The Washington herald., 1910-12-04

blood, Hence the various raids made
upon those countries. The Golden Circle
was line drawn from Havana as a cen
ter with radius of 16 degrees latitude
and longitude, and in this area was 10 be
formed the projected empire.
The Knights of the Golden Circle is
said to have been the inspirer and feeder
of Walker, though it would seem to those
who have read his own account of his
life that this fanatical hero needed no
inspiration save that OF his own BRAIN
The real object OF the knights OF the
Golden Circle is not properly understood
Most historians dismiss it with the state
ment that ii was a society formed TO dis
courage enlistment In the Union army
and 10 give aid and comfort TO the States
then in rebellion, while it's object, as al
ready shown, was not alone this. but the
establishment of great slave empire,
though there we're probably as many
projects Matched at IT'S councils as there
were members. and its membership
amounted TO thousands
Rich I'm Mines.
A glance at its ritual leaves no doubt
as to its object. The circle was already
plotting with the governor of Guanaju-
alto, the richest mining province of Mex
leo when this document was written.
The cipher IS translated: "Under the
laws of Mexico every emigrant receives
from the state authorities a grant of $40
acres of land. Under a treaty closed
with Manuel Doblado, governor of Gu
anajuato. on the 18th of February, 1860.
we are Invited TO colonize in Mexico to
enable the best people there to establish
a permanent government. We agree 10
introduce a force Of 1900 men. armed.
equipped. and provided to take the field
under the command OF Dobado. who
agrees to offer an equal number Of men
TO be differed by Knights of the Golden
Circle
ITO cover the original expenses of
arming our forces there Is mortgaged 10
our trustees the right TO collect one-half
the annual revenues OF Guanajuato until
we are paid the sum OF $4,000. As a
bonus there is also ceded 10 Us 355000
acres of land. The pay OF the army is
The same as the regularly army of Mex
leo. which Is about one-eighth OF that of
the United States. To secure this there
is mOrtgaged TO Us all the public prop
erty of Guanajuato. amounting in tax
able value TO $23 000. 600. DobadO is now
making arrangements for our reception.
An initiate was made 10 say that he
would do all he. as an honorable man,
could do 20 make Mexico a slave state.
"As such he will urge its annexation to
the United States. otherwise he will OPP
pose it with equal zeal" and he would
sustain the effort 10 reduce the peon sys-
tenn to perpetual slavery. He further
pledged himself TO support no leader Of
the organization who will not swear to
extend slavery over the whole Of Central
America if in his power He shall try TO
Mexico. II was known, this ambitious
society. under various names. The late
Senator Morton, OF Indiana, once said
that il changed its name as often as a
thief and for pretty much the same rea-
sons. But no matter how frequently IL
changed its name. its object was un-
changed but the soil and climate Of the
United States do not agree with secret
societies They do not flourish here and
the knights OF the Golden Circle, like so
many of its predecessors, after a brief
and inglorious career, died a natural
death. IL IL could be said 20 have a sue
cessOr il was the order of the Sons of
Liberty. which proposed to form North
western confederacy in the United States.
A Glorious Dream.
The knights OF the Golden Circle and
others of like fix had truly a glorious
dream. as all dreams Of empire are likely
10 be II was: when the South should be