it also absorbed several minor local societies.

The White Camelia had a national organization with headquarters in New
Orleans. Its business was conducted by a Supreme Council of the United
States, with Grand, Central, and Subordinate Councils for each state,
county, and community. All communication within the order took place by
passwords and cipher; the organization and the officers were similar to
those of the Ku Klux Klan; and all officers were designated by initials.
An ex-member states that "during the three years of its existence here
[Perry County, Alabama] I believe its organization and discipline were
as perfect as human ingenuity could have made it." The fundamental
object of the White Camelia was the "maintenance of the supremacy of the
white race," and to this end the members were constrained "to observe a
marked distinction between the races" and to restrain the "African race
to that condition of social and political inferiority for which God
has destined it." The members were pledged to vote only for whites,
to oppose Negro equality in all things, but to respect the legitimate
rights of Negroes.

The smaller orders were similar in purpose and organization to the Ku
Klux Klan and the White Camelia. Most of them joined or were affiliated
with the large societies. Probably a majority of the men of the South
were associated at some time during this period with these revolutionary
bodies. As a rule the politicians, though approving, held aloof. Public
opinion generally supported the movement so long as the radicals made
serious attempts to carry out the reconstruction policies.

The task before the secret orders was to regulate the conduct of the
blacks and their leaders in order that honor, life, and property might
be secure. They planned to accomplish this aim by playing upon the
fears, superstitions, and cowardice of the black race--in a word, by
creating a white terror to counteract the black one. To this end they
made use of strange disguises, mysterious and fearful conversation,
midnight rides and drills, and silent parades. As long as secrecy and
mystery were to be effective in dealing with the Negroes, costume was
an important matter. These disguises varied with the locality and often
with the individual. High cardboard hats, covered with white cloth often
decorated with stars or pictures of animals, white masks with holes
cut for eyes, nose and mouth bound with red braid to give a horrible
appearan