Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-07-26
From Jnbn J.,.. sneeeb. July Z. Istu

From John Jays Speech, July {. lStIl.
How TIE REBELS ACQUIRED THEIR STRENGTH.
Let me say next 4 word Of the means by
which a conspiracy so contemplate in It's
origin. 50 destitute OF moral weight and OF
ropular support. has attained to its present
dimensions ousting the Federal Government
of its Jurisdiction in more than half Of our
national territory to the East OF the Rocky
Mountains, and obtaining possession OF ar
senals and navy yards and tOrtrc5Scs, seven
teen in number, which had cost the Amerl-
can people more than seven mi, ions OF
dOlllIs.
On the Doth October, 1860, before the
Presidential election, Lieut-General Scott
wrote Il letter to President Buchanan in
which hc referred to the secession excitement
which the leaders Of the conspiracy were
actively Anuinr aj the South. and remarked
that il this glorious Union were broken by
whatever line political badness might
cJntrive. there would he ~ hope of reuni-
ting the fragments, except by the laceratlon
and d1>p1tism OF the sword pointing out
the danger, he proceeded t' point ont the
prevention
.'Cr1m Il knowledge of our southern pl-
pulation he said, lit is my solemn con
vIctiJn that there is some danger Of an early
act OF rashuc-s preliminary to secession, VIZ:
the seizure of some or all of the following
posts Forts jackson and Philip in the Mis-
siSsippi, below New Orleans, both without
.arrisons Fort Morgan, below Mobile.
without garrison Forts PIckeus and
McRde, Pensacola harbJr, with an insult
C lent garrison for one Fort Pulaski below
Savannah, without garrison Forts Monl-
trie and Sumpter, Charleston harbor, the
former with an Insufficient garrison, and the
latter without any and Fort Monroe, Hamp-
ton Roads, without a sufficient garrison. In
nv opinion all these works should Immedla-
tcly be 50 garrisoncd as to make any at
tempt to take any one Of them, by surprise
or cJup dc NAN, ridiculous.
"With an army faithful to its allegiance
and the navy probably equally so, and with
a Federal executive for the next twelve
months. of Grmness and moderation, which
the country has right to expect-mOdera-
tion being an element Of power not less
than frmness-thcre is good reason 70 hope
that the danger or secession may be made to
pass away without one conflict Of arms, one
execution, or one arrest for treason
we'll. we all know, that what he recon-
mended Mr. Buchanan to do, an honest exc
cutive might have done. Again and again
in the history of our country have attempts
been made to resist the execution OF the laws
and again and again has the Federal Govern
ment triumphant, by vindicated Its Supre-
macy.
The first armed rebellion was that headed
by Shay in Massachusetts,. IN the winter OF
1877. The rebels attempted to seize the
arsenal, and were met with cannon that
killed three and wounded another OF their
number. and the state militia, under the
command of Gen Lincoln, routed their
forces, taking many prisoners, and peace was
restored not by any compromise, but by the
enforcement of the laws.
As n Lincoln suppressed the first insurrec-
ton, so will Lincoln suppress the last.
You will readily call to mind other similar
occasions where the Federal Government by
prompt action, maintained its supremacy
unimpaired.
| First came the W hisky rebellion in Penn
| sylvania during the Administration of Wash
ington, to suppress which the President
called out fifteen thousand men from three
different states, led by their governors anC
General Morgan, whom Washington at frs
proposed himself to accompany across the
Alleghanies.
Next President Jefferson crushed in the
bud the opening conspiracy of Aaron Burr.
President Madison, during the war o.
1914, when doubts were entertained of tho
LOYALTY of the Hartford cOnyentiOnists, who
were falsely reported to be in correspondence
with the enemy, stationed Major Jessup Of
Kentucky at Hartford with a regiment to
suppress any sudden outbreak. Gen. Jack
son. about the same time in New Orleans
proclaimed martial law in consequence o
attempts by The civil authorities to embar
rass the necessary measures of defense.
President jackson, in 1882, repressed by
the arm of Gen. Scott, and amid the hearty
applause Of the nation, the defiant nullifca
tion of South Carolina; and President Tyler
in 1913. with the approval of shis Secretary
Mr. John C.. Calhoun, sent United State
troops to Rhode Island to suppress the stat
revolution organized by majority Of tn
State, but in violation of the existing Stat
constitution, under the leadership of Gov
Thomas w. Dorr.
w hen, in 1860, Gen. Scott, in advance Q
any outbreak, recommended President Bu
chanan to reinforce the forts instead of re
commencing active measures Of interfereu ce
such as his predecessors whom [ have name
did not hesitate to take, he simply asked 0
the President to do what any intellIgen
school-boy could see was absolu ely prope
aud essential-and what he could accomplis
by single word. Mr.. Buchanan, guided b
his Secretary OF War, the traitor and thiei
John B. Floyd, refused to order the rein
forcement of the fortresses all the fort
named by Gen. Scott, excepting Fort Pick
ems, were seized by the Confederates; an
on the fact of their quiet possession, and tn
aid and comfort thus given to the rebels b
the Federal Cabinet, was based the secessio
Of the traitorous States and the formation
the new Confederacy.
The fact thus becomes clear as day. tha
not simply all the strength the rebel Confet
eracy originally possessed, but its very organ
zation and existence, were due not to the pei
pie of the South, on whom without the
sanction it was precipitated, nor to Il
| leaders skillfil as thew NAV have been, wh