Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1863-08-22
SPnlNerIELp, Aug. 5. 1868

i Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribune)
SPRINGFIELD, Aug 5, 1868
J.. Ga the 10th Of June last, O secret meet
ing was held 10 this city by the extreme
peace leaders Of the Democratic party. At
that meeting, learn that it was resolved
to oppose the war at oil hazards, even to
resistance to the Corscriprion, and that it
was decided thereat that peace should be
4 made with the South, the Confederacy nc
( knowledged &c The men who attended
and took part in that meeting were com.
posed (mauy, il not ALL of lhem) Of dele.
gates from the varions *. &. G.. lodges in
/ the. State. They resolved not only to
bring the people up 10 the revolutionary
standard, but 10 control the Democratic
party by committing it to their programme.
On the l7:h Of June, at The mass meeting
here, they succeeded in the latter. under
4 the lead of Singleton, Mahoney and Others
The reason they did not succeed in the
former was o ly on account Of the defeat
Of Lfe at Ge;tyshurg, the cap'u uro of Nicks-
burg, Port IIudsOu, &c; in fact, the
| placing of the rebellion 10 artieulo moriiS
But everything had been prepared the
arms had been oh aimed to as great an cX
I tent Mt possible; the lodges or castles held
stated meetings aud even in some paris Of
the State the hose aud foot, which were
10 tax, part in the great Rebellion Of the
! North, held meetings for drill, &c.
But this was not all. A Alliances were
! formed with the would be ycvoluionisls in
various other State>; delegates, SC, were
sent 10 their lodges and wherever Demo
cratic Governor reigned, ambassadors were
appointed to sound him Ia this way
committee was deSpatche,i.to Gov Sey
IN Jur, OF New York, who SO boldly an.
nounced, in his Valaudigham loltor, that
revolution was already inaugurated ] had
conversation with oao Of the gentlcn N
who compo ed that committee. 1t was
found that Seymour, although with the
peace Democracy in principle, was behind
them in action lie refused 10 openly take
their position From him the committee
called Oh Fernando Wood. lie, on the
other hand, came up to the work, aud
agreed to the proposed plan of action.
| New York was to take the initiation in
open resistance to the Government the
| Conscription, which was denounced in al
vance as unconS itutiOnal, to be the pre-.
text for commenting the rebellion.
| The plan was for each State TO throw
itself upon its independent sovereignty
New York aud New Jersey was to do this
/ through her Governors; the other States
were TO follow their example through the
| h G. q. societies aud the armed Democ.
racy. The ground to DC taken WAS, that
the Administration having failed TO cou.
quer the South, the Union was virtually
resolved into its original elements, aud thus
each state was at perfect liberty to euter
|into new com mbinations There was to be
| formed a North, western Cobfederacy. New
1 England WAS TO be left out in the cold
I&4. New York was TO be an empire in
uself, 81. BIt the future status of the
county @as to be settled by u Convention,
of WHICH the leading peace lnel and X. q.
| C.'s of course, wOuld have supreme Goa
troll. Seymour was expected to announce
the revolution IN bis inaugural; and Storey,
| Richardson, Merrick, G)udy, Fuller, and
IO'Melveny (Properly spelled O'Melvany) J,
who were nearly all here at the time it was
issued, could scarcely wait its appearance
! ITley waited to ceInmtuce the bloody work
at ouce. s e.. ....r ,s,r -.......,.. .....,
| Richardson acknowledd dCl 10 gentlemon
here at that Lime, that The party had got
| beyond his power TO urge it forward or
stay its course iu the direction of open and
armed opposition 10 the Government; that
| Seymour was TOO timid lie wanted a
Gem Fleury, who (says Kiugake in his
Hist ory of the Crimean War; held pistol
TO the head of l. Iuis Napoleon, when the
latter showed symptoms of backing out Of
the. coup d etats. L. will be recollecied
that our Legislature endeavored to in
augurate this Peace Convention, to whinh
| K. g. C.'s and others, to be used as blinds,
| were TO be delegates from this State ~
| -This programme was, no doubt, mag
lniGcent ope. All it needed to insure sue
eeS, was the defeat of our armies in the
deld. Aud. indeed. ifprAyeFs. predictions,
assertions, encouragement TO the enemy
appeals TO the soldiers to desert, depouace
ment of negroes as soldiers and laborers,
enlogium of the enemy, their cauSs, their
| generals, &c. could assist this defeat, il
wotsd have been accomplished. 7'
10 On the battle of Gettysburg hung the
i,fdle of this Government aud the hopes of
RepuElIcauism on earth. There is no doubt
Lof 1t. The horrors of rebellion in The
North, such as the wofId never before wit
messed. mputd have followed oug defeat on
that occasion, .......... -.-.....t,rt.... ......
l Was there ever before woven in the his
tory of the world such a devlish plot a
this? Or was there ever ono that came SO
near success and fuiled OF it? 9'9 2n' ..s
4 odBut as will be seen by he, meeting in
Chicago, athe conspirators have not yet
given up their designs4g They are still as
busy as bees, - weaving their network ol
treason. They aud their papers wide
CAicagO Times and Stale Register still
hope tor sFrepch intervention, or British, OF
both. They thus whistle to keep up their,
and their ace eoHspiratorsI of the South,
q courageo They catch ~, every straw thai
) floats. d They even clap tbelrs hahds Will
ljoy when JEFF Davis arms his negroes
: biBut their most potent argument al pre-
sentis that We are now nothing but o des
, potism; that it will be impossible to holC
} another Presidential election as things nov
sIaud; that the people will be oseraS ed
4 hair rfN N