47

through that body, to the people of the State, the opinions entertained by

me of the policy of encouraging associations for political purposes, so

pregnant of mischief to the common weal.                                                                                       

I thought the language employed for the purpose free from all ambi-                                 

guity; it was certainly intended so to be; and I was as much surprised
at finding myself misunderstood as I was at learning that the fact of the
existence of such societies was any longer a matter of doubt or uncer-                               

tainty. I hope, however, that in this communication I may be more                               

fortunate, and that your committee may be at no loss to discover to what                             

political societies I referred, or the purposes for which it is alleged they
were instituted.                                                                                                                                       

I intended, in the part of the Message referred to your committee,
respectfully to call the attention of the representatives of the people to                               

the fact of the existence of any and all secret political societies or combi-                               

nations; and to express the opinion that, in my judgment, such associa-
tions of themselves are calculated to produce great evil, and are incon-
sistent with, and injurious to, the healthful action of Republican institu-                                 
tions; and that when the purpose of such societies is to reduce a large
portion of the people to the condition of a slavish submission to their
secret edicts and decrees, and to exclude from all honorable preferment
the Catholic and the naturalized citizen, because a Catholic and a natu-
ralized citizen, they become dangerous in the extreme, and should                                 
awaken the deep solicitude of every true American in the State.

I am credibly informed by a large number of citizens, that in their                               

opinion and belief, there exist now within this State numerous societies                               

of a secret character, whose object and purpose is to prevent the election                                 

or appointment to office of any person belonging to the Roman Catholic
Church, or who is not a native-born citizen of the United States; and
that in such secret associations, councils or lodges, oaths, pledges and
obligations are administered to effect this object.                                                                           

The existence of such unlawful combinations throughout the States                                 

has been repeatedly charged in the Congress of the United States, in the
Legislatures of one or more of the States, and by a large portion of the
press and people in every section of the country. The fact is moreover
evidenced by disclosures made in the Legislature of a sister State, and
by many members of the " Order," who, having been thoughtlessly and
innocently drawn into it, and finding that they were deceived as to its
purposes, have answered the suggestions of conscience, by abjuring the
oaths and obligations therein illegally administered.

With you, gentlemen, abides, under the sanction of the House of
Delegates, the power of ascertaining the truth or falsity of these serious
allegations. I am powerless in the premises, beyond the making known
to you what I fear and believe in regard to them.

You, however, in the exercise of the power conferred upon you, to
send for persons and papers, and to examine persons under oath, as to
the existence of secret societies, and the ends they propose to accomplish,
may bring before you the living witnesses,, and the record proof which
can effectually set at rest the questions at issue. It will give me great
pleasure to facilitate, by all the means in my power, the objects for which
your committee was raised; and in compliance with the request in your