Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-07-18
HOW STANDS MIR. BRECKENRIDGE

On the 18th inst. we published an arti-
Gle charging that cold bloOded, deliberate,
heartless conspiracy existed in certain
quarters, to break up the Union OF the
United States, TO revolutionize the govern
ment and establish Southern Confederaey.
We dated this conspiracy with the meeting
of the Southern Convention in May, 1888,
in Montgomery, Alabama, and showed con-
clusively that it was then set on foot as q
regular, systematised organization, and as
sumed all the qualities, except the arming
of men, of technical conspiracy, one that
would be held to be so in any court of law
in Christendom. We therein grouped the
evidence, bringing it down to December
1859, step by step, all of which pointed in
fallibly to the existence Of the conspiracy,
and to active efforts being made for its con-
summation. Treason, like fraud, burrows
under the surface. 1t never raises its head
TO the view of men, until it is prepared to
assume the form and proportion of Revo-
luton, when the government against which
it is leveled is at an end, and armed men,
desolation and blood take the place of the
law and the gellows. Like fraud, 1t weaves
about itself network of circumstances,
which conceal it until it is traced IN such a
way that its existence excludes every other
reasonable hypothesis. Though in our pre-
vious article, we arrsyed facts so pregnant
and 80 conclusive as to convince any but
confirmed skeptic, we desire now to supply
some facts which, for want of space, we
were then compelled to omit, and to adduce
others, equally as convincing aud OF still
later date, bringing the scheme up to the
present moment, and connecting it with the
candidacy of Mr.. BREcKINRIDGE for the
Presidency.
We set out before with disclosure made
by Judge BAILEY, in Union meeting at
Knoxville, in this State, in the month OF
January last, to the effect that Gov. WISE
had addressed letters to the Southern Gov
erners in 1856, with the view of concerning
measures to prevent the inauguration of
EREMoNT, in the event of his election. We
now append that letter as it appeared, after
-
Enquirer. 1t is as follows:
RICHMOND, Va, Sept. Is, 1856.
Dear Sir:-Events are approaching which
address themselves to your responsibilities
and TO mine as chief executives of slave
holding States. Contingencies may soon
happen which would require preparation for
the worst of evils to the people. Ought we
not to admonish ourselves by joint counsel
of the extraordinary duties which may de-
volve upon us from the dangers which SO
palpably threaten our common peace and
safety? When, how, or to what extent may
we act, separately or unitedly, to ward OF
dangers if we can, to meet them most effec-
tually if we must!
l propose that, as early as convenient,
the Governors of Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mis-
sissippi and Tennessee, shall assemble at
N. c., for the purpose generally of
consultation upon the state of the country,
upon the best means of preserving its peace,
and especially of protecting the honor and
interests Of the slaveholding States have
addressed the States only having DEMocRA-
TIC Executives, for obvious reasons
This should be done as early as possible,
before the Presidential election, and l
would suggest Monday, 18th October next. |
VIII you please give me an early answer,
and oblige
Yours, most truly and respectfully,
HENRY A. WISE.
His Excellency Thomas w. Lyon,
Governor of Maryland.
The same to Thomas Bragg, Governor of |
North Carolina; James II. Adams, Cover |
nor of South Carolina 81. V. Johnson,
Governor of Georgia; James c. Broome,
Governor of Florida; John A Winston,
Governor Of Alabama; John ]. McRae,
Governor of Mississippi; Robert Wickliffe,
Jr., Governor of Louisiana; Edmond NJ.
Pease, Governor of Texas; Elias n. Con-
way. Governor of Arkansas, and Andrew
Johnson, Governor of Tennessee.
The chief importance Of this document
at this time is to show what was the posi-
ton of Gov. WISE at that day, and that
only the DEMOCRATIC Governors were to be
consulted Up to the time we have dated
this conspiracy, May 10th, 1858, there were,
many disunionists in the
country, but We have no evidence that they
had ever taken counsel together and deter
mined upon q systematic course of action
to accomplish their designs. OF this num-
Der Gov. WISE was evidently one. 1t re-
mains for him to clear it up, and to explain
his connection with the "well considered