The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-09-03
THE ABDUCTION PLOT.

IHE ABDUCIlON 'PLOI.
correspondent requests us to publish the follow
ing extrac, from letter written by Mr. Peasants,
| Of Virginia, and published in the Wing of 1912:
"GoocuLAsp, Aug 25, 1912.
| Anonymous letters are generally deserving of no
respect but there are exceptions, when the motive
for assuming mask is clearly and from internal evi-
dence, a friendly or benevolent one. This seems to
| be the in The present instance and therefore,
| after Sufficient reflection, have determined TO com
ply with A. BIS suggestion, and the rather that the
circu Instances Of which he has heard very lmper-
feet account are, from their nature particularly la
BILE distortion and exaggeratlon in the process OF
| circulation through the under currents.
| In November, 1910, when every mail came fraught
| with the returns Of the Presidential Election and
before the final from New York had been re-
ceived, the Wings of Richmond apprehended for "a
| hours that the day had gone against Them This i'm
preston caused by the complexion of certain
| Loco Foco statements issued from the city OF New
| York, one two days after the election IN that
State, and which claimed with the greatest conf
dence, that her vote had been given for Mr.. Van Blu
rem 1t subsequently appeared that these statements
| which came from imposing authority were put iorth
with the view of influencing the vote of Pennsylva-
MA that State voting several days after New York.
| But this circumstance not then suspected by
! the Wings of Richmond, who were accordingly
| thrown ino CONSERVATION; for if New York had
|
| on her vote by the Wing party, it was not doubted
that Pennsy lvania whose vote was hoped for Father
/ than confidently expected, would follow her lead,
and the vote OF Virginia was already sufficiently in
TO render 1t next TO certain that she had voted for
| Mr.. Van Buren,. The consequence was almost inev-
table, that il these three great States had united In
| his favor the Wings were defeated, and Mr.. Van
| Buren, reelected Such catastrophe then, when
the Wing party were wound up to the highest pitch
of confidence in victory and cxultation in the glorious
fruits which they anticipated from 1t to mlsrued
cuun,ry, would have beer appalling. -Ntp, there
are few of them, presume who do not wish that
such had been the result for it is better to fall in
fair fight, by the hand of open and manly enemy,
than 10 be robbed and murdered 10 the dark by the
.a.,;a ..ho.., sa. haa ,-nst.d
| During the "a hours OF suspense | have mem
toned, the excitement in Richmond very great,
and was much increased by the prevalent may say
the universal, conviction of the Wing party Of that
place. that there had been fraudulent voting IN Vr-
GINA to much extent, sufficient in The counties of
Page, Shenandoah, Rockingham and Madison alone
| TO counterbalance any majority by which Mr. Van
Buren, could have carried the State. How far this
conviction well or i'll founded, il is not now rel
evant 10 eDquIre it is enough that il prevailed hon
estly and sincerely. II, then, Mr.. Van Buren, was
reelected by the vote of Virginia, without whose
vote he could not have been reelected, and il
was manifest and could be judically established
that he was indebted for his Virginia majority 10
| fraud, the question passed from man 10 man. what
was 10 be done' What was the remedy Would
the American people submit to be ruled by minor
ity, carrying their point by fraudi Ought IL 10 be
submitted tor If such precedent were acquiesc ed
in would IT not be repeated and deluged as cur coun-
try always was, and would annually continue to be
TO a constantly augmentng extent, by immgrations
of the most illierate classes of Europe should we
moi spec lily be at the mercy Of him or them who
could imbody the greatest number Of mercenares 10
drown the voices Of the true and real American
peoplel If the Constitution and Laws afforded no
redress, ought not the people TO take redress into
their own hands, as case was presented when sub
mission TO the wrong was a tacIt REIMBURSEMENT Of
free Government, and virtual slavery Such were
the questions agitated at that moment of excited
ing and painful suspense.
Gentlemen of the Bar were consulted as 10 the
legal course which ought to be taken if MIR Van
Buren, had been elected by the aid Of Virginia and
II could be made to appear, that is majority in this
State was fraudulent They were of opinion ,ha
there was legal redress whatever and that the
returns Of the Presidential Commissioner were
final and conclusive, and could not be looked be.
hind. II these Commissioners, infamed by parti-
san zeal, had annulled the Constitution and per.
mitted aliens, non-resdens and ali others 10 vote
or, If bribed with federal gold, they had excluded
Wings altogether from the polls, and suffered none
but their opponents to vote--and If all this couId
be established beyond coprosersy or the ablt, of
single human being TO question i-st we were
told that the law could afford relief and that the
decision oil inc RETURNING officers, that is the Com
missioners, was unassalable and could no, he 90,
ASIDE The Commissioners indeed could be nun.
ished, but their act, which might and most proba-
bly, would subvert the institutions of the countrs
could not be reached or remedied. was astonisbed
then, aud ] can hardy now believe this TO be so
but so was told by respectable legal authority
Pfcsidea' chosen by such means would as etfectp.
ally be President as General Washington. Tbc
farther opinion was expressed that if military force
was employed to control the votes of the people the
violence would be cured by the return Of the Com
missioner humbly submit these matters 10 the
country and the Legislature, as did before in No
| vember, 1910
Political and party passions already in high fer
ment, were still farther infsmed by the assurance that
the laws could afford redress for the popstrous
crime OF strangng the voice of free people by cor
rupting the ballot boxes If it should even be demon
strated that had been committed In thu. state of
feeling three individuals who happened TO be ,oeetb
er, inierchanged opinion, found an entire concur.
renee OF sentiment among toe nselves and hastily ar
ranged The heads OF plan for rcdrt ssine the wrongs
OF the country by securing the person of Mr. Van
Buren,, previous to his Inauguration. Three thing.
were to preccde putting II IN execution; l. The
| election Of Mr.. Van Buren,. 2. hat he could moi
have been returned without the vote of Virginia
| Proof carrying positive and undoubted certainty
with IL, that his majority in Virginia was fraudulent
| These preminaries ascertained, twenty persons
| men who could depend on one another we're 10 he
admitted into the association under the pledge of &C.
| crecy aud fidelity. Ten Of the number were 10 pro.
| coed to Washington in fast steamboat qivipg ouf
TIA, their object wa, suni Of amusement, to wit
ness the approaching inauguration. IL was imagined