The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-08-22
From Harper's Weekly.
Important Political Movement.

important political movement which has late
ly taken place in this city, and which is like
ly to exercise no small influence upon the
destinies of the State and the Union. 1t
seems that few evenings since select par
ty of bankers, shipping merchants, politicians,
lawyers and editors met in private room at
one of our hotels, and resolved to organize a
new party, to be known as "The Antediluvi
ans"
I A prominent merchant observed thatin his
opinion, things had been going from bad to
worse for many years. The encroachments
Of the executive were becoming intolerable
witness the execution of the martyr Gordon.
For his part he believed in leaving trade en-
tirely free, and if man chose to import ne
groes from Africa he saw no objection; it
was notorious that the spiritual condition Of
TIE slaves in South Carolina was far superior
to that of the negroes in Ashantee or Daho-
mey. He went in for saving souls where he
could. He thought the legislation of the Uni
ted States rotten, and advised recurrence to
the old colonial laws under which his ances-
tors in Rhode Island had done uncomrfonly
well for several generations.
An editor, in rising, wished to say that he
was in favor of the prosecution of the war.
But he wished it prosecuted with some regard
to humanity. He was opposed to the she'd
ding of blood, especially of the blood of our
brethren in the slave States. He could wish
that Gen Mcclellan should be directed to fire
several volleys with blank cartridge in the di
recton of Richmond, after which a deputa-
ton should be sent to jeff Davis to offer him
the reversion of the Presidency on condition
Of peace. His blood boiled when he thought
of the number of slaves who lad escaped
from their masters during the present war
He understood that Gen Lee, whom he was
proud to call his friend had lost two valuable
slaves. Why were they not returned? Was
the government common thief lie was
not church member himself, but he had a
friend who went regularly to meeting, and
who informed him that in Deuteronomy
Here the speaker was interrupted by a boy
> who came in with list of our killed and
wounded at Fair Oaks, which the editor be-
gan to copy for his paper.
A lawyer remarked that the authors Of the
war We're the people of New England, and
i that they were the real disunionists. A pop
/ ular impression existed that it was the peoI lie
! of South Carolina who fired the first gun in
o the war. This was mistake. 1t was Mas.
sachusetts which sought severance of the
Union, not South Carolina. He was bound
> to admit that the former had sent a few mel
to support the President, while the latter had
o despatched her volunteers against Washing
! ton. But appearances were often deceitful
q The South Carolinians were whoie-souleC
people, incapable of dishonest dealing =
h whereas he knew from experience that thu
n New Englal ders were rogues. He had ;
/ case
He was called to order by the chairman
4 who remarked that while he was glad to hea
c. that their friend, the lawyer, had got cas-
le at last, it had nothing to do with the obec
'r of the meeting. They ad met there to Sc
ID if something could not be done to stem tn
n tide Of human progress and civilization
N which was sweeping before it the time-hon
ored prejudices, abuses and wrongs to whic
O. they all naturally hung. He would call upo
at his neighbor, the banker, to ventilate his {
e. pinions.
he The banker remarked that the great trout
n lie in the country was the want Of an estal
k, lished aristocracy. His friend, Lord Thins
Sc umbob, had told him so when he met him
is Pail Mall, and he was convinced of the fac
an At the South, now, the large slave-ownel
constituted an arstocracy-not so solid ;
W might be wished, he confessed, as many
nv the young men of the South were apt
ba gamble away their negroes, He had himse
81, won yellow girl at poker, and sold her S
u weeks after for $4,000 Cha! ha 9-but still Il
.n South had an aristocracy, and this was Il
secret of the superiority of the Southel
men to Northerners. He was decidedly
favor of the organization of rev party
" the North based on sound feudal principle
90 He thought the United States required h
7"' reditary aristocracy selected from the. :.
So bankers, merchants. 80. bankers, lawyers. =.
ION lo,, bankers, men of property, &c. If a plank
nh this effect were inserted in the platform oft
ing party they might count him in.
A politician congratulated the meeting L
.ew on the soundness of the views expressed
fell the speakers, and the firm front they prop'
.he ed to present TO the pernicious heresies of
ar n.' day. In the present disastrous crisis of t
ght country he had taken this side some til
ODE SINCE and proposed to stand by it. He v
till :, ,ror of tho war Ru, after the war
wanted the statu quo ante Jellum absolut
restored. He hoped to see his friend Sc
. e,o ~ tor (now generaD Toombs, of Georgia, in
Sur. place in the United States Senate; his f.ie
al correspondent Senator Mason, now
NC sent in Europe at the head of the state &C
Mr.. mittee on foreign relations ; his old acqus
|" oi. tauce Mr. Jefferson Davis, restored to the c
wn- troll Of the committee of military afa