Natchez Daily Free Trader [MS], March 30, 1860
A society of the K. G. C., or Knights of the Golden Circle, will be formed in this city at an early day. The originators of this mystic order were certain military characters who resided in Lexington, Kentucky—the spring of 1854 being the date of its organization. The first object of the organization was to cultivate a martial spirit among the people of the South. The second object was to have a military organization in the South fully capable of defending our social and political rights from all assaults from our enemies at home and abroad. The past history and present aspects of our political affairs seemed to demand that an organization such as the K. G. C., fully armed and equipped and officered, was absolutely necessary. The order has steadily grown until now it numbers nearly forty thousand members, who are scattered over the Southern States of the Union, and the Northern States of Mexico. No society of the kind has in this country combined such an amount of talent, resources or numbers as has this. If we understand correctly, the present object of the K. G. C., is the invasion of Mexico. It is well known, that in this distracted country a cruel war has raged with scarce an intermission, for the past ten years. The country has been weakened by these intestine feuds; agriculture, commerce and manufacture have languished and the Mexican people have groaned under the oppression and tyranny of rival chieftains. At the present time there are two parties in Mexico, contending for the supremacy of the government. On the one hand stands the church party, with Miramon as their leader. On the other hand stands the liberal party, with Juarez as their leader. Our Minister to Mexico, Mr. McLane, has recently made a treaty with Juarez, which will be one of vast benefit to our government. Our government has already recognized the Liberal party as being the government of Mexico. The K. G. C.’s have already espoused the cause of the Liberals, and we are informed that it is their fixed determination to place it at the head of the Mexican Government, and thus aid them in restoring peace and harmony to a distracted country and an oppressed people. Our citizens will be addressed shortly on the subject of armed intervention in the affairs of Mexico, by one of the most distinguished of the “Knights of the Golden Circle,” when we hope to see a large turn out. We speak what we know, or, as Hamlet would say, “by the Card,” on this subject. The statements we have made in this connection have been derived from parties who are perfectly reliable and who are entitled to respectful consideration. Long live the K. G. C.’s— Vicksburg Sun.