Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-08-12
THE SECESSION CONSPIRACY.


letter, dated Nashville June 18th. to Ho
race Maynsrd, that well.known loyaIist ha
just been given to the public It's facts ar,
| important:
DEAR SIR take pleasure in comply ing
with your request to give the substance and
as near as possible, the language ofMr. =, Of
Louisiana, in a conversation which occurred
between him and myself about three eeks be-
fore the last President ial election. / met
with Mr.. = on the cars, some miles beyond
Jonesboro, Tenn, in October, 1860. He was
| then returning to his home in Louisiana, from
| the city of Washington.
By accident, took seat Immediately be-
hind the one occupied by Mr.. =, when he at
once turned round, and began to make inqui-
rIes respecting the prospects of the different
cand didates for obtaining the electoral vote of
Tennessee. He expressed great p leasure when
l assured him that Breckenridge could not
possibly obtain the electoral vote of this State;
and his reasons for it / wil give you as near
as may be in his own words. 81 am glad -
says he, .'that Mr.. Bell will get the vote of
Tennessee, although cannot vote for him.
| am Douglas Democrat, and a,n Fastening
home to see what can be done to prevent my
State from casting its electoral vote for Breck-
inridge. | have been in Washington since
the first day of July, and l tell you now, sir,
there is at this moment on foot at Washing
ton the most damnable conspiracy TO break up
this Government that was ever known in anv
civilized country. do not speak from hear
say, sir. for have been in their caucuses al
most nightly for the last three months, and
know the programme from A to Il. And it is
this: If they can by any means (Which is ut
terly impossibl,) secure a majority of the
electoral votes for Breckinridge, then the
scheme is, as soon as he is inaugurated and
put in possession of all the resources of the
Government, to divide the country along Ma
son and Dixon's line, the Ohio river, and SO
deg 80 min. north to the Pacific Ocean, In
other words, they intend to cut loose from all
the free States, and to build up a great slave
Confederacy in the South, and to accomplish
this purpose they will use all the resources Of
the Government property. But should they
fail in this, Gas they assuredly will } the plan
is for South Caroina to secede frst-the 9TH
er cotton States are to follow Il think he men,
toned the order in-which they were ssto go
OUT" but | am not positive j the Border
States are TO be persuaded or forced to Join
them in their uuholy cause, and then we are |
TO have such civil war this world has new |
er "itnessed.' He added 81 had hoped ,un-
til month or six weeks ago, that Mr. Breck-
inridgc was ignorant of all this matter; but |
have had evidence, as clear as the MONDAY |
sun, that he is as deeply implicated as Yancey |
himself; and more than that, Mr.. Buchanan is
into their scheme up to the eyes,
/ have given the above statement in almost
the identical language used by Mr.. - The
whole affair was of so startling nature that it
made deep impression upon my mind and
none Of the facts have slipped my memory.
In regard to conversations which passed
between a rebel soldier and myself, subse-
Iuent TO the battle of Stones river, | can only
say that tie was advocating the proprIety of
raising the black flag. and declaring that he
lid not intend to take any more prisoners. |
replied to him that war was horrible enough
lnder any circumstances, hut, if waged on the
principle he advocated, the Southern people
would be regarded as worse than savages. To
his he replied 10y quoting Bishop Polk ,as en-
iorsng his views, saying, ssGen. Polk told the
boys, if they found any trouble with the pris-
'ners, he (the GenaraD would not be angry if
they did not bring them in.'' Whether be
orofessed that he heard this from Gen. Polk,
,r heard il from others, do not remember
have written this in great haste, but feel
'ure that the facts are correctly stated. l
lope it will prove satisfactory to YOU
Y our friend, truly, ALFRED Hoss.