The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-05-30

LIZ VIII, which Coz Andrew eowan, of
thas city presided. much en-
tAUBlsasm was Displayed BY an assem-
blage of about 1850 true patriots as
Hon. Chas. D. Haines, Lieut,-Gen.
Nelson A. Miles,, and Rev Augustus
E. Barnett spoke In, the order named.
in the interest OF the new patriotic
order, the Guardians Of Liberty.
The intexacT of the Cath eara1 was
richly decorated with TIE Stars and
Stripes, While a large sEar-spangled
banner foraad the background wpen
the stage, where were seated Post
master Reo1 e. Woods, Chas. P.
Weaver, MRS. Weaver, Assistant
Postmaster John O. RIarey, gsa,s Ad-
mira1 JOHN G. Watson, retired, and
the Rev. David Brunig.
The meeting was very appropri-
ately opened by singing America y
followed by prayer, after which Hon.
Chas. D. Hafnes, formerly Congress
man from New York, was introduced.
He defined the "PrinciplesT' of the
Guardians of Liberty in very impress
sive style, which brought repeated
cheers from the audience He ex-
planned how, only about twelve
months ago, few we1l-known and
Influential men from over the coun-
try gathered together to determine
by what mode of procedure they
could best serve their country in the
time OF need, or in the event Of any
crisis to come. The result of this
meeting was the Guardians Of Lib
erty, which adopted the following
'Prineiples:"
1. We unite as non-sectarian,
non-partisan, and non-racial force to
promote pure patriotism and a sacred
regard for the welfare of our eoun-
try. 1t is our belief that every citi-
zen should hold sacred his civil dA-
ties and responsibilities, and it is our
desire and purpose that every office
Of the nation, State and municipality
shall be held by men of ability, in
tegrity and true patriotism. We hold
that no citizen is a true patriot who
owes superior temporal allegiance
to any power above that of his ebl1-
cations to the principles OF the Con-
stitution of the Unitetd States.
2. AS the fathers established SO
we are resolved to maintain a COM
plete separation OF church and state
3. We deny the right Of any po-
Ht1cal Or ecclesiastical organization
to manipulate OR control the SOW
ereign citizenship of our people, or
to dispose Of their civil rights and
privileges fer political office or
power, and we are determined that
every citizen shall exercise these
rights and privileges unmolested, an
swerable only to his conscience and
his God.
4. We unite to protect and pre-
serve the free institutions of our
country, especially our public educa-
tional system, against any foreign
or menacing influence, and we par
ticularly protest against the diver
sion Of any funds or lands to any re-
Hgious purpose whatever.
The speaker dwelt upon the at
tacks already made upon this new
order by the Roman church, and
asked the question why they should
see fit to attack this truly patriotic
organization, which is strictly in &C
cordance with the Constitution of the
United States, and how their attacks
show the unAnerican spirit of Ro-
manism; that these four principles
contained nothing that every Ameri-
can patriot would be shamed to have
tackled on his front door, which
would only indicate that within lived
true coitizen, loyal to his country.