Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-02-07


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The Great ConSpIraey--IVhat arc its
Plans and Purposes.
IFronI the N. Y. Timcs.l aAsl.-
Fos three months events of startling
magnitude have 10 closely followed, one
upon the heels of another, that our whole
time has hardly sufEiced for their record
We have been too much entranced by the
phenomena to study their origin or law
Astounding robberies and deFalcntions; the
most shameless, abandonment of public
trusts; the trcnchery of civil and military
officers; the surrender of the forts, arina-
metns and munitions of war Of onc-half
tue Confederacy; the disarming of one por-
tion of it to arm the other; the conspir-
acy in the Cabinet to destroy the govern
ment, in which the facile Buchanan has
been so much involved as to completely
demorallzc the man, and destroy ali abili-
ty for prompt and Independent action
events and developments so unforeseen and
incredible, have occurred with snch rapid
ity that we could only regard them with
mute wonder.
All these things, disiointed and uncon-
neCted as they seemed, were entircIy.con-
sistent with each other, and were hnrmo-
niOus parts of wcll-desigued plan, of
which we mt the North have been the quiet
and nususpecting dupes. 1t is perfectly
we'll known by those who have given at
tcntion to the subject, that for years there
has been settled determination III the Gulf
States to break up the Union, from which
they were thoroughly estranged. The uI-
terror object was the formation of a grand
Slave Empire, to embrace the islands in tho
Gulf of Mexico and the territories facing
it. This plan has long been the absorbing
idea at the South. For time its sue
cess seemed probable, nnder the aus
pices of Walker, but he failed from
the defective qualities in his own charac.
ter. AT one time Gen, Qnitman was near
hcndinga forny upon Cuba The fall
are Of the feeble Speditions sent ont
'bottt tt7tUg g8uuA aud sett,ti
only to excite and consolidate tte sen.
timept on which they were based, and TO
turn attention i'll another direction, from
which adequate means might be obtained
for expeditions fitted out on much more
imposing scale. The first step of the con-
spirntors, consequently, wns to seize upon
our oWn Government, and either compel it
TO abet their ends, or to plumber it TO an
extent that would disarm the Northern,
and arm the Southern States, and supply
all the means not only for defensive, but
aggressive warfare. The election Of the
feeble and compliant Pierce wnS the step
ping stone to their entrance to power,
which was fully secured to them by the
appointment of MIR, jefferson Davis, who
for life-timc had been determined dis
unionist, as Secretary of War. This gen.
tleman was the master spirit of the Ad-
ministrntiou,s as he is now of the present
Secession movement. The composition of
Mr. Pierce's cabinet did not suffer the con-
spiratOrs to go further than to mature their
plans.
The election of Mr.. Buchanan followed,
and we now know that his nomination was
effected upon the express assurance of CO.
operation and sympathy with the extreme
Southern sentiment. CoLh became Sccre
tary of tue Treasury, Floyd Secretary of
War. and Thompson of the Interior
Everything in the Government was ar
ranged to suit their designs. The Presi-
dent was Al supple tool ia their hands. So
were the other Secretaries. But events
clearly indicated that the power was grad.
uplly slipping from their grasp. Douglas
became the inevitable candidate for the
Democracy, and his election must be de-
feated Mt all hazards. The disruption of
the Democratic Party was to follow. and
with it the secession. of the Southern
States, and the inauguration of tho new
Empire. The emergency of the crisis de-
manded energetic action. The leadership
was assigned by general consent to Mr..
| Davis, who, by virtue of his Chairman.
ship of the Senate Committee ON Mil
itAry Affairs, possessed great power.
and thorough acquaintance with all tb &
military men and defences OF. the country.
With m impndence which, from its daring,
loses much of its baseness, the head quar-
ters OF the insurgents were transferred TO
West Point, at which Mr. Davis spent tile
Sumner months ms Chairman of a Com
nltteei of Examination of this post. In
persnance Of the programme laid down,
Mr. Floyd commenced the transfer of arms
and munitions from North to South, which
were placed in exposed positions where
they could be readily seized. The forts
were purposely left ungarrisoned and de
tenceless. To supply such means as the
official relations of.Mr. Floyd did potallow
him to steal, he commenced the Issue, ON 4
vast SCALE of. his acceptances, nominaIly to
contractors for transporting of Government
stores, which, being supposed TO be O6IIga-
ttons of Government, were eagerly pnr.
chased in the Northern States, where eapi-
tai was abundant, In this way the militarv
chest Of the New Confederacy was to be.
and has been, to q considerable extent,
supplied.
An equally important step was a thor
ough manipulation OfEthe Army, the off,