Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-11-20
The Conspiracy on the Frontier.

The first report of conspiracy to seize boats
on Lake Erie, rescue the rebel prisoners
about 1000 in number and mostly officers
on JohnsOn's Island, and to follow that up
with general RAID along the shores of the
lakes, plundering and burning Buffalo, Cleve-
land and other places down to 0gdensburg,
was received by the public with great incre-
dulity. Many regarded the story as mere
hoax from beginning to end. Though it does
not yet appear that the general burning and
plundering was fixed part of the plan, there
is reason enough to presume, If the essential
part of the conspiracy-ri= to iberate the
johnson Island prisOners-had succeeded.
that the plundering and burning to some ex-
tent would very naturally have followed.
The unprotected condition of our entire
northern frontier would give an opportunity
for mischief which daring and reckless men
would hardly have failed to seize. The scheme
having failed, and the plan of the conspirators
having been exposed and preventive measures
for the future taken, some of the Canadian
papers-we notice in particular the Montreal
Commercial Advertiser, which has been from
the beginning an open advocate Of the re
bel cause-talk plainly, and no doubt know
ingly, of the object, progress, and causes of
failure, Of the conspiracy. The paper re-
ferred to justihes the conspiracy so far as the
intended release Of the rebel prisoners, and
their restoration TO rebellion as its object.
OF farther schemes it processes ignorance,
only saying that the leader in the
business was left, after the release of the
prisoners had been effected, to act on his own
Judgment so far as future operations were
concerned.
1t appears that rebel steamer, the R. c.
Lee, took some of the conspirstors to Hall
fax with cotton enough when sold to furnish
money for the enterprize-thst other con-
spirators in small squads and at different
times and places made their way into Cana
q, where they were aLie to recognize each
other by private signals and countersigns.-
Their number, their private whisperings
and movements and their frequent inter
course with notorious rebel adherents in
Canada, awakened the suspicious Of the au-
thorities and the fact that they were gra-
dually moving off towards the north shore
OF Lake Erie was an index to their intention.
An order from the Gov. General of Canada
to allow no boat to go out of the Welland
Canal into Lake Erie without thorough
scrutiny of ali on board, communication on
the subject from the Canadian authorities to |
the Mayor of Buffalo and other officials on |
this side OF the lines, through Lord Lyons. |
the British Minister at Washington, to our
Government, joined with the detection at
Johnson's Island by our commanding officer
there few days ago, of large number of /
guns concealed in secret tunnel, reaching
from the prisoners encampment to place
q the woods near the shore towards Canada.
blew the whole scheme to pieces.
The conduct of the Canadian authorities
appears to have been very commendable IN
III this business and the people.on both sides
# the lines have reason to congratulate them
elves thata conspiracy has failed, which If it
lad been successful could not have failed to
mbroil pretty seriously the relations of the
wo governments-saying nothing of the
amage which might have been done to our
,rge frontier cities-and perhaps have led
he way to detriment, to which the bare
scape of 1000 rebel prisoners would have '
cen trifing in amount. q