Ku Klux Klan: Its Origin, Growth and Disbandment Part 13

4th. Did you belong to the Federal army during the late war, and fight against the South during the existence of the same?

5th. Are you opposed to negro equality, both social and political?

6th. Are you in favor of a white man's gov- ernment in this country?

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7th. Are you in favor of Const.i.tutional liberty, and a Government of equitable laws instead of a Government of violence and oppression?

8th. Are you in favor of maintaining the Con- st.i.tutional rights of the South?

9th. Are you in favor of the re-enfranchise- ment and emanc.i.p.ation of the white men of the South, and the rest.i.tution of the Southern people to all their rights, alike proprietary, civil, and political?

10th. Do you believe in the inalienable right of self-preservation of the people against the ex- ercise of arbitrary and unlicensed power?

If the foregoing interrogatories are satisfacto- rily answered, and the candidate desires to go further (after something of the character and na- ture of the Order has thus been indicated to him) and to be admitted to the benefits, mysteries, secrets and purposes of the Order, he shall then be required to take the following final oath or obligation. But if said interrogatories are not satisfactorily answered, or the candidate declines to proceed further, he shall be discharged, after being solemnly admonished by the initiating offi- cer of the deep secresy to which the oath already taken has bound him, and that the extreme pen- alty of the law will follow a violation of the same.

FINAL OBLIGATION.

"I ---- of my own free will and accord, and in the presence of Almighty G.o.d, do sol- emnly swear or affirm, that I will never reveal to

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any one not a member of the Order of the * * *, by any intimation, sign, symbol, word or act, or in any other manner whatever, any of the secrets, signs, grips, pa.s.s-words, or mysteries of the Order of the * * *, or that I am a member of the same, or that I know any one who _is_ a member; and that I will abide by the Prescript and Edicts of the Order of the * * * So help me G.o.d."

The initiating officer will then proceed to ex- plain to the new members the character and ob- jects of the Order, and introduce him to the mys- teries and secrets of the same; and shall read to him this Prescript and the Edicts thereof, or present the same to him for personal perusal.

ARTICLE VIII.

AMENDMENTS.

This Prescript or any part or Edicts thereof shall never be changed, except by a two-thirds vote of the Grand Dragons of the Realms, in convention a.s.sembled, and at which convention the Grand Wizard shall preside and be ent.i.tled to a vote. And upon the application of a ma- jority of the Grand Dragons for that purpose, the Grand Wizard shall call and appoint the time and place for said convention; which, when as- sembled, shall proceed to make such modifica- tions and amendments as it may think will promote the interest, enlarge the utility, and more thoroughly effectuate the purposes of the Order.

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ARTICLE IX.

INTERDICTION.

The origin, mysteries, and Ritual of this Order shall never be written, but the same shall be communicated orally.

ARTICLE X.

EDICTS.

1. No one shall become a member of a distant Den, when there is a Den established and in ope- ration in his own immediate vicinity; nor shall any one become a member of any Den, or of this Order in any way after he shall have been once rejected, upon application for membership.

2. No Den, or officer, or member, or members thereof, shall operate beyond their prescribed limits, unless invited or ordered by the proper authority so to do.

3. No member shall be allowed to take any intoxicating spirits to any meeting of the Den; nor shall any member be allowed to attend a meeting while intoxicated; and for every ap- pearance at a meeting in such condition, he shall be fined the sum of not less than one nor more than five dollars, to go into the revenue of the Order.

4. Any member may be expelled from the Order by a majority vote of the Officers and Ghouls of the Den to which he belongs; and if after such expulsion, such member shall a.s.sume any of the duties, regalia, or insignia of the Or-

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der, or in any way claim to be a member of the same, he shall be severely punished. His obli- gation of secrecy shall be as binding upon him after expulsion as before, and for any revelation made by him thereafter, he shall be held ac- countable in the same manner as if he were then a member.

5. Upon the expulsion of any member from the Order, the Grand Cyclops, or the officer act- ing in his stead, shall immediately report the same to the Grand Giant of the Province, who shall cause the fact to be made known and read in each Den of his Province, and shall transmit the same, through the proper channels, to the Grand Dragon of the Realm, who shall cause it to be published to every Den in his Realm, and shall notify the Grand Dragons of contiguous Realms of the same.

6. Every Grand Cyclops shall read, or cause to be read, this Prescript and these Edicts to his Den, at least once in every month; and shall read them to each new member when he is initiated, or present the same to him for personal perusal.

7. The initiation fee of this Order shall be one dollar, to be paid when the candidate is initiated and received into the Order.

8. Dens may make such additional Edicts for their control and government as they may deem requisite and necessary. _Provided_, no Edict shall be made to conflict with any of the provi- sions or Edicts of this Prescript.

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9. The most profound and rigid secrecy con- cerning any and everything that relates to the Order, shall at all times be maintained.

10. Any member who shall reveal or betray the secrets of this Order, shall suffer the extreme penalty of the law.

ADMONITION.

Hush! thou art not to utter what I am, be- think thee! it was our covenant!

REGISTER.

I.

1. Dismal, 7. Painful, 2. Mystic, 8. Portentous, 3. Stormy, 9. Fading, 4. Peculiar, 10. Melancholy, 5. Blooming, 11. Glorious, 6. Brilliant, 12. Gloomy.

II.

I. White, II. Green, III. Yellow, IV. Amber, V. Purple, VI. Crimson, VII. Emerald.

III.

1. Fearful, 7. Hideous, 2. Startling, 8. Frightful, 3. Wonderful, 9. Awful, 4. Alarming, 10. Horrible, 5. Mournful, 11. Dreadful, 6. Appalling, 12. Last.

IV.

c.u.mberland.

L'ENVOI.

To the lovers of law and order, peace and jus- tice, we send greeting; and to the shades of the venerated dead we affectionately dedicate the Order of the * * *

_Resurgamus._