“CIRCULAR TO OFFICERS.
“Be extremely careful in the selection of your members. Admit no one who is not of good standing in the community, and whom you have not good reason to believe to be firm and uncompromising in his devotion to the Union, and to be relied upon to assist in any emergency in maintaining the laws and good order in the community. This is of the first and highest importance to the order, and if any member shows symptoms of defection, watch him closely.
“In all cases, deal kindly with your opponents, and strive by gentle means to win them over to a change of sentiment. Many good men may thus be brought within our circle who would otherwise be lost to us.
“The first club established in your county seat will be called the County Club, to which all clubs in the county will report, and by those officers all such clubs will be established. It is important that we be frequently advised as to our strength in the State; and for this purpose each subordinate club will report weekly to the county club the number of members enrolled therein; and the County Club will report monthly to the Ex. Com. at —— the number of clubs and number of members in the county. These reports should be carefully sealed and addressed ——.
“The officers of County Clubs will be supplied with a printed constitution and ritual, and they will furnish officers of subordinate clubs copies of the same, with a strict injunction to secrecy.
“All correspondence must be secret as possible; and in order that this may be accomplished the monthly reports may consist only of the place, date, number of clubs in the county and number of members. No signature must be attached. These reports will be summed up and published by the Ex. Com.
“Strict secrecy as to the working of the organization is enjoined and promptness and vigor in its extension is very important. We must work now and work rapidly. No time is to be lost; our opponents are working vigorously and secretly, but it is not too late to counteract their machinations and utterly overthrow them. Work! Work! Work!