The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-01-09
The Secession Conspiracy Dates Aac"
Over Ten Years!


The following facts connected with the has
tory of the Southern Rebellion have recenti'
come to light in pamphlet published in review
of the last speech of John C. Breckenridge il
the United States Senate. They show mos
conclusively that Secession was not first tho
of in the autumn Of 800. nor consequent upor
the election of Mr.. Lincoln They are interest
ing items in the history and record CT passing
events:
Secret bit powerful efforts to dissolve the I'm
I'm have been made in the Cotton States since
1851 but on the 7th of May, 1S49, under the
ins,igation of Calhoun. then the Chief consplra
or, meeting was held at Jackson. Mississlp
pi when the Secession party formally organlzsC
To form a Southern Confederacy upon the hrs
act of the General Government on which they
could base pretext. They there laid dowr
their prog, anime which the conspirators OF OF
and '6l have faithfully acted out.
After the death of Calhoun in 1851, Senator
Davis and his confederates in both branches o
Congress, agreed upon provisional act, sketch
ing a constl urion for Southern Confederacy
He managed by intrigue, TO have himself nam
ed az its President This document and thu
pi oceedings of the nspirators found their wa,
into the hands of Mr.. Clay, but under such cir
cumstances as forbade any public use OF It.
In the morning debate In the United States
Senate, Mr.. Clay made frequent and pointed
personal illusions to Davis, in order to draw
forth some remark which would Justify its pub
lie use but Davis, undou btedly suspecting hi
motive. sudiously avoided giving him the op
Dor tunity. That Constitution was similar to thu
one the traitors have now adopted and it spec
tally provided for the acquisition of Cuba, Mexi
CO and all tropical America.
Gen. Quitman, however, was the recognized
leader of the disunion party, and his correspon
dence, as Governor of Mississippi, with the
D, ointment conspirators, especially in Soutf
Carolina, fully illustrates that programme, anc
developes the treason movement OF this day.
Writing TO Gen. SeabrooK, the 29th of Sep
TENDER Of that year (l650) he said;
Without having fully digested programme
measures which shall recommend to the Leg
lsiature,it may be of service to you to know thai
propose to call regular Convention to take
INTO consideration our Federal relations, with
full powers to annul the Federal compact, estab
!ish relations with other States and adapt oul
organic law to such new relations
Having no hope Of an effectual remedy for
existing and prospective evils butin separation
from tie Northern States, my view of s: ate &C.
ton will look to Secession
ON TIE 28TH OF SEPTEMBER, GOV. M'REA
OF MISSISSIPPI:
al have not acted without first looking at the
ground before me, and l take the privilege o
cnmpii nicatng TO you in confidence, hu> early
n hasty programme of our future movem .nts. -
FIRST, then, believe there is no effective rem
edy for the evils before us but Secession.
My idea is that the Legislature should cal
"A convention of delegates elected by the people
fully empowered 10 take into consideration oul
Federal relations, and to change or amend them
to adapt our organic law to such relations as
they might establish 10 provide for making com
pacts with other States, and that in the mean
while an effective military system be estab ished
and patrol duties most rg'dy enfpiced.
% In the mea NTH every patriot should leave
no point untouched where his Influence can be
exeIted Cheer on the faithful strengthen Mt
,oeak. disarm the subnttsssOnttss, send a fiery
cross through the land, and serd every galan
son OF Mississippi 10 The rescue"
GOV. sEABRo0K TO QUITMAN. 23d of Oct ober
1850:
LET me, however, reiterate the assurance
that South Carolina is prepared to second Mis-
sssippi or any State in any and every effort
TO arrest the career of corrupt and desputic
\ ajoriry She is ready and anxious for an i'm
mediate sepa, alton from Union whose aim
is The prostIation of our political energies. Nav
hope Mississippi will begin The patriotic work
aud allow the Palmetto banner OF place III the
ranks" s
GOV. sEABRooK TO QUGTMAN, December IL.
1889.
{" / candidly confess to you that | am advo-
eating the immediate action of the Legislature
in order TO sugges It the list Monday III Dcce "
Der next for the time, and M0atgomerE, Ataba-
ma as the place Of the meeting Of Congress. l
am reiulced that the House resolved to sugges
10 our Southern sister States the propriety Of
meeting IN Congress at Montgomery on the end
day Of January, 1852.
For arming the State $3.50, 900 has been put
At the disposal of the Governor.
shall be happy to know that the time and place
Of the proposed Congress will be agreeable to
Mississippi.
1t Out movement be seconded by her, have
good reason for the belief that Alabama Florida
and Arkansas will soon follow the patriOtic ex-
ample"
QUITMAN TO COL. JOHN S. PRESTON, SOUTH
CAROLINA, March 29,h, 1851.
:.
"The plan proposed by the address of the
Central Committee which | have forwarded to
YOU is that the Committee demand redress for
past age ressions ami guarantees against future
assaults upon our rights, and in the meantime
to provide for meeting our sympathlzlDg sister
States in Southern Congress. The proposed
redress ia.
|. A repeal of the law suppressing the slave
trade in the Federal District.
2 Opening the Territories to the admission
of States.
g. Conce ssion of California south of 50 deg,
80 min
The guarantees to be, amendments to the
Constitution explicitly to protect slavery from
hostile interference by Congress Or States, and
to restore equal taxation, dIrect and Indirect
In case the redress aud guarantees be refus
cd. the States TO make iorm' propositions to
he South for separate Confederacy, aud to
mite with any number of them suihcleut to Sc
cure national independence.
There are may OF us who beheve-lndeed.
are we'll ASSURE that neither tile majority in
Cuncress nor in the non-slavehuldIng States,
will assent to either of these just propositions,
unless demanded by the Southern States with
a nnauimity not 10 be expected; but still we
think the propositions are due ou' coniedertteS
before we part with Them
:. Il concur with you III The opinion that the
,o,ai,v of the slaveholdng Suites is incompat-
,nle with the present con:ederation,as construed
AND acted ou by the majority and that the pres
EN- Union and Slavery cannot oexist.
There's no hop, whatever OF united action be-
yuud the Cotton States
:, For my part have long ceased to look BE-
yond the Cotton States for any united acion
JUDGED ! fear that the frontier
States-I mean those bordering On the Free
States will never aba don The present Union,
however great It's expressions, unless rudeiy
driven from it by The North, or forced to choose
between SJutnern and Northern Cuiifeder T.
cy! There is even DANCE, IN case of South
EN- Congress, that Virginia, uniting with the
o.her sayehulding States now disposed to sub
uIt, will attempt 10 force upon Us some new
compromise To preserve the shade" Ut the Un-
ion u hen the substance is gone.
- t. therefore, the people OF South Carolina
have made up rheir minds 20 Withdraw from h.
Union ut ali eve is, whether joined by other
States or not my advice would b, TO do 80 with
1ut waiung for the action of any other state n,
| be leye hare would be more PROBABILITY VI
tyJfADle action pn the part Of the S"u'ne'h
States, alter her secession than before % long