Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1861-12-20

III this scheme fail, what then ~ Let the
State pro lain TO the world that at that time
to be eJignated, say SIX months She viii
withdraw from the Union If Mississippi be
not prepared TO follow her example, simple
annunciation on her part, that any hostile at
tempt direct or indirect, by Congress, TO pre-
vent her (Soutll Carolina) from exercising the
rights of an independent nation or to Keep
her in the Confederacy, would be considered
by your Commonwealth, q subyersion Of the
fundamental principles on which the States
Confederated, and consequently a fun release
for her obligations in the Union y ,N 'tb
You see by these quotations that this
conspiracy is of no recent date. Ten or
fifteen years ago, Gen. Quitman concei-
we'd and confided to others the scheme
which the rebels of 1851 have attempt
ed to enact, and / lay these facts before
you for your serious reflection and to
prove to you that the destruction of
our Constitution and Union has been
seriously contemplated for many years,
and that, too, without reference to any
of the pretended grievances now com
planned of by the South. t'"3
In 1851 open and avowed disunion
candidates were nominated and run for
Governors in the States of Georgia and
Mississippi, and one or two other South
ern States. In Mississippi, Jefferson
Davis, who was then democratic U.
| S. Senator from that State, resigned his
seat in the Senate, went home to Mis-
sissippi, and became the disunion candi-
date for Governor, on an open and
avowed disnnion platform. Senator
| Foote, also democratic Senator from
that State, resigned his seat and became
the Union candidate. Davis was defea-
ted by small vote, as were also the
open disunion candidates in all the states
except in the State of South Carolina,
which elects her Governor and State
officers by the Legislature. 'Al
II In 1852, General Pierce was elected
President oyer Gen. Scott. In this con
test the Wing party breathed its last
because false to the principles of free
dom. The success of the so-called dem
ocratic party with Pierce as its CHIEF
was almost as fatal. 1t fingered along
in sickly condition until 1860 when it
too, gave up the ghost. "aa
| Jefferson Davis was selected by Pres
ident Pierce for his Sec. of War, although
it was we'll known to Mr. Pierce, anC
( to the whole country, that Mr.. Davi
/, was an avowed secessionist, and hal
J Just been defeated for Governor of Mi.
, sissippi, on that issue. Davis, by pos
ton, was enabled to advance hescheme
Z of the conspirators, by appointments, b,
!, favoritism in the army, and by his coun
7 sells in the Cabinet. And in 1856, haC
! Fremont been elected, Davis would hav,
I attempted to have seized the govern
( ment. Unfortunately, for the country
Buchanan was elected President, anc
. majority of the Cabinet he callet
around him were either avowed seces
sionists, or willing instruments in tn
hands of the cOnspirators. By this ac
of Mr. Buchanan, the old democratic
party was completely demoralized by
the domination of the disunion elemen
!, in its counsels 40 that at the Charleston
! Baltimore Convention, it was perma
nently disrupted and the organization
/ divided and destroyed.
The long and bitter contest for tn
! Speakership of the House of Represer
7 tatives, at the opening of the seth Cor
| gress, was the death struggle of tn
!, slave power to keep possession of tn
9 Legislative department of the Cover
! ment, during the residue of Mr.. Bl
, chanan's term of office, so that in cas-
J of defeat in the Presidential election {
1860, which the conspirators had the
resolved upon-unless they could dictat
the candidate at Charleston, they Nigh
by having control of the House Com
mittees, as they had of the Committee
} in the Senate, be fully prepared for eve
ry movement necessary to consummat,
their treason. i5 -.5
1t is now conceded by those whom i
is admitted ought to know, thatthe con
: spirators discussed and agreed upon
plan for provisional government las
winter at Washington, that their plal
E was to seize the Capitol and public al
a chives, and prevent by force the inau
guration Of Mr. Lincoln at the seat @
| government; and by thus getting pos
+. session Of the National Capitol and il
) augurating Mr.. Davis at Washington
: they hoped to secure an early recogn
ton of their Government by some {
! the resident Foreign Ministers, many G
! whom they believed then and still be
J lieve favorable to their schemes.
And here let me mention in passing
fact worthy of note. The Foreign res
dent Ministers at Washington, are most
! ly from the aristocratic and wealthy Er
/ ropean families, and sympathise and az
! sociate with that class everywhere.
4 A majority of the Southern Senator
n and Representatives while protesting I
+ be democrats are, if possible, more ari
z tocratic than these foreign ministers. =
! The result is, that their social inte
| course at Washington, is almost excll
B siyely with Southern members who d
not hesitate openly to denounce a
Northern men as towards, paltroon
and money-getters, who can be bough
| as cheap as their own slaves. @
f The great body Of the Northern SeI
+ ators and Representatives are poor, an
? owing TO the short time they remain G
r expect to remain in Congress, they d
not, with but few exceptions, care t
form the acquaintance Of foreign mimi
= ters. So you see that our goyernmer
1 at home has not only been controlle
but our foreign policy cunningly shape
! by Southern men and the minds of til
r resident foreign ministers prepared, nc
1 n