Americanizing Mexico.
New York Times
March 23, 1860
GEN. BICKLEY ANNOUNCES THE PROGRAMME OF THE "K.G.C'S."
Gen. BICKLEY, the Commander-in Chief of the order of the "Knights of the Golden Circle." addressed a large in standing at Montgomery, Ala., a few day's age.
The K.G.C, or order of the Knights of the Golden Circle, he said, was organized as early as in the year 1851, and was originally intended to advance and preserve the interests of the Southern States. After alluding to the attitude of the North and South relative to the question of negro Slavery, and avowing himself to be a Union man as long as the Federal compact was respected and sustained, he proceeded to give a brief outline history of the organization at the head of which he stood from the time of his [???] to the present. He briefly narrated his various conferences with the two contending powers in Mexico -- incidentally giving a sketch of the terrible state of government within its borders. He mentioned the fact that he had originally been induced to make a contract with the Miramon or C[???]urch faction; but the recognition of Juarez or Liberal party by the United States Government had compelled him to espouse the cause of that party in order to avoid a collision with his own countrymen -- an event which he had resolved should never occur.
The organization of K.G.C., he remarked, embraced a humerous membership within the limits of Mexico itself, consisting of many of the influential and wealthy citizens whose only hope for a stable and permanent Government lay in the intervention of foreign arms and intellects.
He claimed that this work of Americanizing Mexico, belonged of right and of necessity to the people of the South, whose interests would be most closely touched by it. It was a country remarkably adapted to the production of those articles wherein consisted the wealth and supremacy of the South, and when the doors were once thrown open he was unwilling to believe that Southern men would stand passively by and see the richest country the sun ever shone upon, overrun and peopled by their Northern rivals.
He stated that the object of his present visit to Alabama was a double one -- embracing that of raising men and means to arm, equip and transport them to the scene of action. He remarked that Louisiana. Tennessee, Texas, Maryland, and other Southern States had responded in the most substantial manner -- in all of which States he had from one to two regiments prepared for the field at twenty-four hours' notice. He expected Alabama to give him two regiments of her brave sons, and at least the amount of money required to place the upon the soil of Mexico; and if the response was as prompt as he was led to anticipate, many days would not elapse before the drums and cannons of the K.G.C. would resound before the walls of the City of Mexico.
