The Great North Western Conspiracy In All Its Startling Details
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I. Windslow Ayer >> The Great North Western Conspiracy In All Its Startling Details
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On the 17th of April, 1861, the report of the gun fired upon Fort Sumter
was heard by every member of these secret conclaves in the South, and was
the signal for the opening of the outer gates of every temple of treason
in the land.
From that inauspicious moment forward to the present, no mask has hid from
the scorn of the Christian world treason's hideous visage, but that
blear-eyed monster, armed with every weapon of iniquity which devilish
invention could devise, has alternately, with rage and despair, rushed to
and fro across the continent, spilling the blood of innocence.
When, upon the occurrence of the Presidential election in 1860, it was
found that the kernel planted by Calhoun had been fostered to maturity by
secret organization, the blood and treasure of seven states was at once
staked upon the fearful result, and the disruption of the Republic and the
erection of a slave-driving despotism upon the ruins solemnly declared. In
the outset, it was thought by leading political minds at the North, that
but little sincerity could be attached to the assertion of independence by
the Southern people. But as time elapsed and the contest grew more
formidable and bloody, Northern men began by degrees to comprehend the
magnitude of a chronic conspiracy which had cost the life-long labors of
its ablest advocates to prepare. And though the hosts enlisted in the
execution of this conspiracy for a time won the prestige of victors upon
fields of blood, knowledge of their sincerity of purpose and the extent of
their carefully collected resources at length came to every loyal man in
the country, and vigorous measures, corresponding to the necessity, were
at once devised, the effects of which are now seen in the capture of
Richmond and the surrender of Lee.
Earlier than this date in the progress of the struggle, however, it became
manifest that the wheel of fortune would eventually turn against the cause
of the South in consequence of her comparative weakness to contend against
a power so amply provided with the material of war as the government at
Washington. Then it was that the project of enlarging the area of the
rebellion, first fell upon the Southern mind as indispensable to their
cause, now fast becoming desperate in the extreme. Hurried raids into
border northern states gave to the prowess of southern arms but momentary
_eclat_, and little or no enduring strength was added to the stability of
the Richmond government, beyond the plunder obtained in the line of march.
On the contrary, these raids, instead of being evidence of the power of
the South to maintain the standard of independence, were looked upon by
the military chieftains of the North, without apprehension further than
the demoralization, consequent upon the particular neighborhoods and
districts thus invaded. In fact each recurring raid gave additional
grounds for the confident belief on the part of the North, that the
downfall of the rebellion was but a question of time, much sooner to be
solved than many people of both sections supposed. These symptoms of the
distress of the cause meantime did not escape the sagacity of the leaders
of the rebellion, and as an expedient remedy, the plan of secretly
organizing traitors in the northern states was determined upon as early as
1862, by the political representatives and agents of the confederate
states, the attempt, character and success of which project will be the
subject of the next chapter.
CHAP. III.
ARENA OF THE REBELLION EXTENDED--SECRET ORGANIZATION--PLAN OF
FORMATION--KNIGHTS OF GOLDEN CIRCLE--TRANSPORTS ON THE RIVERS
BURNED--EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES--SUPREME COUNCIL IN NEW YORK--DEGREES OF THE
ORDERS.
As above intimated, early in 1862 the Richmond Government foresaw the
necessity of bringing to its aid the hitherto comparatively dormant
resources of treason in the Northern States, and the enlargement of the
arena of the Rebellion. Raids having ominously failed in their design to
arouse the lethargic spirits of Northern sympathizers and advocates, to
rush to the standard of the misguided South, it was immediately determined
to prolong the war, at least, to the date of the next Presidential
election, and then through the agencies of secret organization and
equipment, seize upon the excitement of the people in a hotly contested
election, to force a rebellion against the administration elect in the
North, as had been done in the South in 1860.
The executive part of this object was at once given into the hands of such
trustworthy men, both North and South, as were deemed suitable to the
enterprise, and the work of secret political organization was vigorously
begun in Northern Missouri and Kentucky, from thence it gradually spread,
until it was firmly rooted in the political tenets of the minority party
in the States of Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, New York, and portions of
other adjoining States.
Much dissimilarity existed in the operative structure and formation of the
various organizations, from time to time thus instituted. To give the
public a full and complete description of these organizations, would be
foreign to the writer's time, space and purpose, but in order that some
record of their character may be made, a general description of each in
its order in point of time, with a reference to the features in which
radical dissimilarities appear, would seem indispensible to the poor
perfection sought to be obtained by the author of these sketches.
Upon the discovery by Southern leaders that their cause must fail unless
"fire in the rear" was at once instigated in the North, the Order of the
Knights of the Golden Circle, an old Southern institution, was infused
with life, and began its pilgrimage Northward, one additional creed having
been ingrafted upon it.
It will be remembered that this Order was originally composed of the
wealthiest planters, merchants and professional men of the South, and had
for its sole object the inculcation of treason against the United States.
It was simply an institution to educate the Southern mind to the required
standard of rebellion. But when the Order was introduced into the North,
it was found feasible to give it a double capacity, first that of an
educational capacity, and second that of an incendiary capacity, which
comprised the destruction of government property, and the houses and
property of leading loyal citizens of the North, known to be strong
advocates of the suppression of the rebellion. But this organization in
name and cardinal purpose was short-lived, its career having subserved but
a meagre benefit to the South, in a practical point of view. The damage it
did was principally confined to the burning of United States transports on
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and the moulding of the crude opinions of
its members, which served as a solid foundation for the establishment of
the Order of American Knights, which immediately succeeded its
dissolution.
Like all institutions of iniquity, the sun of the Order of Knights of the
Golden Circle went down in blood, but was the signal for the advent of an
Order better calculated to meet the ends of its design.
It had been seen upon experiment that the Golden Circle had been
successful beyond the most sanguine expectations of its instigators, and
as the necessity of Northern revolution to insure the certain success of
the Confederacy daily became more apparent to the rebels, both North and
South, the Order of the American Knights was inaugurated--the executioner
of that fell purpose. Its sun arose to its meridian with the suddenness of
a meteor, doomed to flash across the canopy and burst in scattering atoms.
The Order of American Knights was erected upon the dissolved fragments of
the Order of the Knights of the Golden Circle, which Order, in name, was
abandoned for the additional reason that the suspicions of the Government
had begun to be aroused as to the character of its movements. At the time
of the extinction of the Golden Circle, its members were at once inducted
into the Order of American Knights, so that this Order obtained much
primary advantage, in point of numerical strength, over its predecessor,
for the Golden Circle had already insidiously crept into the very hearts
of several Northern cities and states. The American Knights being composed
in the outset wholly of men who from experience had discovered whatever
defectiveness may have been chargeable upon the Golden Circle, it was
sought in the new Order to remedy the evils of the old Order.
With this in view, looking over the former and later phases of the Golden
Circle as it had existed in the North and South, respectively, it was
agreed to give the new Order still another capacity, and what was called
the military branch or department was added, the incendiary capacity of
the old Order being merged into this new military department.
We have seen that there had been in the North an Order mainly of
educational capacity, contemplating revolution so soon as the public mind
could be put in readiness for such an event, but now for the first time we
find an Order prepared in its organic structure, to speedily collect
together the elements of revolution and set them in motion. Such a concern
was the Order of American Knights. True, the rise of the Order created a
momentary excitement in political circles, as yet unaccustomed to dealing
with the stern problems of Northern revolution by resort to arms. But, by
the admirable adjustment of the administrative powers of the Order, into
degrees, sub-degrees and departments of degrees and sub-degrees, the
leaders were enabled to give to each adventurer in quest of the hidden
mysteries of the so-called impartial maxims of genuine Democracy--that
Democracy which _boasts of having permeated through every fibre and artery
of our political, commercial and social systems_, a comfortable and genial
sphere in which he was left to operate upon his good behavior.
Upon this ingenious plan the vast body and mass of the Order simply held
the relation of probationary membership, until they were rendered
competent through the educational capacity of the society, to advance into
full fellowship with its diabolical design. A glance at this organization
will suffice to show the shrewdness of the transient and local agents of
the Confederacy, in their formation of an Order, having for its mission
the attainment of so many incidental objects, without in the meantime
subjecting themselves to the dangers of collision in their machinery.
Accordingly, the Order was composed of three general degrees, viz.: First,
the Temple Degree, second, the Grand Council Degree, and third, the
Supreme Council Degree.
The first or Temple Degree, resembled the county organization of a State,
and held the same relation to the second or Grand Council Degree (which
was the state organization of the Order,) that our county government holds
to our State government, and it was always sought to establish this first
or Temple Degree at each county seat in a State, as expeditiously as
possible, that the second or Grand Council Degree could the sooner be
fully represented, and begin its State management of the Order. In other
chapters the writer has made a passing, though sufficient allusion to the
internal workings of these Temples, and doubtless the initiated reader, in
different sections, will recognize the facts we have already and are
further about to state, notwithstanding the "_obligation_" the author is
supposed to have subscribed to, not to reveal the existence of the Order
and its secrets, under _penalty of "suffering a shameful death."_
The process usually followed in instituting the Temple Degree, was to send
missionaries with authority, into the districts proposed to be organized,
who called together such of the "unterrified" leaders as were known to be
"_sound_ on Jeff. Davis' goose," before whom the design and object of the
Order was confidentially laid for their approval or rejection, by a
majority vote. It is important to recollect that the record does not
afford an instance where a majority of those assembled for this purpose,
rejected the Order as inconsistent with their political views. On the
contrary, it was everywhere received by the politicians, both great and
small, as "_just the thing they had been looking for_." These politicians
were then left to "manage their own local affairs" concerning the Order,
"subject only to the constitution" of _Jeff. Davis_. Generally, several
meetings and some discussion enabled these empyrics to determine plans of
strategy to screen themselves, by "_covering the tracks in the sand_," a
remark frequently heard from members.
[Illustration: THE MILITARY COMMISSION IN SESSION IN THE ROTUNDA OF THE
COURT HOUSE IN CINCINNATI.
"All whom we arrested wore the same general wolfish aspect."--From the
testimony of Brig. Gen. B.J. Sweet.]
The plan in most cases adopted, was to familiarize a sufficient number of
the _elect_, with a grossly immoral and treasonable pamphlet, called the
"Ritual of the Order," to enable them to officer the Temple, and "induct"
any number of "candidates" _supposed_ to be "in waiting in the ante-room,
into the sublime," but in fact dark and dubious "mysteries of the Order."
After one or more squads of these "candidates in" anxious and breathless
"waiting" had been inducted, (meanwhile staring like stuck pigs at every
object and officer which met their eyes,) in addition to the regular
officers of the Temple already installed, it was considered that enough
official and canvassing material had been acquired, and the more prominent
politicians, not officers of the Temple, deemed it prudent to absent
themselves from most of the weekly meetings. Again, it was an illusion of
these leaders, to put forward the most irresponsible persons at their
command, as the mouth-pieces and official representatives of the Order, to
the end that if detected, the theory of _crazy, powerless fools_, could be
wielded upon public sentiment by an undisturbed partisan press, to save
the scheme from thorough investigation and development by the authorities.
In evidence of the fact of these illusions, L.A. Doolittle lectures the
Temple in Chicago on the "purposes and plans of the Order," (but who by
the way, was not so "insane on the subject" as the men who put him forward
have sought to show him to be,) and prominent politicians, not before
known to be members of the fraternity, appear prior to semi-annual
elections as candidates for representatives in the Grand Council.
It was duly announced, also, that an extra session of the Supreme Council
had been convened in the city of New York, charged with the special
business of revising the ritual, changing the signs, passwords, grips, and
giving to the Order a new name. Pursuant to announcement, Charles W.
Patten made his appearance in the Temple with the rituals and
paraphernalia of the new Order of the Sons of Liberty--the result of the
proceedings of the late Supreme Council.
This obscure individual, with fame limited to the dusty walls of the
Invincible Club Rooms and the traitor's dungeon at Camp Douglas, upon his
appearance in the Temple, assigned two chief reasons for the recent action
of the Supreme Council. First and most important was, the obvious
inadequacy of the Order of American Knights to subserve the purpose for
which it was instituted, in consequence of the subordination of the
military to the civil department. And, second, the disclosure in St. Louis
had rendered the Order liable to intrusion by spies, an embarrassment to
be avoided only by alteration of signs, grips, passwords, and name. We
were then informed that we were Sons of Liberty (a sensible man would have
said sons of the devil, if he had dared to have spoken the truth), and
earnestly exhorted to exercise the utmost caution in adhering to the new
rules and instructions of the Supreme Council. It is not a little amusing
to witness the homeopathic doses of modern democracy, carefully
administered to the rank and file of the northern people through the
medium of these Orders.
In the first place, the Golden Circle edifies the "stranger advancing in
dark, devious ways" with lessons upon the doctrine of state sovereignty,
and admonishes him to "follow the straight and narrow path which is paved
with gems and pearls, and bordered with perennial flowers whose perfumes
all his senses will entrance," all of which is received by the sincere
candidate with every mark of approval. We next find the American Knights
embracing its members in the bedazzling folds of military lace to be used
when in arms against the Government. A splendid spectacle of the doctrines
of Washington, Jefferson, Jackson and Douglas! And to cap the miserable
climax, men boasting of the Democracy of their fathers in a line of lineal
descent for generations back, are required to subscribe to the doctrine of
the subordination of the civil to the military authority by the tenets of
the Sons of Liberty.
This astonishing feature of the Sons of Liberty, as contradistinguished
from the Orders which preceded it, at first met with murmurs of disfavor,
but the dissatisfaction was principally among men who ultimately acted the
_nobler part_, and as the tide of treason rolled up to sustain this
measure "for the good of the Order," all such were submerged and lost
sight of, except by the evil eye set upon them as spies.
Without offering his advice, the writer would respectfully ask the _true_
Democrat, who may yet, from the temptations of firmly-rooted prejudices,
incline to the belief that this organization was purely democratic in the
Andrew Jackson acceptation of that term, how the above statement of
principles comports with his notions of the doctrines of the party with
which he has hitherto seen fit to fellowship?
Is it not clearly to be seen that this Order meditated the establishment
of a government more despotic in its character than history furnishes any
example of? A government with three degrees or departments, each
oath-bound and a profound secret to the other, moving in their appointed
spheres, and the civil departments of which were secondary, in point of
power, to the military departments!
Let no man, of whatever political persuasion he may be, flatter himself
for a moment that such a government could be Republican in its nature.
Having now traced, with perhaps a tedious hand, the rise and fall of two
political Orders, ranking among the most powerful instruments of crime and
public wrong of their day, the writer bids their unmourned remains
farewell, to pass to the consideration in the succeeding chapter, of the
desperate career and final explosion of the Order of the Sons of
Liberty--a solemn warning to the American people forever.
To save the Goudys, Caulfields, Adams, Edwards, Duncans, Wickershams,
Cuttings, and Kimberlys, the Morrises, Walshes, Jacksons, Pattens, Gearys,
and Doolittles were put forward because they were eager for the fray, and
possessed the temerity to brave the danger of Union bullets.
We have now seen how the Temple or First Degree was instituted in counties;
how the various elements of treason were collected together and detailed
for their special service of educating the ignorant, manufacturing
materials and munitions of war, and devising plots to burn, plunder, and
pillage unsuspecting cities; how each member was singled out according to
his fitness for certain duties, which he performed without their character
coming even to his fellow members of the same degree; and how the brained
leaders of these institutions retired to the back ground to elude the
vigilance of the ministers of the law, and "adjust the wires" that were to
check to-day, and to-morrow precipitate the conspiracy.
The Grand Council, or Second Degree, was established in every State where
the Temple Degree had obtained any strength and character as to numbers.
This Degree resembled the State in its governmental organization, and bore
the same relation to the Supreme Council or Third Degree that the State
governments of the Federal Union bear to the government at Washington. The
Order having a military department, these Grand Councils, in council
assembled, adopted the militia and other statute laws of the particular
State, with such revisions, exceptions and additional laws as were deemed
essential to the successful operation of the Order.
Regular semi-annual meetings of the Grand Councils were held, convening
respectively on the 22d of August and the 22d of February--the latter, in
sacrilege be it said, being religiously observed as the birthday of
Washington.
But extra sessions were almost monthly called during the year of 1864,
prior to the election, to take precautionary and other expedient action
upon the continually recurring changes of that eventful year. No
considerable battle was fought in the front, that was not the signal for
the assembling of this council, and no political event of any importance
transpired that did not receive the solemn deliberations of this already
_de facto_ legislative body. Of course no person ever became a member of
this Council who had not first been inducted into the Temple, and then by
his Temple elected as a representative in the Grand Council, the election
for which purpose was held semi-annually as above, and new representatives
took their seats at each regular session.
The Grand Council embraced in its sphere of labors such duties as
experience seemed to dictate, as being necessary to the fulfilment of the
mission of the Order. It provided remedies for unmistakable evils, and
watched with a zealous care and fostering hand, every interest of treason
within the boundaries of its jurisdiction.
The Supreme Council or Third and highest Degree of the Order in
organization, was built after the pattern of the Federal government at
Washington, and wielded a similar general control over the affairs of the
Order, that our National government exerts over the consequences growing
out of the union of the States under one central government. Here we see
how admirably the design to effect Northern rebellion was conceived. The
whole machinery of a government _de facto_, and in disguise though, it
was, with all its branches, both civil and military in active operation
for months and years within the very sound of the echoing steps of
senators in the halls of the Capitol, was indeed a source of the most
serious concern to the authorities, for the safety of the Republic. But
valorous daring, tempered with prudence, was destined to bring to the
light of day this infernal work of years, and accordingly the city of St.
Louis was the scene of the first public development of the Order of
American Knights, early in the spring of 1864, the principal facts of
which disclosure the public learned from the press at the time, hence the
writer will only allude in this connection to the effect created in
various Circles of the Order, by the attempt upon the part of the
Government to thwart the perpetration of the red-handed crimes
contemplated by the leaders. When it was officially announced by Reuben
Cassile, presiding Grand Seignior of the Chicago Temple, then recently
removed from the Invincible Club Hall to McCormick's Building, that
disclosures of the Order in St. Louis had occurred, every countenance was
stamped with dismay. The timely appearance at the Temple, however, of
Judge Morris and other leaders, served to interpose restraint upon any
serious apprehensions of difficulty resulting to the Order.
CHAP. IV.
NEW ERA IN SECRET POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS--PLEDGE TO "TAKE UP ARMS" FOR
JEFF. DAVIS--TRUE DEMOCRACY STRUCK DOWN--NATIONAL AND STATE LEADERS--
INVINCIBLE CLUB LEADERS--VALLANDIGHAM'S RETURN TO THE STATES IN HIS
CAPACITY OF SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE SONS OF LIBERTY.
A new era in the history of secret political orders was opened by the Sons
of Liberty.
As the Presidential election of 1864 approached, the party in the minority
began to appreciate the awkwardness of its attitude upon the political
issues of the day, and appeared determined in its conclusion to obtain the
ascendency in the coming administration, by means of fraud and force.
The great mass of the party had now become conversant and familiar with
every species of political crime, through secret organization, and it only
remained for the leaders to decide upon a programme, to have it executed
with despatch and fidelity.
Languishing under the lash of chastisement inflicted upon those infamous
enough to aid and abet the cause of dismemberment, mutual hate and
slaughter, National extinction and death, they swore in this Order an
eternal and most dreadful oath of vengeance upon their offenders, and
pledged themselves, under fearful penalties of death, "ever to take up
arms in the cause of the oppressed in their own country, first of all,
against any monarch, prince, potentate, power or government usurped, and
found in arms and waging war against a people or peoples, who had of their
own _free choice_, inaugurated a government for themselves, in accordance
with and founded upon the eternal principles of truth."
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