The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-04-16
Treason In Pennsylvania.


to light a conspiracy in the couaty of
Berks, the avowed object of which Is to
cause the overthrow eft the Unired States.
When we read tie narrative of. the affair,
it was with hope that the. evidence
would relieve US from the terrible impress
ssion that it conveyed, but no one can read
the plain and circumstantial account of
Mr.. Lyon without alarm and modification
We are. introduced to an organization
which meets in barns, Will: signs, pass
words, and grips, evidently acting in
communication with a higher power,
protesting to have associations in all parts
Of the country, and having for its arowed
object the abduction of The President
armed resistance to the law, and the
overthrow Of the Col mcnt. 1t is
possible that Mr., Lyon exaggerates some
portions of his narrative, or places too
much Importance upon trivial occurrences,
but >there is sad and wretched truth
running through his story that gives US
sorrow, and from which we cannot escape,
He describes meeting that took place on
the 2lst OF March. 1868, in barn Of
Jacob Zellar, in Marion township, Berks
county. By those mysterious agencies
known to the profession, Mr.. Lyon had
obtained knowledge Of the meeting, and
secre'ed himself under the straw. La the
course Of tho evening hundred men
assembled. The barn was first searched,
and pickets thrown out to prevent discov-
cry or surprise. A Mr. Huber, who is in
custody, led the conversation. According
to Mr. Lyon, who was his concealed
listener, che denounced the war as unholy
and unjust; he said that the society was
million strong; he stated that it was
first organized in the South that the
society had signs, passwords. and grips J"
and then we learn that he administered
the obligation, and that eiglty-three
members joined during that evening.
1t Is possible for hundred men to
meet together in barn without incurring
any particular amount of guilt. 1t might
be excused under the theory of its being
Democratic mass meeting, for such
meetings have suggestive similarity to
the assembly in the barn. But we find
the evidences of reasonable conspiracy
too plain to be explained away. The
picke;s, the precautions, the grips, the
obligations sworn upon the Evangellsts,
are all evidences Of conspiracy ard guilt.
Then We have the atrocious creed WHICH
binds them together. They declare thess-
selves to be In favor of ''the abduction OF
Abraham Lincoln By force, if necessary
s.of' Northwestern Confcderacy the
resistance of the draft or the 'ConScription
Act" These are the fundamental prip-
ciples of the organization. The main
object seems to be the resistance Of the
draft They would try the constitution
ality Of the conscripticn act, and, failing
in that, use force. This is the practical
part of the whole conspiracy, and we hear
in the barn of Mr. Cellar nothing more
than the echo of more celebrated oraces.
This phrase about testing the constitu-
tionality of the conscription act, and fail
ing besiEe the courts is familiar TO US
from men more powerful than MIR. huoer
or his associates, end we dwell upon it
as IN evidence of the sympathy that
uniies the enemies of the country against
the Administration This arrest is a
painful thing to Us as Pennsylyanians,
but it is a warning to US as Americans.
We have so often warned and implored
the people-we have so frequently exposed
the danger and begged them to prepare
we have so often shown the crininaity
and treachery of these men, that any
further reference to it becomes the weary
repetition of twice-told tale. This morn
ing we give the facts. Citizens, the time
has come to mark these enemies of the
country, who meet in barns'and hidden
places to counsel anarchy and rebellion.
This spirit oterime is not confined TO the
barn in Berks county. 1t ascends into
loftier places, controls council chambers:
aud drags justice from many an executive
chair. 1t now crceps into secret halls,
and deiberates like pirates in a cave. or
assassins in an ambush Mr.. Huber may
have made mistake when he spoke of
million of men joined in bis mysterious
organization, or the words may have been
the encoura cement of leader to his par
tisans but the defiance he manifested,
and the success he obtained, show that he
is the representative, or the instrument,
of mig hitter organization. That organ
ization must be overthrown before we can
contemplate peace and triumph. Let us
take warning from the developments of
this morning, and do our part in this just
and loyal duty = Tie Press. -
POPULARITY OF THE CoNscRIPTIoN
LAW AMONG THE SoLDIERs.-The con-
scription law is as popular among the sol