Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-05-09
tFor the Free Press.l
THE SOUTHERN REBELLION.
IY ONE WHO HAs SEEN II.


No. !.
| H,sus. Editors Of The Free Pres:
! The Great Rebellion was not a sudden and spon-
taneOus movement of the PsoPl. of the States now
in hostility to the Governm eut Of the United States
The political leaders Of South Carolina and Ct the
South Carolina School determined on Secession
long ago. They desired disunion because they
perceived that the uneIampled prosperity and
progress Of the North would deprive them of pow.
er and in time render the South politically insig
nifcant. As an Instrument to their end, the Or
der Of the Knights Of the Golden Circle was insti
tuted, or as it is commonly called 'the X. G. c..
l have been told by members of the Order. that il
was founded by Gen. Quitman, and that its object
was to project and advance, by Il possible means
tie interests Of the South-not of the United States
hut Of the Sou tn. 1t spread over the whole South
numbering thousands among its members, many
of them men of wealth and influence. The Eli
buster expedition under Lopez against Cuba, was
said to be organized and conducted By this
order and it Is probable that aker's expedition
to Nicaragua and the Border Ruffan operations
in Kansas, were carried on BY the members Of this
Society. do not know by shat ceremonies and
fearful osths, the members Of the society were
hound to each other but one thing is certain that
no member Of the order betrayed it. Even res
pectable men, when on,e indaced to join it, seemed
at once t. cast away all principle aad sense Of
hcncr The character and influence Of this rider
is but little understood in the North, and shall
refer to it again.-stating here, however, that
without this organization, I do not think more
than three or four States, at most would have Sc
the X. C. Cs was estlblished, that town was lost,
aGi the States Of Kentucky snd Maryland wouli
certainly have seeded, If the X. C. C's had been
allowed a little more time to establish chapters
and enrol members. These are the men who CON-
mitted SO many acts of violence in the South in
the first part OF this trouble, and no one v no has
seen and known Of 50 many violent deeds commit
ted by them, as I have, will any longer doubt that
the President elect would have been murderer in
Baltimore, if he had gone straight on as they eX-
peeted.
All arrangements had now been made and made
WIN inc EItAlt1 ehAAA-lAlt luUllc euAClELL-
ly excited and the people thoroughly deceived
It needed but little more 10 FIRE the train already
laid, and produce an explosion which would dis
member the government A Northern President
must be elected. whom they could call an Abo-
litionis;-nsme most hateful o. all Southe.ners.-
They therefore broke u5 the Charleston -cnveu
ton, so that Nj. Liacoln's election might be
derei certain. There much rejoicing among
the real secessionists, over Mr. Lincolns election,
as among his sincere adhcreuts a, the North. In
many southern cities there we're publ; manifesto
tions Of this rejoicing. Mr.. Lincoln i an
lboIi.i-nist, said they: The party has tri-
umphei whose object is TO destroy our institutions.
deprive Us Of our slaves and set them free among
Us. Ii there were differences Of opinion before,
they can exist no longer. We must leave this
detl-ci Government-Hroteet ogr iasdtutiols-
preserve cur rroperty-anl uphold o-r honor
The Northern Press and People were misreprc-
seutei-czciteI orstors continually harluguei
tie poople-ald Plmphletsfull Of stirring appeals,
persuasive arguments entieing prophecies aad
v.niic,irc misrepresentation, found their way
to every mans door. South Carolina led tie way
in rebellion, as all expected, and other states soon
flloEoi. as many did not expect.
What rc.ei b. als ate viii be, for the most
pa5t. what myself have seen and heard, especial
ly endea, ring to avoid all exaygeration. From
the time of Mr. Lincoln's nomination, until
after lis election, was absent from the United
States, and Of this period know little and shlll
say nothing. Returning, remained in Texas but
a few days, and observed nothing very alarming.
The pc pie were greatly excited, but they are eI-
cited easily and the same had happened before
The X. G. Cs. were extending themselves wonder
fully, and establishing chapters in country and
months before that they intended great ezPedi-
tion to Mexico to conquer and take possession Of
that wealthy country. Among the uninitiated
this was supposed be the object Of their organi
zltou. Al Union men thought the storm would
b.oF over and tina, in a few weeks perfec, calm
would be restored. They we're not aware Of the
thorough preparation aad fixed determination 90
break ur the Union
At this time I wen, to Florida ami remained
there t,so or three months. On the journey thitb-
er the evidences Of coming secession increased In
Texas Lone star llgs were flying often, and at
one Ice 1000 men, infantry and cavalry, were
drilling They reekone themselves a match for
a. llas; 5000 Yankees, and it was sid (malicaus-
ly perhaps that these 1000 men were drilling
with tie intention Of capturing New York City.
In Louisiana, ALBANIA and Georgia, matters
had progressed further, and se,essonists already
looked upon disunion as fac; aceomplished.-
They knew their own resources. When c9nven-
tions we're called IA these States, and delegates
were elected, th.re Union party called by
that name. They called themselves the Coo. era
tion party" They insisted that the southern |
States should cooperate with each other to settle
the Slavery question with the North forever, ard
remain in the Union, if possible with safety, and
they added, is the South must separate from the |
Union, let the whole South 90 together. 1t was
the sane thing as the Union party, though bear |
ing another name, and all their opponents knew |
it, and said SO. Alex II. Stephens now rebel |
vice president the leader Of this party in the
States above mentioned. The election for dele |
gates TO the Florida convention had just been /
hell. The secessionis;s had a majority, though |
all the Western Counties elected Union men by |
large majorities. Every one of these Union
went to the convention and voted for seeession-
came back home secessionists, and never gave any |
account therefor to the constituents they had be-
trayed. And here must say something Of these
Southern inventions. In the first place there
was tor the most part, no fairness in the election
OF delegates. AaoW there was not in my own
State, and have heard Union men from different
States say the same thing. The Union men were
not organic d-snd in places where K. @. C's
held sway, they could not organize-the secession
lists perfectly organized-numerous-
overwhelming -ferocious. And besides, the
notice Of the election given only a short time
before the election itself, and there was no time
for organization Of the Union men. The others did
not need time-ihey had been organizing for