Worcester daily spy., 1861-12-12
A SIGNIFICANT AvOwAL.

that which comes Out IN Tue recent LnessdSe vi
Gov. Letcher, at Richmond. lie states Il at
long before Virginia "stceded," he was dill
gently preparing for a war on the federal gov
ernment. He bought arms and ammunition
mounted cannon, and made every preparation
possible lnder the circumstances. At the be-
ginning OF the year, some two months before
MIR. Buchanan went out OF Office he hau
a purpose to seize Fort Monroe. con the olIl
day of January" he says, he consulted prom
inent military men OH the subject, ana "ouih
have seized the tort then, il it had been posi-
bic for him 10 capture it. OF course the 10
torious tibet, Floyd, while secretary OF war, was
quite willing to assist him, but did not see
how he could DO it at that tine, without rou9-
ing the country, and raising a eommouon
in the cabinet. His battied attempt TO
give up Fort Sumter TO the South Carohnlans
led 20 his retirement from Office. Moreover,
when Gov. Letcher sought to get possession
of Fort Monroe, Virginia had not "seceded,
and it was by no means certain that she would
do so, and this embarrassed the operations OF
the conspirators. Nevertheless, if Floyd had
still been secretary of war on that 18th Of
January" Letcher might have secured the
fortress.
1t will be remembered that Gov, Letcher
was, at the lime, supposed by most stpeople at
the north TO be Union man aud not inclined
to go with the disunion conspirators. 1t was
supposed to be an advantage 10 have him gov
ernor OF Virginia instead OF Wise. And after
the "8th of January" named he undertook to
lecture the legislature of New York on what
he considered the bad and dangerous policy Of
pledging money 10 uphold the Union. Certain
resolutions of the legislature Of New York;
pedging money and men to defend Washing
ton and the Union, had been transmitted TO
him. and he became quite earnest against the
agitating fanaticism Of such auiicipations of
war with disunionists. This was by many
considered the morbid anxiety and sensitive
ress of a southern Union man, and treated
like similar utterances of Mr. Grittenden and
the Louisville Journal. After that still uneX-
planned and mysterious occurrence, the pas
sage OF secession ordinance" in Virginia,
secured doubtless by appliances OF terror, it
was supposed by many that Letcher went
with the disnnionists unwilingly. We under
stand him better now.
1t seems that this Gov. Letcher was one Of
the earliest, most Stealth. iA pocritieal, and
perfdious traitors in all the laud, preparing
war, plotting to seize fort Monroe, and deep in
the conspiracy to seize Washington, while
saying with an apparent tervor OF indignant
unionsm, that New York would endanger the
Union by proposing to aid III resisting that
conspiracy He must be false and dishonora-
Bile through and through, in every particle
of his blood and bones, as well as
1t can not be said Of Henry A. Wise that he is
a detestabe hypocrite. The secession con
spiracy can not furnish more faithful repre-
sentative Of its real spirit and character than
this Gov. Letcher, unless it be the thief Floyd,
who is an indescribably mean knave, but, after
all, not such a hypocrite as Letcher. Chiva-
ry indeed. The country has seen enough
of it. Mason and the rest keeping their seats
in the senate as long as possible, in order to
draw pay Floyd, Cobb, and the others plot
ting treason, stealing arms and munitions of
war, robbing the treasury, and preparing war
Oh the Union, while holding the most npor-
tant places in the government, and even using
the great influence and facilities OF their places
to strengthen conspiracy. Chivalry Hon
orable men forsooth. The rottenness OF such
manhood is rank and smells to heaven
Even in February, after the election was
held in Virginia for delegates to the conven.
ton, Gov. Letcher wrote letters to persons in
Washington, stating thai majority of Union
men had been elected, aud uuering congratu.
lations on the result; and this fact was tele-
graphed over the country as a hopeful sign.
We presume lie could describe the process by
which that Union majority was afterwards
or by some other agency Of the conspirators
and a vote for secession forced through
1t was not honestly done. The great
difficulties encountered in the attempt to
force Virginia out of the Union very greatly
embarrassed the plans of the traitors; and
this, with the firmness of Gov. Hicks in Ma
ryIand, undoubtedly saved Washington.
Letcher could write the secret history of all
that trouble, although at the time lie was not
supposed to be SO closely connected with it as
he now coniesses. Jefferson Davis and the
other traitors from The gulf states, ett Wash.
ington confidently expecting to be there again
very soon at the head Of a revolutionized and
reconstructed" government and Letcher
might have sent TO Washington a complete
account of their secret plans and expectations,
when he wrote with such apparent eagerness
to announce Union victory" in his own
state.
How long it has taken Us all 10 comprehend
that the southern slavery extremists really in
tended SO much misehefl That they were
actually in earnest in their attempt 10 destroy
the government and break up the Union seem.
ed impossible to many, and even now there
are in the loyal states political "peace men"
who talk as though nothing were necessary to
stop the war and restore the Union but gen
era adoption of hunk rism Oh the slavery
question, or something Of that kind. With
those perjnred and most unmanly traitors
the slavery question was only pretext.
What they want is political power, SO secured
to them that no majority, no weight Of num-
bers, can disturb their possession Of it. They
despise free institutions and vulgar major-
ties;" and they have undertaken this rebel
lion to break down free government and gain
such a monopoly of power. They understand