The Great North-Western Conspiracy in All Its Startling DetailsAyer, I. Winslow
History
The Great North-Western Conspiracy in All Its Startling Details
Ayer, I. Winslow
Knights of the Golden Circle; Northwestern Conspiracy, 1864
passing year of the existence of our country has heaped upon it, and the
Copperheads of the present day will receive the anathemas of all coming
generations, till their very names shall be a curse too horrid for
mortals to apply, and thenceforth be only echoed in the lowest depths of
hell.
By Providential discovery of the existence of the Order of Sons of
Liberty in Chicago, and the utmost vigilance, prudence, perseverance,
patience, promptness and daring, the aims, designs and acts of this
Order, of the American Knights and kindred organizations have been
brought to light, its every evil purpose and plan laid before the
Government, and the pet institution of Jeff. Davis has been turned
inside out, so that "he who runs may read;" the curtain has been raised
and the light of noonday has been let in, discovering to the public the
horrid creation of traitors in our very midst--people who breathe the
very air we do, who enjoy the same blessings and privileges, aye, and
perhaps sit at the same tables. The friends and sympathizers of these
traitors have sought to cast obloquy and distrust upon the statements of
those who have successfully broken up the great conspiracy, and perjury
has sought to blacken their reputations, but in vain. _Truth will
prevail_.
The list of names of the members of the Sons of Liberty have been
obtained and preserved, and will be valuable for reference hereafter.
As the reader passes down South Clark street, at the corner of Monroe,
he will notice upon the right a large building of peculiar structure,
and, now bearing the name "Invincible Club Hall." It was here the
temples of the Sons of Liberty, or, as they were then called, the
"American Knights," held their secret sessions, going stealthily up the
stairs singly or in groups of two or three, to avoid observation, and
when once inside the hall they were guarded by an outside sentinel,
whose duty it was to apprise them of danger and to guard against its
approach to the "temple"; but let not the fault-finding Sons blame their
Tyler now for any neglect of duty; once under the ban of suspicion
he has proved himself as staunch a rebel and traitor as Jeff. Davis
himself, and is entitled to all the consideration of a "devilish good
fellow." But within a year, more or less, the "temple" of the _Illini_,
as it was called, removed from Clark street to the large building upon
the corner of Randolph and Dearborn streets, known as "McCormick's
Block." Every Thursday evening prior to the eighth of November 1864, the
windows of the hall in the fifth story gave evidence that the hall
was occupied, but further than this evidence was not for the observer,
however curious he might be, unless, perchance, he was a member of "the
Order." Clambering up the long nights of stairs that lead to the hall,
on a Thursday evening, the party in quest of discovery would be not
a little surprised at the class of men he would notice upon the march
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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