The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-09-10
From the Harrisburg Chronicle.
AND ,HORRlBLE DIS
GI OGIIR L


der plot. in the time OF James /. The persons
giving this testimony is no parlzan; man of
much reputation and high standing, and was
one of Gen. Patterson's principal officers, when
that officer marched to Harrisburg to quell the
rioters Let the people read and reflect over
these horrid disclosures; let them pass Judge
mcnt at the next election on party, leading
member of which would, for the sake o! aiding
that party in its wicked p imposes thus contem-
plate the destruction of human life by the thou
sand. This discloses Lo CO Focoism. fits vo-
taries cannot rule, they will destroy the citizens
OF the land by the car load. Arouse people to
sence Of your danger. If LocoFocoism in theory
will not destroy every vestige of your rights, its
practical application to your lives by means of
power &c. will.
"A. j. PLEAsoNToN appeared before the com
mttee, and being duly sworn according to law,
deposcd as follows:
Quest.-Please to state any conversation you
had with any person connected with the late
disturbances at Harrisburg; or member Of
either branch Of the Legislature in relation to
the intention of the Committee of Safety, or of
those who acted with them, tearing up the rail
road, or any other act so as to prevent the troops
under Gen Pattersons command reaching Har
risburg.
.Ans.-I do not know what the intention Of
the committee or those connected with them
w rs, l had no conversation with any one on the
subj ect of the Intention of those persons; have
no knowledge of any thing done in Philadelphia,
except such as is derived from common run1or.
1t was currently reported every where in Phil
adclpha, before the troops left for Harrisburg
that they would he prevented from marching,
or would be INSTRUCTED in their progress to the
State Capitol and the means to accomplish this
was said he the removal of some Of the rails on
the railway. There was much excitement in
Philadelphia on the reception of the Governors
order, and the ri 1rOrs assumed the complexion
of the political parties who originated them.
| bad been informed by General Pat terson, that
the persons who were to have removed the
rails were prevented from so doing by the inter
ference of some of the officers Of the volunteers
themselves, who represented to them the inju-
ry that would result to their friends from the
| execution of such an intention.
Quest. by M Barclay,-Please to state wheth,
er you had any conversation with any OF the
| Van Buren, members OF either branch OF the
Legislature, as to what the Van Buren, party or
any Of it, designed 10 do, in order to prevent the
troops under General Patterson, from reaching
| Harrisburg?
.fns-On the Goth of January last, called to
see Colonel M'Elwee, q member of the House
| of Representatives, from Bedford, on some pub
lie business, at his lodgings, IN the evening. lie
was undresscd and about to go TO bed but enter
I Ell INTO conversation Will ttIc oii tHO o"JN'' w
my business; in the course OF which he
referred TO the character Of the volunteer troops
| from Philadelphia who had been in service IN
the proceeding month of December at this place.
He spoke very favorabiy Of them, and sad that
Il ,cns YELL FOR THEM THAT SO
MANY OF THEM WE'RE DEMOCRATS
AS OTHERWISE THEY WOULD .NEV-
Err HAVE LIVED TO HAZE REAC HE'D
If.4kRLSB URG. He then stated that on the an
nonu,ccmem here that the troops from Philadelphia
,Oould obey the order Of The Governor, and ,couId
march for Harrisburg 1T Vas .AGREEO
BY HIMSELF .4yWD TWO OR THREE
OTHERS WHOM HE DID NOT NAME
TO PREVENT THEIR .ARRiV.AL ut
THIS PLACE at ALL H4ZARDS. sup
posing at The moment, that as the troops belonged
10 Philadelphia, they ,0ere all WhigS, and Jarora-
able to the State administration. To carry ONT
this agreement, he said 1t ,0as determined TO
REHOVE "A FEW OF THE Rails ON
THE RAIL ROAD at THE MOST DAN
GEROUS PART OF IT, and also no
FORM II NINE UNDER THIS EXPOSED
PART TO BE FILLED WIIH UMP0W,
WHICH WOULD ARISE FROM THE
TRAIN OF CARS CONTAINING THE
TROOPS BEING OVERTHROW BY
r THUS RUNNING OFF THE TRACK
THE MINE MIGHT BE SPRUNG, AND
BLOWN INTO THE AIR TOGETHER
FOR THIS PURPOSE HE HIMSELF PUR
CHASED THREE BARRELS OF GUN
POWDER, AND SAID THAT HE HAD
PAID FORTY DOLLARS OUT OF HIS
OWN POCKET FOR THE PURCHASE
To conuince me that he 1cas serious IN ,ol,dt he
stated to hare been their design, he .tirthe,
said that his associates therein acre men Of trieO
courage, and having been officers in The last ,Uar
kneso ho,c to erecute The project they hat concei
Ued.
This design was abandoned by ,hem in conse
qlence of information having been received sub.
sequently to the purchase of gunpowder, thai
the troops then on their route from Philadelphia
were not all of the same political party, a large
proportion of them belonging to the Democrat
ic party, to which Col. M'Elwee and his asso-
cntes in the design also belonged. He further
said that it was to this circumstance alone that
the arrival of the troops from Philadelphia al
Harrisburg without injury or loss, was to be
attributed. The design was abandoned because
it would have been impossible to have separated
the Democrats from the Wings in its execution