Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-07
sousheFn PIots to Destroy Northern cities.
A nnnd dnaI a aaid ahnnt r,lnla rnnnrted 70

EomNnfEu Eloth 70 DeHANuN lNNENuNEu ONlNtHs
A aood deal is said about plots reported TO
have been discovered to burn the cities of
New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, by
first cutting of the supplies Of water, and
then setting them ON FIRE ct various points;
aud apprthensions are entertained that men
have been sent from the South 10 these
places 10 carry out the project,
There Il great deal of loose talk as to
what msy be done in such matters; and
" thout any regular conspiracy to which
tie Confederate Government is a party
there are a. plenty of desperate characters
Throughout The South who would willingly
erpaee in such enterprises, and find in their
contamination the kind Of reputation which
they covet.
Two or three weeks ago, the same style of
conversation was prevalent among the loose
population of Kentucky, in respect to Gin
cinnati; and before the departure Of Captain
Desba's command for the South, the pro.
gramme Of the proceeding was laid down as
ifit was thing to be accomplished. A piece
Of ordnance planted on the neighboring
Kentucky hills would, il was said, with
few discharges, destroy the Water works.
and a red. hot shot fred into the receivers of
the gas mandatory would blow up that
concern in a space of time intellectually
short Indeed it was said that--the gas
once ignited-the oonhsgration would follow
the pipes in which it is conveyed through
the city, blowing up the streets and setting
tlE houses on FIRE wherever they traversed;
end many of our people-ignorant of the
conditions under which gas becomes COM
bustible-were under a good deal of appre-
hension lest they should be blown out Of
their beds, and started on an involuntary
journey through the atmosphere without
warning to make preparation for the voyage
I'VE may as well say here-for the COM
fort of such as entertain these apprehen-
sions-that there is no danger Of the city
being blown up by setting the gas on fire at
the works. Gas only burns when it comes
in contact with the air of the atmosphere,
and can not run up tubes in which nothing
but itself is conveyed1
"0ur Southern brethren" as we are wont
bumorOusly to call them, do not, on the
whole, appear to entertain toward us the
feelings which have-perhaps erroneously-
been thought to appertain to the fraternal
relation. They cut our throats with as little
Iemorse as they would perform a similar
service for a porker; and put our necks in
jeopardy in manner as business-like as if
they were operating upon chicken. 1t is
indeed surprising with what amiable calm
ness they can bring their minds to contem-
plate the overthrow of a score or two Of
Northern cities, and the massacre of two,
three or four millions of inhabitants.
&Still they are our brethren. We know
they are by the free and easy way they treat
us. No people would take such liberties
with strangers. Born of common an
cestry, educated under the benignant infu-
ence of the same institutions knit together
by thousand ties of interest, affection and
consanguinity, mutually bound upon the
same glorious voyage in search of the high
est civilization and the most perfect liberty"
we are probably to take these plots to per-
petrate murder and incendiarism, as simply
the modes which they in their wisdom,
have chosen to advance the common cause,
and secure the common destiny. 1t would
4 fie more convenient, undoubtedly, to us, if
~ would select some other method to
tsslify their kindness; but we should not,
perhaps, complain of the form while we
have so lively an assurance of the substance.