Year: 1861

we are not prepared TO say now long
the Order of the Knights of The Golden
Circle has been in existence. 1t never
assumed, in public estim alton, much i'm
portance, unit after the springing up o1
The great question OF Union or Disunion
in our land 1t is believed to have mate
rally changed its character since then,
and certainly it has played an important
part in the political affairs Of the nation
1t is an intensely Disunion Concern. It's
memb bers bear the same relation to othe,
/ Disunionis:s that regular soldiers do tc
the militia. Tie association is upheld
and applauded as patriotic and noble, by
the whole disunion press everywhere.-
Every imrrecation made against it is re-
sented by the Disunion press as a blow
at the Disunion cause.


The success with which the Knights
of the Golden Circle have kept the secret
of their order has been matter of won
der to many. The Chief of the Order
has pretended to publish all the written
portion of the Ritual or Rituals, but we
knew perfectly well that he was attempt
ing fraud upon the community. Hun
dreds of members of the Order have
sworn dreadful oaths that they Would
Kill any one of their fellows who should
dare to reveal. and any editor or printer
who should be guilty of publishing THEN
mysteries. Probably the knowledge o
these oaths has kept many persons silent
who felt that they were under solemn
obligation to their fellow men to speak
what they knew. For ourselves, we care
not for their threats. A public man is
miserably unfit for his station if be hes.
itates to do his duty, and trast the conse-
quences to God and bis fellow men.


We have before US all the secret doc
uments of the Knights of the Golden
Circle. That they are authentic, we
give our solemn assurance as an editor
and as man. We proceed to publish
such portions as will give correct and
and full idea of the purposes and plans
of the Order.


There are three degrees to the Order
The first Military, the second Financial,
and the third Governmental.


The Ritual Of the first degree contains
little of special importance. We will
here premise that the reading of the Ri~
tuals is entirely unintelligable, except by
the use Of keys, great M: ny numerical
figures being substituted for words. We
are in possession of the keys, and, in
what we publish Of the Rituals, we shall
give it just as we find it, putting in pa
renthesis the meaning Of the figures
The two following paragraphs are from
the obligations taken by the Treasurer,
and those of the second by an officer
called the Captain.


Treasurer Gentlemen, we must now
tell you that the first field of our opera
tons, is 2 (Mexico y but we hold it to
be our duty to offer our services to any
Southern State to repel Northern Ar
my. We hope such contingency may
not occur. But whether the Union is re.
constructed or not, the Southern States
must foster any scheme for the Ameri-
canizing and Souhernizing of (Mexi-
CO, so that in either case our success
will be certain.


/ Captain Under the laws Of 2 MEX
ico, every emigrant receives from the
State authorities grant of $40 acres o
land. Under treaty closed with g.
i manuel Dodlado, Governor of Guanaiu.
alto, on the / lth Of February, 1862, We
are invited to colonize in z, (Mexico, tt
enable the best people there to establish
a perm aneut government. We agree te
enter force OF 600 men armed and
equipped, and provided, and to take tho