The New York Herald Newspaper, December 27, 1875, Page 3

THE SECRET TOLD. The Story of the Origin and Ob- jects of the O. A. U, A DISGUSTED BROTHER EXPLAINS. Native Americanism Goes Down Before the Third Term. AN ORDER WITHIN AN ORDER | Tammany’s Tactics Adopted in the Politico. | Religions Crusade, STRENGTH OF THE CONSPIRACY. NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1875.-WITH SUPPLEMEN’. a i I — I I 0959909 RE, .—nro, imauctor wilt prepare the Chamber for ini- tation. ‘The room ts then darkened and the Inside Protector gives one rap on the door, which ig answered by © rap from the Examiner. Inston Protrctrorn—Who knocks? Ex. —A stranger, 1, P.—Why cometh a stranger? Ex.—To enter into our Order that he may encourage and protect American interests, * * * | The whole Council then (speaking together) say» “Welcomel”’ Vick ©.—'Recetve the word of God, and the bridal dross of Liberty, and on it pledge your sacred honor.”? The Inductor now presents the Bible and Flag, the Councillor calls ap the Council, and the Vice Councillor, | addressing the candidate, says;— You will now place your right hand on the Holy Bible, your left on the flag of your country, and repeat | aiter me the following obligation, using’ your name | where | use mino:— | OBLIGATION, 1,— , of my own free will, in the presence | of the members here assembled, do solemnly swear that I will strictly adhere to the principles, rules and usages of the Order; keep secret its passwords, signs and grips during my naturai life, whether my connec: | tion with the Order should continue or not, and should | any books or papers come into my possession I will nol expose their contents or permit them to be ex- posed; 1 further swear that 1 will support and encour- age native born Americans, particularly members of | this Order, to the exclusion of those born upon other soils and owing fealty to foreign potentates, and that 1 | will always endeavor to promote the good of the Order and faithfully comply with all its requirements. The Councillor then seats the Council and the Vice Councillor says:— The Inductor will pow retire with the candidate | against him at the last election. | New York city. Joe Haight was the father of the Benjamin Van Riper is the Jeading spirit in the State of New Jorsey, He wanted to capture Grant just as Foster wanted to capture Blaine, The managers of the fraternity are looking out for the main chance and want toownand run the Presidency of the United States. £x-Governors Randolph and Parker are mem- bers of the Order. They tried to get Governor Bedle in, but I don’t think they succeeded, for they worked THE STRENGTH OF THE ORDER ltes principally in five States, as tollows:—New York, 35,000; Obio, 30,000; New Jersey, 13,000; Pennsyl- Vania, 10,000, and Massachusetts and other States the rest of the 95,000. Pennsylvania will have the most | members in afew years, Our informant, at the ond of the above revelation, explained and repeated bimself somewhat as follows: ‘THK DES MOINES SrBROH is what committed these various organizations to Grant, and they are thoroughly for him now. The 0. A. U. has been in existence eight years, to my certain knowledge—viz., since 1867, 1 was made a member in | 1869, ‘The First District Deputy of New Jersey, Major Pangborn, is a member. He went to Washington and called upon the President. The society originated in movement in New York; he lives in East Fifteenth street; he isa retired grocer; he was the President of the Executive Committee that issued the ad- dress which was printed in the Hemaup last ‘Tuesday, and which was delivered after the election | GRANT’S MESSAGE. ENGLISH OPINION OF THE AMERICAN PRESI- DENT’S EXECUTIVE POSITION—THE QUESTIONS OF CUBA AND HARD CASH. {From the London Times, Dec. 11.] The political importance of President Grant’s mes- sage to Congress wili be measured, perhaps too ex- clusrvely, in Europe by the purport of his remarks upon the Cuban difficulty; but it is certain that no possible disruption of friendly relations between Spain and the United States could equal in mischievous activity an ill-considered decision at Washington on the financial perplexities of the Union. The President's declaration | that be adheres to “hard money” interests many | thousands of people in Europe who haye never cared | to inquire into the wrougs and rights of the Spanish — squabble m the Antilles, American securities aro very largely held by all European communities among whom accumulated capital abounds, and nowhere so | largely as in the United Kingdom. It is of incalculable | ‘mport to the persons who are thus interested in the financial stability of the United States to be assured that they have nothing to fear from wild dealings with the national issues of paper money, or from thé dispo- sition of the majority of the American people toward the public creditor. The President’s Message is a | formal and conclusive reiteration of the as- the results of the elections in Obio and Pennsylva- to the ante-room and clothe him in the proper regalia of Havemeyer. 1 was one of the committee that | rae Pan =e bh ihe Paton eens. ee » @ majority be now inflationist—ot awaited upon several of the candidates, some of them | 1h. House of Representatives. may desire, the as late as twelve o’clock on Monday might before elec. | policy of the United States will henceforward The Entersign, the Countersign, the Grip and the Password, A CHICAGO EDITOR ENLIGHTENED. Extent of the Organization in Ili- | nois and Elsewhere. Wasuinaton, Deo. 26,1875. | “J have never been willing to subscribe to any act of | Injustice toward my fellow man, and | am not now willing to further allow myself to be used as a co-cru- sader upon the rights of my Catholic and foreign-born fellow citizens to advance the interests of Grant and his third term friends at the expense of my own hon. | esty and self-respect.” Such was the introductory remark of a gentleman who stated to a Hxganp reporter that be was anxious | to make a conscientious statement, verified by volumi- nous docnments which he produced, on the subject of the Hera.p’s exposure of the Order of the American Union, He then proceeded to make an exposé of the sustaining and co-operating fraternities—viz,, the Order of United American Mechanics, Patriotic Sons of America and American Protestant Association, saying, in explana | tion, that he would henceforth wash nis hands of all complicity with politico-religious conspiracies. The | gentleman with whom our reporter conversed 18 a | prominent citizen of and bas been long known in New York, and bas been, until within a few days, a | prominent member of the different organiza- tions whose objects were ostensibly" benevolent | but have become political and sectarian in their character, known as the 0, U. A. M. | P. 0. 8. of A., 0. A. U. and A. P. A. We will give the Barrative in precisely the language used by our in- | formant, whose statements trom time to time he veri- | fied and exemplified by the production and illustration of the written and unwritten works and workings of | ‘the orders in question :— | SKETCH OF THE ORDERS. | The first of these orders, whose pernivious doctrines and influences are fast endeavoring to shape the politi- | cal destinies of our country, of which I | ‘will speak will be the Patriotic Order of Sons of Amer- | ica. 1 will not, however, devote much space to this or- ganization, as its power for evil is fast being destroyed, owing to the fact that the other and moro powerful Order, with the samo objects in view, is fast absorbing this body. It has been in existence for about twenty years, and bas a membership of about 8,000 men in the United States at the present time, al- though it had nearly three times that number four | years ago. Tho subordinate branches are known as | tamps and are called Washington Camp, Nos. 1, 2, 3, &c.; all camps having the same common name, after the ‘Father of his Country,”’ and being presided over by a President and Vice President. None but | native born citizens are eligible to membership, and | the candidate subscribes to an oath very similar to thag which binds one to the Order of United American Me- thanics Despite any assertions which interested fa- Matics may make as to the numerical strength of the Order, it is so insignificant as to be unworthy of further Rotice. ORDER OF U. AM. 1 will now turn my attention to the Order of United American Mechanics, the oldest, most powerful and | by far the best organized of these four bodies, 80 lately | sold to the republican party and committed to Grant’ third term To this society the Order of American | Union is mainly indebted for its present membership | and political strength. The one is fed by the other, Immediately after the great Southwark riots in Phila. | felpbia, in 1844-6, a number of native-born Prot. | sstant citizens combined for their protection against for- tigners and Catholics, and under the name of the Order | of “United Americans,” they gradually increased in | mombership until, in 1854, their leaders supposed that | the Order was strong enough to dictate the politics of the country, and “place none but native born citizeng on guard.” The history of the American or Know Nothing party proved the fallacy of their calculations, no less than the present experiment of resuscitated Know Nothingism will prove the grave mistake of | Grant in bidding for, and of the Order in according bim, \he support of a body whose sole claims upon the confi- fence of the American people must be determined apon the basis of sectarian bigotry and religious perso- | Vation. After the collapse of Know Nothingism the managers of the Order, determined not to let it die out, added the | word “mechanics,” thereby making {t the Order of | United American Mechanics. The namo itself is suffi. | cient to mislead the public, who would suppose it to be | a body composed exclusively of workingmon and ar- | tisans. Such, however, is not the case, for in its mem- | dership will be found thousands of politicians, profes. | sional men, merchants and bankers. The question | naturally arises, What purpose have these people in | view when uniting with a body of mecbanics? Further 0p in this article their purpose will appear, TIE CEREMONIES, T will now give you an outline of the Initiatory cere- monies of the Order of United American Mechanics, The Order wa@not oath-bound until within a year, the pledge before then having been only on word of honor, But nowt 3 become a great political engine the ' ‘the “Councillor” announces the time for initiation fand the Junior ex-Councillor and Examimer retire to | the ante-room and examino the candidate, proceeding a8 follows :— Sir, itis my duty to ask you the following ques. thous, which you are expected to answer in candor and truth, for should you not, and it shal) hereafter be dis- covered that you have imposed upon the Order, you will be excluded and forfeit your interest therein :— ‘Are you # native born citizen of the United States? Were yoo ever a member of the Order? Are you in sound health and able-bodied? Are you willing to use every means to protect and petuate the institutions of our country and the in. | Deron rights of native Americans? | ‘Are you willing to use all the means within your power to prevent immigration, 4 which the powers of Europe send their ignorant and bigoted paupers and outiaws to compete with us in business, degrade our morals, corrupt our government and tax os for our support? If these questions are answered correctly the Ex- «miner will say :— 1 wiil now introduce you to our Junior ex-Councillor, Ex C.—Sir, before we admit you to our Counell It devolves upon me to acquaint you more fully with the nature of the duties which you are about to assume and the objects of this Order, and if thore isanything whica a cannot comply with readily you must now with- few your application, The objects of our Order are to assist and encour ach other in business; to estab- Mish a sick, funeral and widows’ and orphans’ fund, and to protect ourselves from the injurious compe- tion «of foreign emigrants and our gover ment from their corrupting influences, This Order was instituted for the purpose of protecting the Amorican to the manor born and to secure our- waning from the intrusion of evil disposed persons wo we found it necessary to adopt certain forms, cere monies and obligations. Understanding our object, and with this assurance, are you willing to becom member? If answered affirmatively, the Junior Ex-Councellor ‘ters the room and saye:— J. Ex. O.—Bro. O.,we have examined the candidate, be is duly qualidied, and is foady to proceed, | to whom you will give your mame and the name and B shad 1g Wu tnaton Sad in secret | As the candidate is about to pass through the door he | is confronted by the Senior ex-Councillor, who is, arrayed in along black gown, with a mask and long white beard, who, leaning meanwhile on @ staff, de. | livers, ina tremulous voice, the charge to the candi- date, . THE PRIVATE WORK order is as foliows:—The entersign; the coun- ; Password and explanation; hailing’ and recog: business signs; distress word and grip. On approaching the outer door you will give any ordi- nary alarm to call the attention of the 0. P., who will Wail upon you, to whom you will give the password, | which will’'admit you to the ante-room; you will clothe | yourself in regaha, and approach the inner door, and xive the entersign, which is two raps in qu Succession, when the I, P. will present hime: number of the Council to which you belong, be will report you to the V, ©. and then return to the wicket and you will give him the explanation to the pass- word, Which, 1f correct, will admit you to the Council Chamber, You will then advance & the centre of the floor and address the V, C. with the countersign, which is made in this mannet THR COUNTERSIGN, Close the thumb, third and fourth fingers of the left hand into the palm, and spread the first and middie fingers so as to represent a compass, then place the ends of those two fingers at the corners of the mouth, with the paim of the hand toward the face. (The Vice Councillor is always seated at the end of the room next to the entrance door.) This signifies that the mouth should be encompassed with secrecy. The Vice Councillor wi!l then retarn the salute, using bis righthand, Should you wish to form the acquaintance of a brother you will make use of ‘THR HAILING SIGN, which is made in this manner:—Place the thumb of the Jeft band in the armhole of the vest (or in the pocket of your pants), close the third and fourth fingers and spread the first and second so ag to form a compass. Any brother seeing you make it will answer it by making the recognition sign, which is the same as the hailing eign using his right, where you use your left, | When in distress, you will pronounce the first or last | part of the word which the I. will now make you ag- quainted with, The talismanic word is ‘Frank-lin!’? This, you will perceive, can be divided into two sepa- rate and distinct words; should you pronounce one, the brother, on hearing, will pronounce the other, and come to your assistance; and should you hear the word | given, you will answer it, and go-to the assistance of | the brother giving it, THE GRIP. ‘The I. will now instruct you in the grip. This is as follows:—With your right hand grasp tho right band of | the brother whom you are greeting, let the palms rest | together, apd closely press the end of the thumb back of and between the knuckles of the first and second fingers of the brother’s hand. By these signs you can gain admittance into this or | any other Council of the Order in good standing throughout the Union, provided you strictly adhere to its principles. Upon ‘entering of leaving the Council you to address the V. C. with the countersign, and here ! would remind you that the quarterly password, | enter and countersign, are never to be used out of the Council, on any occasion or for any purpose. You are | to apply yourself diligently to the works of this Order that you may the sooner become pertect therein. Now you might say, “1 do not see anything so ex- tremely objectionable in all this; but l would assure | you that this Order is only a primary department, as it were, where native born Protestants prove their eligi- | bility for membership in the Order of the American Union, nearly every member of which is also a mem- ber of the former. Some of the disciples whom the HERALD reporters interviewed stated quite cor- rectly that Catholics had gained memborsbip fo the O VU. A M Members of in- vestigating committees which have reported favorably upon such candiaates have been suspended, | and evon expelled, and the Catholic members, and even Protestant members with Catholic wives, have been forved from the organization, Very many of that class’ have felt the justice of exposing the Order, but on ac- count of their religious belief they have not been able to obtain any position in the Order where they could | obtain the necessary documents for a pertect exposé, | There bas not, however, been, during the existence of the Order, to exceed 100 Catholics iniuated. | And, mark me, not one Catholic hus ever taken the first, second or third degrees, the ritual and private work of which I will now explain | and hand to you for future reference, and 1 now chal. | lenge any one to produce a man who is a Catholic and a member of the Order of American Union, which is an offshoot of the P. 0, 8. of A. and 0. U. A. M. ORDER OF AMRKICAN UNION. I was Initiated into the mysteries of the Order of | American Union in the year 1860, and was at once in, vested with office. Among my carly duties I was ap- pointed to sound the nominees in my section of New York city, and see if they were “sound on the goose” and what amount of patronage they were prepared to accord our mombers in return for the sup. rt oof the Order. Mayor Havemeyer sub- geribed to the principles of the Order, and by its sup- | port defeated Judge Lawrence, Another prominent Alderman who is @ member of Jobn Hancock Council, No. 45, 0. U. A. M., and Council No, 1,0. A. U. never gave in hig adhesion until twelve o'clock on the night preceding the election of 1872, but that was time enough, for the counci) representatives were al) in waiting at Third avenue and Kightoenth street to learn trom the President of the Senate, Mr, Joseph Haight, of East Fifteenth street, whom the Order has been “sold” to tp the Interests of Grant and a third term, It js not necessary to enlarge any upon the Heraup’s exposé of the 0. A. U. Itis correct, and any member who denies the truth of it does so falsely. Tho Heranp reparter who got at the ritual published in the Hegaup did not learn oné thing, however, and that is that Benjamin Van Riper, oe Qoyncilior of me the Order of United American Mechanjts for tl 16 Slaye of New Jersey and an authortzed agent of the 0. A. U., CONCLAVE WITH THE PRESIDENT long before the celebrated Des Moines speech, which has 60 completely captured the Order that in the event of Grani’s renomination he will receive its support almost to @ man, The Order (although four-fifths aro republicans) | did not bid for Grant, but it seome that the President understood enovgh of the purposes and strength, which has been greatly underestimated, of the Order to bid for their support, No doubt he has relied upon the reports of the officers of the organizations in question and relies upon thelr strength to carry the doubtful States, It remains to been whetber the politics of this country can be controlled by secret societies or now THE AMERICAN PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION iscombined for the same purposes nearly as the 0. A U.; 1s nearly identical with the Loyal Orangomen and admit both native and foreign born Protestants to membership. They number in the United States about 12,000, and are sworn against Catholicism in every form, or the preferment of Catholics to any place of houor, profit or trust, WOMDER AND ORIGIN OF THE O A. U. The Order of American Union bas between 90,000 and 100,000 members. Ninety-five thousand wouldn’t be 2,000 out of the way. It originated in Now York In 1867, the founders being a rotired grocer named Joe Haight, a book agent named Rdgar; George White, who lives over in Jersey; Stephen H. Mann, of the Manhattan Gas Company, and Rev. Dr, Kendrick, who was driven from his church over in Williamsburg for Griving fast horses, The iirst lodge, a council, was es- tablished at the corner of Hudson and Christopher streots and another one only # very short while after. ward atthe corner of Third avenue and Righteenth stroey The third council, I think, was started at 208 Bighth avenue, between Twentieth and Twenty-first street, Mitzolbergor Hall is the name of the building, | | vania has about 400 Councils of the 0. U, A. M. and | gation and work, acopy of which was obtained with | of 1872 « Philadelphian arrived in Chicago and began | clearl: aroused the reflecting and patriotic of our citizensand | pag tion, Ithink that Havemeyer would not have been elected had it not been for their inflaence. Pennsyl- New York has eighty-seven, I do not believe Biaine is init Neither could I connect Grant with it, There is no question but the American Union is a political-religious machine, but ity power has been overestimated. I know what the American Union strength is, and I have given the num- ber of its members within 2,000 in the United States, It went along very nicely until they concluded to make & political machine out of it | The association is well known among politicians, and | | @ man who will subscribe to its doctrines will get its support, New York has about 12,000 members. ‘They are opposed to anything in the shape of Catholicism, | Each one of these organizations is strongly republican in its tendencies, They are composed of five-sixths re- Ppublicans. I suppose Grant knew of these orders, There is no doubt about that. Ben Van Riper has been in Washington, and be cajled upon Grant last spring. Grant must have been prepared for this thing. In his Des Moines epeech he has struck the keynote of their | organization, THE MYSTIC ORDER IN ILLINOIS-—DETAIS OF | THE ORGANIZATION IN CHICAGO—THE OB- | JECTS OF THE 0. A, U. AS SHOWN IN THE CHARGE TO THE CANDIDATE. Cuicaco, Dec. 26, 1875. The Heraun’s exposure of the dark-lantern ‘0, A. U."’ has caused a profound sensation in Chicago, The Tribune affected to ridicule it at first, but yesterday it was obliged to take the back track. Editorially it says that, from an extended article in its local columns rela- tive to an organization known as ©. A. U., it will be perceived that such @ secret society actually exists in Chicago, though it does not so clearly appear that the Order is so numerous or powerful as has been rep- resented. The full text is given of the “Working Book”? furnished to each Council as a guide for organi- | great difficulty. Enough is shown to prove that the New York Her1v’s latest sensation was based on solid tacts, THE ORGANIZATION IX CHICAGO. From the Tribune's local it appears that In the spring sounding a number of Protestants on the subject of forming secret religious and political society, He worked very cautiously and met with only indifferent | success, Some twenty persons were ultimately warmed into a proper degree of interest in the cause, and the first | meeting for the purpose of organizing was held in the Barnes House; but the exact date of this gathering was not given, The night was very stormy and only nine persons responded to the call It was deemed inex- pedient to take any formal steps that evening, and an adjournment was taken in the hope of securing a larger attendance. A week or two afterward those gentlemen and some half dozen others met again in a workshop, | and an organization was effected. The new society did Dot attract many to it. This was probably owing to the | cantiousness with which every prospective member had to be approached. From the night of the organization aquorum was never obtained, and after a precarious existence of several months the 0. A. U. of this city ‘was disbanded somewhat in disgust. In the spring of | 1874, however, it was revived, with better chances of | hfe. Members came pouring in until at present the society has a membership of several hundred. THE NUMBRR OF COUNCILS in this State is twelve, The Council at Peoria was the first organized in the State, and has a much larger membership than any other. The man who played the most prominent part in the organization of the coun- cils of Tilinois was a clergyman, well known as a religious controversialis In 1872 it was understood that there were upward of 7,000 members of the organization in Pennsylvania where, it had its inception. The proselytizer who visited Chicago had been through Louisiana, Arkansas, lowa and Indiana before coming here and he reported satisfactory progress in each of these States. Speak- ing of the OBJECTS OF THE 0. A. U., the writer’s informant classed it as a kind of Protes- tant Jesuitism. It was apparently lawful in its op- erations, but looking at it from an unbiassed stand- | point, many of its practices, he eaid, were not to be commended, This gentleman dropped some hints as to where asight of the charter and constitution wag to be obtained, acting upon which the reporter man- aged to obtain possession of both. The most important secrets of the Order are communicated orally, and there was no means of getting atthem. It was learned, however, that 0. A. U. is a title for the publie and that another and more significant namo ts given each member upon initiation With regard to the password, information was vouchsafed that no Eng, lish statesmen was mentioned in the ritual The signs | and grips, as published in the New Yorx Hera, | were stated to be incorrect as a whole, but sufficient was said about the danger sign, “the shield,”’ to indi- cate that that, at least, was right’ All correspondence between lodges is conducted in cipher. From the charge of the installing officer I extract the following :— | CHARGE OP INSTALLING OPFICER. Mr. Presipent, Crrizeys and Breturex—It should be a great political emergency that cails for a secret orgayization of electors of a free people. But are @ moral and litical surroundings of our State and Ral AD, at of such a character as to fuily justify this topiidential orwanationt He4 bavd thought upon and deplored the utter demorallzation of the hitherto dominant political parties; the alarming disregard of all fitness for any public trast | that marks their designation of party | candidates for office; the shameless attempts | to conciliate and secure the Roman Catholic vote, and this at the expense of all public moral, civil order, per- | sonal safety and religious integrity. "The call for this | organization was made by repeated efforts of the Roman Catholic Church to corrupt our elections and destroy our public school system. In obedience to this call a few devoted pe with linked hands and pa- triotic hearts, reared this organjzation RIKEVUARY 09 ACIMCAT TOTS, of law and order. The Roman Catholic population of | this country being the subjects of @ foreign prince, and with their consciences under the control of the Pope and priesthood, it is impossible that they should be in sympathy with this government, and this fact each passing year aly demonstrates the more It is thus that the Roman Catholic power has awakened them the perils of the hour, To | be tree politically was # boon fo fathers fought. To be free morally, social! and politically is the exalted aim of év' brotherhood; ‘the emancipation of Oar country politically, from the dominance of more than servile aggression, to rescue jt from the political control of the Roman Catholic po is the object of our organiza- tion. Such is Our mission, brethren, and to its noble soieereeeey. and true patriotic activity we now welk come you with a fraternal vow a your lips, which I trust you may ever keep in min: ‘The truth ie thatthe Hepatp’s startling disclosure ts fully confirmed as to Illinois. bf MR. HIRSCH'S BAGGAGE. United States District Attorney Bliss 's determined that the false declaration made by Mr, Hirsch, of Mar. ket street, Philadelphia, respecting bis baggage by the Rassia, shall be made a test casa Tho ay serent of the seized baggage will be terminated iy at the Seizure Room, and all the ra in the case will be handed by Deputy Collector ips to Mr. Bliss, when be will Immediately commence aotive case, : | dollars or in depreciated counters The principal and | interest of the foreign investor in American bonds are | if the Washington government recklessly issued paper | the civil war, with a whole pocketful of notes, But it | of the arrangement with the foreign creditor. | bonded debt was held abroad was plain enough; the | the creditors would have insisted, in their turn, on the | the bonds, a. | Successful manner in which the debt | ernment of the United States bas grappled with greater | | sumption, and until that be concluded Mr. Bristow or which our | 4 be steadily turned in the direction of cash payments. President Grant urges that the act of the last Cougress decreving a resumption of specie payments a little more than three years hence should have its ‘‘consum- mation iusured’’ by immediate legislation, and he re- | commends that after acertain time greenbacks should be made no longer receivabie in liquidation of debts, He also advises the issue of long interest-bearing bonds instead of the greenbacks, as to the probable effect of which judgment must be reserved untul we have secn the particulars of the plan. But, whether this replace- | ment be adopted or not, resumption 18 now set forth | as the mark at which the financial policy of the United States ought always to keep aiming. That this should be affirmed anew at the turning of a fresh page in Amer- ican politics is a fact of the highest moment to Furo- pean capitalists who are interested in the public securi- ties of the Union, It may be asked why European capitalists should be 80 concerned to know whether Americans, in their ao- mestic dealings, wish to seule their scores in honest | surance which we felt ourselves entitled to draw from | | | promised to him in coin, and the holder of the United States securities which are commonly quoted on the European exchanges would, in theory, be no worse off money until aman had to pay bis railway fare, as used to happen in the Confederate States toward the end of | is obvious that the stipulation to pay the bonds in specie was only morally binding, and the doctrines by which a relaxation of the currency was justified went far to justify a ‘ modification” The | reason why 80 large a@ proportion of the American | interest on five-twenties, for instance, though very tempting to the small capitalists of Europe, does not attract Americans, who look for eight or ten per cent | as the normal profit upon money lent; hence, as the credit of the Union rose—and it has risen steadily since the dark days of 1863—the bonds passed more and more out of American hands and into the hands of | European investors. This circumstance gave the finan- | ciai quack doctors a second string to their bow. They advocated schemes by which the currency should be “made and kept equal to the wants of trade’? in toe in- terest, as they said, against the “debtor class;”” but they inveighed with almost equal vehemence against the ‘tribute’? that was dramed out of the coun- try to gorge the foreign bondholder. Tho The one demand was inseparably bound up with the | other ; if the ‘debtor class”? had been relieved from the share of its obligations by the dilution of the currency, reduction of the ‘foreign tribute.”’ No one could have | contended with any force that the bargain with the Dondholuers was rigidly binding when every contract in the country had been suddenly altered by a trans- mutation in the medium of payment. But the extinc- on of inflation schemes in the United States by the | conclusive verdict of the autumn elections has placed fortiori, ina firmer position than ever. The effect is already apparent in the solidification of | American credit, and will be more conspicuously so when the resumption of specie payments has really be- gun, The President's scheme is that the Treasury should be authorized to withdraw “greenbacks’’ from circulation at the rate of $2,000,000 a month, replacing them by $100 bonds bearing a cent a day interest; but itis also recommended that gold should be accumu. lated for the final redemption “by increasing the Tevenue or curtailing the expenses, or by simultane- ously adopting both these courses.” No one can quarrel with the latter part of this advice, though it ap- pears to belong to ‘counsels of perfection.” As to the former part we can say very little at present; but wo are encouraged to hope for excellent results frem the contemplation of those which have already been achieved since the American people has shown a deter- mination to go forward in the difficult path toward which it turned its face resolutely ten years ago. The President's Messago calls upon Congress to take a step in advance in dealing with the currency, ana tho has been dealt with a sufficient encouragement. No doubt it is not easy to get rid of inconvertible paper money ropresenting some $350,000,000; but the gov- financial problems and solved them. About six years ago the Treasury at Washington issued a statement giving the debt bearing interest in coin as $2, 100,000, 000, in November last the debt bad been reduced to | $1,700,000,000 * * * The whole financial energies of the government will be tasked by the business of re- his successors can hardly hope to dispose of their tour and a half per cent bonds at par. Any further diminu- tion of the six per cent bonded debt must, for the are ent, therefore, proceod by the simple calling in of the five-twenties {or cash payment: but, af course, every operation of that sort, however limited, tends to fortify American credit and to bring the American Treasury nearer to the point at which the policy of the Act of 1870 can be carried a step furth » er. THE SUEZ CANAL. The Pokrok, a Prague paperin the Czechian language and in the Panslavonian interest, expresses the feelings of the pro-Russian party in Europe at what has recently occurred on the Thames and Nile in relation to Eng, land’s purchase of the Suez Canal shares. The writer saye:— The more dangerous the position of Europe the more determined must be our action on the Suez Canal—such is the axiom recently laid down by the James. We cer- tainly did not expect that, of all Powers in the world, England would 80 quickly abandon the conservative policy se rts 80 vigorously pursued by her in Kast- ern affairs. Nor had we any idea that England would | avail herself of the Herzegovina rebellion to bring on a crisis in that self-same Tarkish empire which she | has done 8o much to preserve, and the gradual reforma- | tion and remodelling of which she has done so much to impede, Most unexpectedly, England all at onee leaves the Ottoman Empire to its fate; and, to the general sur- prise of all, begs to inform the world that if the worst comes to the worst, and Turkey goes to the wall, Eng- land’s immediate interests are safe. The astonishment felt and, indeed, uttered in every organ of public opin- | | ton is ubiversal, and will, probabiy, lead to further pro- ceedings on the'part of the Powers; meanwhile, Kng- land realizes the traits of her resolve and holds the | Suez Canal in her grasp, She objected to the construc- tion of the Suez Canal because made by French capital, apd she bas now stretched out her band for it, to pre- vent her being cutoff from her Eastern possessions. The English papers, indeed, are busily engaged in try- | ing to allay the anger and irritation produced by the — | step; but although they deny that Egypt, afier what has happened, must necessarily become subject to British power, It is evident that the mere fact of the commercial transaction between the Lon- don government and the Mg must that effect. e shares purchased by England yi ing no interest for a period of nimeteen yeara, the coupons bnving been converted into money by the . Viceroy in advance, the latter hag specially engaged to Bay, five percent per annum on the sum invested by the ritish Cabinet It ts easy to foresee that, in conse- quence of the tnancial embarrassment to which Egypt Will be reduced by this contract, England will soon find it necessary to take means for recovering her moncy. Indeed, we are already told that an English financial commission to set up , Egypt to in- quire into sre of the re enue, such An inquiry is once get on foot, England is pretty eure to pro- ceed further and further, and control the revenue for her own purposes. But the Powers will interfere be- ire this comes to pass, There isa general outery in the semi-official press of Europe that England must not be permitted to do anything of the kind. The lan- guage held vy the Brussels ord is itself sufficient to prove that this matter cannot be settied without an international compact, Ever since the outbreak of the Herzegovina insurrection Europe has been con- vinced that Tarkey has no vitality left. But Europe temporized and diplomatized. England alone has acted, and proceeded to solve the Oriental question by joeds, What will be the result of it all? KILLED BY A FALL. Early yesterday morning av officer of the Twelfth precinct found the body of John McCarthy, aged fifty years, of No. 817 Bast 122d street, in the cellar of an unfinished building on the corner of Second avenue and 1224 street. It is known that deceased and a man pamed John McCart, who lived in the same house, had ‘& dispute about eleven o'clock on the previous night at their residence, and MeCart bas been arrested on suspicion of having been the cause of McCarthy's death, McCarthy was subsequently seen, however, in & liquor saloon in the neighborhood very drunk, and it is believed that he accidentally fell into the cellar while on bis way home The bod; sent belt on Morgne and Coroner Bickhoff and fi —_ , Dr, Marsh, held | a mortem examination. No exterior matks of lence were found on the body and the decision ar- rived at wag that death resuited from compression of the brain. The kneos wore slightly scraj as though ‘they had come in contact with the wall of the cellar in Proceedings in Fo haa ‘The Coroner will bold an inquost in a day or | anywhere, was t “with low whites and artful demagogues who, under the THE METHODISTS AND THE THIRD TERM, Bishop Haven from a Methodist Point of View, LETTER FROM A METHODIST LAYMAN. To Tax Epitor ov Tae HeRALD:— Bishop Haven’s latest notion seems to be that God is Himself a third termer, and that He slew the Vico President because poor Mr. Wilson did not agree with Bishop Haven, As the Methodist people—of whom I am one—do not believe in human will probably ve litule affected by Mr, Haven’s assertions of this Kind, There ig no reason to believe that be knows any more about God's wishes and purposes than the most obscure layman, But what a bishop says is not annaturally supposed by the public to represent, more or less accurately, the general opinion of the sect of which he is @ spiritual head. Some of his recent utterances would, were they really approved by the body of Methodists, make these justly odious; and, as | they are not so approved, it seems only right to explain why what he says and does cannot fuirly be charged upon the denomination of Christians he in such cases misrepresents, In the firet place, the Methodist bishops are not, in | exception, shocked at Bishop Haven’s third term utterances, though | doubt if any of them were sur- prised, He 1s known as a man of great zeal and energy and of respectable abuity, extremely lacking in judg- ment and a lover of notoriety, and it is probably not unfair to him to say that his most cherished posses- sions are hie prejudices. He is so entirely wanting in | moderation and @ faith in quiet and peaceful ways, which 1 believe a man in his position ought to possess, and so greatly lacking in the spirit of love toward ali human creatures, which certainly a Christian clergy- man ought to have, that he imagines laws and brute force b: of them can remedy all evils and extirpate all wrongs. Among the objects of his bigoted detesta- tion and fear the more prominent, I suppose, are the Roman Catholic Church and the Southern white people, His desire to renominate General Grant is no new thing. More than a year ago, and after bis return from Mexico, about which country be was thon issuing what proved tobe in the general opmion a very offensive book, he surprised me with the declaration that “we must have that country,” holding a map of Mexico be- fore me; and when 1 replied that it could not be got without a war, he said, “We must have it; it belongs to us; our people want it; what do you think of Grant and Mexico as a platform in 1876? Don’t you suppose that would sweep the country?” I was a little shocked that any clergyman, even Bishop Haven, should delib- erately propose a scheme of public robbery, but he ex. claimed, ‘You'll see that I am right; you are all wrong about this matter. You are opposed toa third torm, I hear; you don’t like General Grant; you don’t know anything about it; yourre as wrong as you can be,” That such a man could have much influence among the Methodist laity would argue that they bad very little sense, In fact he has none, except where he ap- peals to their humanity by misrepresenting the condi- tion of the South, Bishop Haven lives in Attanta. He war sent to the South some years ago with the object of revivin’s there the Northern Methodist Church, and with the hope, cherished by most Northern Methodists, that the Church South, which parted from the northern branch many years ago, by reason of differences on the slavery question, could, now that slavery was extinguished, be porsuaded to reunite with the Charch North. To this end many of the wisest members of the Northern Chureh have labored, believing that they could thus, by obliterating an old division in a numerous sect, help to strengthen the bond of brotherhood between the sections, or at least remove what seems to be a source of irritation, Bishop Haven, to whom, if to any one, was committed this task of reconciliation, has in fact, as 1 found when I was in the South last summer, done a great deal to widen the breach. He is detested al) over the South for public expressions in favor of an amalgamation of the negro and white races, and I became satisfied he had done 4 great deal to keep up and even embitter wherever he labored, not only race prejudices, but the feelings naturally remaining from the war. When he comes to the North ne industriously spreads tales of the “disloyalty” of the Southern whites and ot the wrongs suffered by the “poor negroes” and of the dan- ger to their future, In fact, he talks of the South pre- cisely like the average political carpet-bagger, and the “final clause of his argument, like’ that of the political carpet-baggor, is always, ‘We must re-elect General Grant to keep down the rebels and protect the negroes’ The: he makes in the face of the fact, as well known Mt is to me, that in Georg! lives, and which has been since 1871 in the hands of the democrats, the negroes own and pay taxes to-day ‘on more farming real estate, more city and town prop- erty, and more personal property, than in any other of the cotton States, all of which haye been under re- publican rule, 80 called, They paid taxes this year on ‘over $7,000,000 of property, and their own republican organ #t Atlanta has repeatedly accused them of er? most wasteful and thriftiess, and of drinking an smoking away more of their earnings than would edu- cate all their children, Ido not mean to say thas Georgia is an Eden—there are some fools and some rough, violent men in that State—but | bave the word of United States officers, strong re publicans, that there is no political crime in that State; 1 have the wora of Northern missionaries jaboring entirely among the colored people, that the period of violence is past and that public opinion, even in the backwoods counties, is now agaiust it; and where in any talks with colored people I found discon- tent it was almost always because they do not in Geor- | gia, as in Mississippi under the Ames rule and in Lou- isiana under Kel:ogg, hold the offices and live on the taxes. Finally, not only have the negroes prospered more in democratic Georgia than in republican Missis sippi, Arkansas or Louisiana, but they understand per- fectly and have asserted for years the right of removal to other States. Twenty-five thousand of them have left Georgia and the planters are not anxious to lose any more, Thousands of them have gone to Mississippt, a State where, to believe the Ames men, no negro’s life ig safe, Other thonsands of them went to Arkansas at the very time when, according to common report, ne+ ro massacres Were held there daily belore breakfast, it 18 easy to make a list of crimes in any Southern State, as easy as in any Northern State. Certainly there is no more lawiessness in Georgia, which 18 still essentially a frontier State, than in Pe Ivapia I give this denial of Bishop Ha reports, be cause the Northern people are, as | think rightly, very easily moved by tales of wrongs to the Southern blacks, I shouid myself resent very quickly any sys- tematic wrong to those people, and would support the most severe and peremptory measures if these were necessary for their protection But there is no such wrong down there, Color and race prejudices still ob tain, and they are more intense in Georgia than in some other States, partly, at least, because of the care with which Bishop Haven bas stirred them up. He presumes to sit in judgment upon the iate Vice Presi- dent, and to declare ta he was strack down by God peguee he = wou! jot support thé “Force ' bi I, on the other band, declare that ina ‘journey through six Southern States made for you during the last spring and summer, | with one exception, nota single honest andre- spectable repablican who’ did not frecly tell me there was no need of a Force bill; that even the presen: Enforcement act was useless; that what the republican party needed in those States was purification from the contro] of rogues and plunderers, and that what kept up the tll feeling against negroes, so far as it exists Beir'too ready and constant affiliation plea of being republicans, ase the negro vote to rob the taxpaying and property owning citizens, It is not pleasant to & Methodist layman to bave to speak soverely of and to contradict positively a bishop of b chareh bat in this matter Bishop Haven is capable of doing a good deal of misehiel by misleading not only Methodists, but others. It would be extremely unjust to charge the Methodist clergy as a body with a propensity to interfere in polit ical questions They do not do 80 more than the clergy of any other sect in this country; and as they have among their hamber democrats ns well as republicans, and as the Methodist laity are of political parties, there is but tte temptation to or occasion for such interference, Wh however, some prominent Methodist clergym can be charged with is that they do not refuse to use their influence as Methodists with the President to further applications for office, A conspicaous instance of this kind came disagreeably under my notice two earsago, atthe time when the appointment of Cok Teonor Simmons in Boston created very bitter discon- tent among the respectable republicans of Massa. chusetts and unfavorable comments elsewhere Gen- eral Butler's influence with the President was sup) at that time to bave procured this appointment, bu Judge Hoar, certainly no fright to General Butler, told me that it was the influence in Boston which carried the day for Simmons, and | satisfied my- self afterward that this was true. There are other and more scandalous instances of such misuse of Methodist influence which it !s not worth while now to mention, I do not think the President is to be blamed for being subject to such influence, though | do think be bas sometimes carried hie submission very far. His parents wore Mothodists, his family bel to the same Church, ‘and it is Lt batara) we A both Oa in respect it certainly the clergymen se . mita wrong when they make ase of re! hd access to the White dishonorable, House for such purposes, ft seems to me and they have undgabtediy and within infallibility, they | in which State he | both | own ful + contempt and dis ey ed judgment and in that of many other Methodisu im) th: aac our more prominent have been heid at the White House, and consequently in the ments, during a number of years, has an evil mee upon them and has worked badly for the Church. For my part I should be very happy if the Xt President should prove to have an unconquerabi¢ aversion to all Methodist clergymen, » would bes fortunate thing for the denomination, Yours fully, . CHARLES NORDHOFY. THIRD TERM NOTES. The third term went down at the bidding of thy most nervous of the radical leaders, but they all ery “Bosh.” Why does not President Grant reheve bis friends by quietly remarking that he does not deem it wise that any man should be elected for the thiré time, justas the patriotic and unselfish Washingtos did? That would settle it.—New Albany Ledger Standard (dem.) The new President of the Senate ts likely to be gob- bled by Grant. He is a little great man, who will cling to the chances for advancement, and a little flattery ‘and the promise of a Cabinet position or a foreign em- bassy in 1876 will settle him. The republican party is becoming thoroughly demoralized.—Salt Lake Herald, There scems to be now no doubt whatever that General Grant is as bull-headedly bent on a third term | as he was on thwarting President Johnson in the Secre: | tary Stanton business, even if he has to violate bit plighted taith and tell a hundred downright falsehoods 10 do it. —Frankfort (Ky.) Yeoman (dem.) What was predicted of old by the monarchists oy | general, politicians or persons who concern themselves | BUF0Pe 18 im danger of coming to pass; @ successful in political questions They were probably, witnout | military chieftain is doing his utmost to fasten an aly solute despotism upon the country. This third term monstrosity is not the first step, by many, that has been taken in that direction.—#rankfort (Ky.) Feoman (dem.) It is no bugbear of partisan inauguration, —Frankfon (Ky.) Yeoman (dem.) Grant may not desire a third term, but it wouldn’t bé A safe thing for a postmaster to say that Grant couldn’t have six terms, if he inclined that way.—Flemington (Y. J.) Democrat (dem.) Blaine \s unquestionably against any third term for Grant, but if he ever gets through two, and is healthy, itis not probable he would object to some in his'’n.— Chicago Post (rep.) THE ANTLTHIRD TERM VOTE. WHAT IS SAID ABOUT THE IMMORTAL EIGHTEEN, Nathan B. Bradley, Representative in Congress from the Eighth district, was one of the eighteen membera of the House of Representatives who voted on Wednes- day against the resolution introduced into the House by Mr. Springer, Mr, Bradley has thus pat himself square upon the record, and the people of the district will know where to find him. It may be regarded as a settled fact that with the close of next session his career as an office-holder will cease, Let him be consigned to oblivion, politically, as soon as possible, The triumph of Cwsarism and the Grant dynasty can alone save him.—£ast Saginaw (Mich,) Courter (dem.) The eighteen who voted in favor of a third term are a sweet lot. Haralson, Hyman, Lynch, Nash, Smalls, Wallace and Walls, all Southern negroes or carpet- baggers, are fair specimens of the unsavory minority, All the Georgia members, except Mr, Stephens, who was detained at home by sickness, were in their seats, and no one needs to be informed as to how they voted. — Atlanta Constitution (dem.) ‘The republican party is the authority to settle that question when in convention assembled, and 1s certain no more to nominate Grant fora third term than it is to check the recurrence of the seasons orto blot the sun from the heavens,—Jacksonville (JUL) Journal (rep.) Our local representative, the Hon, William M. Springer, who presented the resolution, may have been & little injudicious in thus rudely depriving the democracy of their prineipal stock in trade, but the thing is done, and “there is no use crying over spilt milk.” The third term question is thus laid away, with tho opposition of the democracy to the “recon- struction acts,” as a “dead issue.’'—Springfeld (JUl.) Journal (rep.) It must be that the third term is laid out cold as a | wedge. No party will dare to go before the people with acandidate arrayed in opposition to this solemn and nearly unanimous declaration of the constitutional rep- resentatives of the people, It was right and ought to have been made; but its effect must be to improve the | radical situation a good deal.—Macon (@a.) Telegraph (dew.) The democrats in the Lower House of Congress res- urrected the corpse of their favorite bugaboo—the third term—and had avote upon it Only eighteen Voted against it, and these did so, we doubt not, be- | cause they thought the resolution wholly extraneous and out of place in the House. —Ottumwa (Jowa) Cou- | rier (rep.) The movement (Springer’s) had the merit of being a sharp piece of democratic tactics, and succeeded far | enough to make the republicans appear very ridiculous before the country, But with all this, the dread spee- tre will not down.—Forney’s Washington Chronicle (Qurd term), CURRENT POLITICAL NOTES. The Philadelphia North American (rep.), !n casting | about for the political millennium, gives this advice:— “Let both parties agree to the one-term amendment and the school amendment, and so the next Presi- | dential canvass will be relieved of its chief disturbing | elements, and two great progressive steps forward be taken.” | Take off your prohibitory tariff on shipbuilding ma ' terials (the Boston 7'ranscript thinks the opponents of Senator Boutwell’s proposed bounty on shipbuilding | Dill will say) and private enterprise will take care of our commercial interests, without instractions, bounties, or intermeddling of any kind from Congress. The Boston News (rep.) advises Grant to buy a copy | of the constitution and read what it says about taxa , Hon, The Worcester Gazette (rep.) montions as ‘‘a noticea- ble feature of the recent journey of the President and members of Congress to Philadelphia, the extraorat- Dary ovation to Mr. Blaine. Except Bristow and Hayes, of Ohio, nearly all the geutiomon were present | who have been accused of an ambitious longing to re- side in the White House—Grant, Blaine, Morton, Jewell, Conkling and Hartrantt—and Blaine seemed to | be the only man the peoplo cared much to see.” | The Newburg Journal (rep.) regards as one of t most conspicuous blunders made by Speaker Kerr | that of putting Whitehouse, of Poughkeepsie, at the head of the Committee on Civil Service Reform. | “Judging from the methods which he has pursued at | home,” we quote, “the man never had a political idvm | above that of dollars and centa’? TAXATION OF CHURCH PROPERTY. The taxation of church property under the new con- stitutional amendments was the subject of discussion | in several church meetings at Hudson county, New | Jersey, yesterday. The Methodist churches, without | exception, are opposed to the taxation of the church building itself, but with regard to other property be- | longing to the Church they are tm favor of an equitable scheme of taxation. The Eptscopal | churches would exempt both the church buildings and the pastoral residences. Some would go so far ag | to claim exemption for all the benevolent imstitutions ‘attached to the churches. The Presbyterians are di- | vided on the question, some holding that the advantages of the exemption would accrue mainly to tbe Methodists and the Catholica, Others, like Rev, Dr. Imbrie, of t | F Presbyterian church, in Jersey C1 twelfth amendment does not involve kind and was pot intended to ‘create’ a | equalize or make uniform taxation on property jalready taxable, Other denominations are pursuing the policy of “masterly inactivity’ relying on the Legislature to give them relief All, however, now repent of the eagerness with which ‘they voted for the adoption of uw mendmeny A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS. Jeremiah Dolaa, a laborer, stxty years old, fell from not seen again. Deceased foot six inehes in height and wore @ dark guit and a black felt A FATAL AMPUTATION, Frederick Albrecht, who was ran over by a Fourth avenue tar a few days ago, died in the Chambers Street lospital yesterday, “=m exhaustion caused by the Cccation of empulating bis this) :