the ritual, after reciting that the States of the Union are "free, independent, and sovereign," proceeds as follows:

The Government designated "The United Stated os America: has no sovereignty, because that is an attribute with which the people, in their several and distinct political organizations, are endowed, and is inalienable. It was constituted by the terms of the compact, by all the States, through the express will of the people thereof respectively - a common agent, to use and exercise certain named, specified, defined, and limited powers which are inherent of the sovereignties within those States. It is permitted, so far as regards its status and relations as common agent in the exercise of the powers carefully and jealously delegated to it, to call itself 'supreme," but not sovereign. " In accordance with the principles upon which is founded the American theory, government can exercise only delegated power. Hence, if those who shall have been chosen to administer the government shall assume to exercise powers not delegated they should be regarded and treated as usurpers. The reference to "inherent power," "was power," or "military necessity," on the part of the functionary for the sanction of an arbitrary exercise of power by him we will not accept in palliation or excuse.

To this is added, as a corollary, "it is incompatible with the history and nature of our system of government that Federal authority should coerce by arms a sovereign State. " The declaration of principles, however, does not stop here, but proceeds one step further, as follows:

Whenever the chosen officers or delegates shall fail or refuse to administer the Government in strict accordance with the letter of the accepted Constitution, it is the inherent right and the solemn and imperative duty of the people to resist the functionaries, and, if need be, to expel them by force of arms! Such resistance is not revolution, but is solely the assertion of right; the exercise of all the noble attributes which impart honor and dignity to manhood.

To the same effect, though in a milder tone, is the platform of the order in Indiana, put forth by the grand council at their meeting in February last, which declares that "the right to alter or abolish their government, whenever it fails to secure the blessings of liberty, is one of the inalienable rights of the people that can never be surrendered. " Such, then, are the principles which the new member swears to observe and abide by in his obligation, set forth in the ritual, where he says:

I do solemnly promise that I will ever cherish in my heart of hearts the sublime creed of the Excellent Knights, and will, so far as in me lies, illustrate the same in my intercourse with men, and will defend the principles thereof, if need be, with my life, whensoever assailed, in my own country first of all. I do further solemnly declare that I will never take up arms in behalf of any government which does not acknowledge the sole authority or power to be the will of the governed.

The following extracts from the ritual many also be quoted as illustrating the principle of the right of revolution and resistance to constituted authority insisted upon by the order:

Our swords shall be unsheathed whenever the great principles which we aim to inculcate and have sworn to maintain and defend are assailed.

Again:

I solemnly promise that whensoever the principles which our order inculcates shall be assailed in my own State or country I will defend these principles with my sword and my life, in whatsoever capacity may be assigned me by the competent authority of our order.

And further:

I do promise that I will at all times, if need be, take up arms in the cause of the oppressed, in my own country first of all, against any power or government usurped which may be found in arms and waging was against a people or peoples who are endeavoring to establish, or have inaugurated, a government for themselves of their own free choice.

Moreover, it is to be noted that all the addresses and speeches of its leaders breathe the same principle of the right of forcible resistance to the Government as one of the tenets of the order.