>
elusive in the following order, which We
Lave before published:
HID. QRs. UNION VETERANS, }
BOYS IN Blue
New YORK, July %, 1880.
General Orders No. 1.-The member
for each State of the National Committee
Of the Union Veterans Union, will at
once proceed to organize the Boys in
Blue in their respective States to pro-
mote the election of Garfield and Arthur
Organizations of "Boys in Blue" will
report to the Department Commanders
in their respective States.
Z. S. GRANT,
Cemmander>in-C Chief Boys in Blue.
DRAKE De KAY, Adjutant General
The circular gives list of the Depart
ment Commanders for each State, among
whom are Gen. J. F. Miller Of California;;
Capt. C.;P. Crandall of Oregon, General
John A. Logan, of Illinois, and General
James A. Garfield of Ohie. Gen. Pier
son, of Pennsylvania, resigned and has
taken the stump for Hancock. If the
organization was not exclusively devoted
to the Republican party, what was the
necessity of Gen. Pierson resigning there's
from when he concluded to support
UGncock?
Let those Republicans-including Carl
Schurz-wha deemed the return of Grant
to power as fraught with danger to our
Republican Institutions, consider the fact
that in this secret military organization
for dominating the Government, Garfield
occupies a subordinate office, under oath
to obey the orders of his chief, General
Grant. Never in the history of the
country has there been such a menace to
tree popular government as this organi-