CONSTITUTION.

ARTICLE 1. This Association shall be known
by its members as the Union League.

ART. 2. The object of its organization is to
promote the success of Union principles, and
not to interfere or conflict with any other
association of Union men, but, on the con-
trary, it shall be a duty to support and en-
courage all such associations and their meet-
ings, and membership shall not preclude or
interfere with members in active support of
such associations and meetings.

ART. 3. The Union League shall consist of
a mother organization, to be called the Cen-
tral Club, and such other Clubs within specific
districts or wards as may be formed with the
previous consent of the Central Club.

ART. 4. Every member shall, upon his en-
trance into this association, subscribe to a
solemn declaration, that he will not divulge the
place of meeting, purpose, or even the exist-
ence of the Union League, to any person not a

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member thereof, unless the name of said person
has been proposed, considered and agreed upon
in the Central or some other constituted Club of
the Union League as suitable for membership
therein. The newly admitted member shall
further declare that he will never, under any
circumstances, communicate any proceedings
of any Club or branch of the Union League,
nor its private instructions or works, or the
name of any member, to any person not a mem-
ber thereof, except for the purpose of instruc-
tion.

ART. 5. No discrimination or distinction
shall be allowed between native and natural-
ized citizens, and no political test shall be
allowed, except that each member shall be in
favor of the eternal unity of our country, gov-
ernment and people, and having a due and
equal voice in the deliberations of the League,
he shall agree to submit to the decision of the
majority.

ART. 6. Each Club shall have a President,
a Vice President, a Secretary and Judge Ad-
vocate, with such other officers as it may re-
quire; the four officers here above named
shall constitute the Executive Committee.

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There shall also be a General Executive Com-
mittee of the League of the elective mem-
bers of each Club, which shall have the admin-
istrative part in all general concerns of the
League, but can change no part of this Con-
stitution without a ratification of a majority of
the Clubs.

ART. 7. No public announcement of time or
place of assembly shall be made, except the
cabalistic and prearranged means to be adopted
in the private works.

ART. 8. To secure the freedom of opinion
and political action, and prevent the intimida-
tion of Union men, the officers of any Club
shall be empowered to detail men at any time
or place, ready to protect the same when
menaced, and to prevent or repress violence
or insult to them, come from what quarter it
may. This shall be the especial duty of the
officers and the committees of each Club,
either Executive or Special Committee, thereto
appointed, as well as of the General Executive
Committee preceding every election, and the
persons so detailed SHALL "protect all loyal
voters at or going to or from the polls," and
the provisions of this article and the duties

required therein shall never be neglected nor
relaxed at other times and occasions.

ARR. 9. Preceding each election, each Club
of the League, giving a due and exact notice to
each member, so that all shall be bound to sup-
port the results, shall nominate candidates
for all the elective districts. Provided, the
districts are the same as those of the yard or
or the district of the Club so nominating,
but in case it is not, and the elective dis-
trict is smaller, the members of the elective
district shall organize separately and nomi-
nate; but if the elective district be larger,
then each Club shall send three delegates to a
Convention, which shall make nominations, and
said nominations shall be binding on all Clubs
entitled to representation therein.

Arr. 10. On the assembling of the first General Convention for the parish, the power of the General Executive Committee provided for in article 6, shall revert to said committee, which shall, during its session, nominate a General Executive Committee to hold over until the assembly of the next General Convention or Conventions for nominating candidates and transacting business of general in-

terest to the League, and may at any time be
called by the General Executive Committee,
or by a majority of the Clubs, at the assembling
of every new Convention, and the formation
and powers of the existing General Executive
Committee shall terminate, and each Conven-
tion shall appoint a General Executive Com-
mittee to hold over to the sittings of another
Convention, with power in the meantime to fill
its own vacancies.

H.Y.-I.A.W.S.

SECTION 1. The officers of the Club shall be elected semi-annually on the last Monday of March and September of each year, or as soon after as practicable, and a majority of members voting at any election for officers or delegates to a Convention shall be required to elect.

SEC. 2. Whenever seven members of the League, residing in any ward in the city of New Orleans, or within the limits of any municipality, corporation, or of any parish of the State of Louisiana, shall wish to form a Club

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for said ward, parish, municipality or corpora-
tion, and shall present a petition to the
mother Club, the same shall be granted, and
the means furnished for their organization at
the organization of their ward.

SEC. 3. The duties of the officers of the Club shall be generally such as are incident to such stations, the Advocate shall prepare and initiate the candidates and administer the obligations.

SEC. 4. In addition to the officers provided in the Constitution, each Club shall have two Guardians, the Outer-Guardian shall guard the entrance to the Club-room against any improper intrusion, and keep the same in order, and act the same as porter and messenger for the Club and its officers and committees.

SEC. 5. The General Executive Committee shall provide such means under the Constitution for the public calls of meetings as may be necessary, and change the same as exigencies may require.

SEC. 6. The expenses of the Club shall be under the charge of the Executive Committee respectively, who shall raise by contribution

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or subscription such amount as may from
time to time be necessary.

SEC. 7. So soon as the Club shall, and the General Executive Committee as provided in article 6 of the Constitution shall be organized, petitions for new Clubs shall be presented to said committee, and the general functions of the mother Club shall cease, except for the initiation of candidates from those sections and districts where no Club has been instituted, and shall entirely cease as the mother Club so soon as a Club is formed in each municipal district of New Orleans.

SEC. 8. No person shall receive the application or initiate any person a resident of a ward, municipal corporation or parish in which a Club has already been instituted, without the special permission of said Club.

SEC. 9. The occupation and residence of each person proposed for membership shall invariably accompany the same, and as a new Club is formed, every member of the League, residing within its district, shall become de facto a member thereof.

SEC. 10. All proposition for membership shall be acted upon by paper or ball ballots,

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and without debate or without objection, so at the time the proposition is made, but six or more black balls shall suspend election until the persons voting the black balls shall come forward and register their names with the Secretary of the Club, who shall send said names, together with the name of the person against whom the black balls have been cast to the Executive Committee, where the members will make known their reasons for their respective votes, which, if found good and valid by the members of said Executive Committee, shall reject the person, but if otherwise, the name of the person shall again be submitted for election at the next regular meeting of the Club, and a special election be held for his admission, and if the person receive a majority of the votes of the members present, he shall be declared elected.

**JUDICIARY ADVOCATE.**—The Club being ready to initiate the candidates in the ante-room with the Judge Advocate and Secretary, the initiates will be addressed by the Judge Advocate as follows:

Before we can unfold to you anything concerning this association, we must impose upon you an obligation of secrecy.

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Do you solemnly promise, on your honor as a man, to keep secret everything you may learn concerning this association, whether you decline membership or not, or having become a member, should afterwards withdraw?

Answer—Yes.

All giving their assent, they will then proceed to take the name, residence and occupation of each candidate.

The Judge Advocate will then propound the following interrogatories, requiring a distinct answer to each question from each candidate, before putting the succeeding question. Should any one not give a satisfactory answer, he shall retire before the Judge Advocate puts any more interrogatories.

Do you acknowledge paramount allegiance to the Government of the United States, as represented by Congress, the President and the Supreme Court, and do you pledge to that Government a loyalty that is absolute without conditions?

Answer—Yes.

Whenever you are advised of the existence of a treasonable or conspiring act against the Government, will you assist the League in

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finding out its authors and abettors, and
bringing them with a view to their punish-
ment, before the duly constituted tribunals for
the trial of traitors and rebels?

Answer—Yes.

Will you frown upon and oppose the giving
of countenance or comfort to the enemies of
the United States in any manner and by
whomsoever?

Answer—Yes.

As a member of this League, will you, by
the hopes which this emblem of our nationality
pictures forth (the Judge Advocate must hold
a small U. S. flag in his hand) promise to make
no distinction between your fellow-members
or those proposed for admittance into our
body, on the ground of religion, or place of
birth, or of communicating with different po-
litical parties, or of personal difficulties or mis-
understanding, deeming it sufficient that they,
like yourself, are unconditional loyalists, sol-
omously sworn to do all in their power towards
preserving the Union in its integrity, and de-
fending it against all its foes, whether openly
or secretly?

Answer—Yes.

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And will you furthermore promise and
swear, that you will bear true allegiance to
the Government of the United States, and that
you do solemnly repudiate any and all alle-
giance to or connection with other Govern-
ments or pretended Governments, and es-
pecially to the so-called Government of the
Confederate States, and that you do volun-
tarily pledge yourself to do all in your power
in aiding and assisting in organizing a Free
State Government in Louisiana loyal to the
United States Government?

Answer—Yes.

When all have given satisfactory answers,
the candidates shall be conducted to the assem-
bly room and placed in front of the Judge Ad-
vocate, each taking hold of the flag of the
Union, spread out for the purpose, when the
Judge Advocate shall address them as follows:

Gentlemen—Before you proceed further, it
is necessary that you should assume an obli-
gation, consistent with those you assumed in
the ante-room; if you are willing to take upon
yourself this obligation you will raise your
right hand and repeat after me:

I, ___________, of my own free will, and
in the presence of God, and before these loyal

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witnesses, do solemnly swear on the flag of
my country, that I am, and will continue to
be, without any conditions whatsoever, true to
the United States as a nation; that I will sup-
port with all the means at my command, the
acts of its Government, as represented by
Congress, by the Supreme Court, and by the
President, and that I will sacrifice my fortune
and my life, if needful, in opposing the present
rebellious efforts to break up our national
domain, and, furthermore, in becoming as I
now do a member of the Union League, I do
solemnly swear that I will not divulge the pur-
pose, the place of meeting, the secrets, the
mysteries, or the name of the League, to
any person not a member thereof, nor will I
divulge even its existence to any person who
has not been proposed, considered and agreed
upon in the Central or some other regular
Club of the League as suitable for member-
ship therein, and then only for the purpose of
instruction; and I do solemnly swear that I
adopt the Constitution and By-Laws of the
Union League, and that as long as I am a
member thereof and have an equal voice in
its deliberations, I will hold myself bound by
whatever rules, edicts or resolutions the ma-

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jority may adopt or enact. Provided, always,
that no such edict or resolution shall be-
yond the object of the League, or come into
conflict with the laws of the land or of God.
I furthermore promise and swear that I will
aid and assist in organizing a Free State Gov-
ernment in Louisiana, loyal to the United
States Government. Finally, I do solemnly
swear that if I ever retire from the League,
I will keep all I know of it private and secret
while I live, or until such times as the League
itself may give me leave to speak. Stand-
ding beneath the avenging sword of jus-
tice, I invoke its puissant if ever I prove
reccurent to these my sacred pledges, and call
down upon my head the anger of Him who is
the Ruler of all nations and Lord of all worlds.

The Judge Advocate will then say: Having
voluntarily taken these obligations, you will,
in token thereof, kiss the flag your country.

## JUDGE ADVOCATE'S INSTRUCTIONS.

*Pass Words.*—On approaching the outer
door of the place of meeting, you will give to
the Outer-Guardian the word *Fides*, and on
coming to the inner-door you will give to the
Inner Guardian the word *Unum*, both words
together signifying fidelity to the Union. On

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entering the place of meeting, you will proceed to the centre of the room, and, looking at the presiding officer, you will place your right hand over your heart, with your fingers inclined downwards, when the presiding officer will return the salutation.

The Grip.—In shaking hands, extend your forefinger and press its point in the wrist of the hand you are taking. To confirm still further, rub your chin from right to left with the first three fingers of the right hand. The answer will be to rub in the same manner behind the ear. If you will wish to be recognized by others at sight, wear three common pins in the left side of your coat or garment, placed parallel to each other.

To bring members to your assistance, the words "O Jack" will and must be answered by their presence, after they have given the response "Here."

When a meeting is called in an emergency, which does not admit of public notice, pieces of paper, about two inches square, folded triangular, will be scattered about the streets, the particular object of which will be communicated at the various Club-rooms by persons stationed there for that purpose, and by each

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member as he becomes informed. The color for the First District, shall be white; for the Second District, red; for the Third District, green; and for the Fourth District, blue. The Central Committee will have yellow.

The public notices, either through newspapers or placards, will be printed in three lines; in the first line, the name of the district; second line, three blank stars; and third line, day, date and hour, but not the place of meeting;—as follows:

First, Second, Third and Fourth Districts, in First District.

MONDAY EVENING, July 25, at 7½ P. M.

The initial will then proceed before the presiding officer, who will deliver to them the following charge, forthwith:

You have this evening solely bound yourself to bear true and faithful allegiance to the United States, and to maintain at all hazards, its interests, its rights, and its honor; to be active and zealous in opposition to its enemies, and to contribute your utmost to their overthrow; to keep inviolate the secrets of