Year: 1861

The Order Of Knights Of the Golden CsrcIe-their


mission 10 destroy tie Republe-a limited mon


archy part Of their plan.


The Louisville Journal has done no


more important service in its great


battle against treason, than in the


full exposure which it now spreads


before the world of the plan and Or


Sanization of the Knights of the Col


den Circle. This intensely Southern


order has for several years been accu-


mulating power in the South, osten-


sibly for a raid upon Mexico, but real.


ly, as it now appears, in anticipation


of civil war to break up the Union.


People in the North, and too many,


perhaps, in the South, have looked up
on the noisy fulminations of George


Buckley, chief of the order, as so much


Southern "swash," and they have


laughed over it and let it 60. Indeed,


the order never assumed, in public es-


timation much Importance Until with


in the last few months. Since then it


has materially changed its character,
and its widespread and secret ma.
chinery is now one of the most active
and dangerous agents to further the
designs Of the confederacy. Its mem.
bers bear the same relation to other
disunionists that regular soldiers do
to the militia. They are the vigilance
committees the power behind the
throne that controls individual and
even public opinions in the South. 1t
appears from the Journals statements
that there three degrees in the order
the first, military; the second,
financial and the third, government
tai. The military degree is all that
the great mass of its members are al
lowed to take, and its oaths and obi
cations are very simple, being airled
apparently at Mexico, with the follow
ing hint which is now ineligible, viz:
" But we hold it to be our duty to of.
fer our services to any Southern State |
to repcl Northern army. We hope
such a contingency may not occur"


Passing by the financial degree, the
objects Of which are explained by the |
designation it bears, we come to the
third, or Governmental, which is the
inner temple and main spring of the
organization. The very existence of
this degree was to be secret to all
but those who had taken its obliga-
tions. None but Shareholders, or men
of the most intense proslavery senti-
ments, were eligible to membership.
They were sworn to find out every
abolitionist, whether man, woman or
child, in the county, and report them
for expulsion from the State also all
Northern school teachers, and all
strangers or travellers. They were
to create a public sentiment for the
expulsion of free negroes, and oppose
the intermarriage of free blacks and
slaves. In case any Southern State
should be invaded, they were to mus
ter the largest force possible, and 60
to the scene of danger. These points
were introduced in the ritual, mixed
up with a great deal about Mexico,
Catholics, the peon system of Slavery,
etc, all of which was mere blind to
cover the ultimate purpose Of a South
ern Slave Confederacy, with a limited
Monarchy. The Knights of the third
degree required that all the members
of their degree should have Office first;
next after them the Knights of the
first (or lower) degree were to be
served. The "spoils of Mexico "
which may mean the enslavement of
free blacks and the confiscation of
loyal estates in the South, were to be
divided in the same way and ratio.
The eleventh obligation prescribed a
limited Monarchy as the "bcst form
OF Government for the purpose in
view." At the end of the initiation
the new members were instructed az
follows, and these final instructions
contain the nub Of the whole matter


IL am well aware that this whole
scheme is bold and daring one, that
can but surprise you at first, as it did
ne, and for this reason I beg to state
few facts for your consideration.
In the rise and progress of Democra-
cy in America, we have seen its high
est attainment. In the very outset it
was based on high religious princi-
pies, and adopted as a refuge from
despotism. In the North, Puritanism
moulded it, and went SO far as to leave
out the natural conservative element
Of all Observation-Disclosures Slave
ry. As result, we have presented


now social, religious and political an
archy. From Millerism and Spiritual


ism, every Utopian idea has numerous


advocates. The manufacturer is an


aristocrat, while the working man is


Serf The latter class constantly