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."

Thus, the liveliest form of ancient or modern civilization, in a republic
just rising to the glories of empire, was to be sacrificed to the mad