The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-08-22
The Secession Conspiracy.


June 26th, TO Hon. Horace Maynard,
that well known loya!ist, has just been
given to the public.
DEAR SIR: l take pleasure in COM
plying with your request to give the SUBJ
stance and, az near as possible, the Ian
guage Of Mr.. --, of Louisiana, in
conversation which occurred between him
and myself about three weeks before the
last Presidential election. l met with
Mr.. - off the cars, some miles be-
You'd Jonesborough, Tenn, In October,
1860. He was then returning to his
home in Louisiana, from the city of
Washington.
by accident, took seat Immediately
Lehind the one occupied by Mr.. -,
when he at once turned round, and began
to make inquiries respecting the pros
poets of the different candidates for OBJ
tanning the electoral vote of Tennessee.
He expressed great pleasure when | as
sured him that Breckenridge could not
possibly obtain the electoral vote Of this
State and his reasons for it will give
you as near as may he in his own words.
am glad" says he, " that Mr.. Bell
will get the vote of Tennessee, although
cannot vote for him. am Douglas
Democrat, and | am Fastening home to
see what can be done to prevent my State
from casting i $ elcc oral vote for Brock
inridge. ! have been in Washington
since the LIST day of July, aud tell you
now, Sir, there is at this moment, on foot
at Washing on, the most damnable con-
spiracy to break up this Government that
was ever known in any civilized country.
| do not speak from hcarsay, sir, for /
have been in their caucuses almost night
ly for the last hree mon his, and | know
The programme from A to u And it is
this If they can by any means (Which
is utterly impossiblel secure majority
of the electoral votes FOR Breckenridge,
then the scheme is as soon as he is inaug-
urated and put in possession Of all the
resources OF the Government, to divide
the country along Mason and Dixon's
line, the Ohio river, and 20 deg. 30 MIN.
nor.h to the Pacific Ocean. In other
words, they lend to cut loose from all
the free States, aud to build up great
slave confederacy in the South, and to
accomplish this purpose they will use all
the resources of the Government proper.
But should they fail in this, las they
assuredly will,) the plan is for South
Carolina TO secede tirst-the other cot
ton States are to follow. II think he
mentioned the order in which they were
"to 60 OUT" but am not positive y the
Border States are to be persuaded or
forced to join them in their unholy cause,
and then we are to have such civil war
as this world has never wi messed" He
added " 1 had hoped, until - month or
six weeks ago, that Mr.. Breckenridge was
ignorant of all this ma ter but have
had evidence, as clear as the MONDAY
sun, that he is as deeply implicated as
lancey himself; and more than that,
Mr.. Buchanan is into their scheme up to
he 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 conversation which
passed between rebel soldier and my
self, subsequent to the battle of Stones
river, | can only say that he was advo-
eating the propriety of raising the blac'.
jug, and declaring that he did not intend
to take any more prisoners. | replied to
him that war was horrible CROUCH under
any circumstances, but, if waged on the
principle he advocated, the Southern peo-
pie would be regarded as worse than
savagcs. 10 this he replied by quoting
Bishop Polk, as endorsing his views, say
ing, Seen. Polk told the boys, if they
found any trouble with the prisoners, he
he gencraD would not be angry if they
did not bring them in" Whether he
protested that he heard this from Gen.
Polk, or heard it from others, | do not
remember
have written this in great haste, but
feel sure that the facts are correctly
stated. hope it will prove saisfac ory
to you. Your friend, truly,
ALFRED Hoss.