The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-27
AlashriIlg sanlon.
VIZ. CAMERON q CO., Publishers.
WEDNESDAY,. sEPTEMBER p. 1855.
Feminine Copperhead Diplomacy.
I,rrsox Miss semi. IL


Several times since my arrival in Jsckson,
hsye heard essual auasfns in cougersa-
eou, and % fAe sirtet cornefs. o. a ciregel-
stance "a the bisiarv ol ihs war, uhich I
had never seen published, bat ] was never
able 90 lrsce these rumQrs toany felisble
source. = haVa sacceellai finally. however.
in finding one who has furnished me the
details Of the affair. as given to him by al
eYe-wuness and participant therein. sui-
hae = b sdy that my iniormaui s. Q gentls-
man with whom I am Well acquainted, and
ia Whosa reliability have the highest con-
fielee-. The oeenreuce, as was narIliea
10 ne, was as follows
Immedia, ely alez ths fall election in ls62,
when ilc ednparheads. in conseqeenrs oi
the general gloom and dependency follow
ing di-aster 10 our arms, bsd carried impof-
tant eiectiona In The Northwest, the wife 81
Dick kiehardsen, copperheaa Repre'enia-
tive from Illinois, suddenly msde her ap-
peAraaue iu tins eity and rsquesiea an M
terView with aterii1g Priea, ttien ID CONF
mand here she camo through tbe lines at
Nickshurg, and, cal ing upon Price a. his
headquarters ID She State House, represented
That She came With authority ir0ni the Dem-
ocratic party Of the West and Northwest to
open sneeolatious with the Genlederacy,
looking to Q union OF the two sections. As
voucheosl for her authority, ane as guiran-
tee that she wss setting IN good faith, she
gave him The names o. certain distinguished
Western Politicians Whose names have hg
ured largely he the annals Of the 6olden
Circle, and. in addition. th'ss Of many Fed
eral Generais. some ot whom have uUn for
themselves no little repttaton On The ie.d,
and, whose names, If pub ished in his cor
ncction, Would excite Q sensation Of painful
surprise throughout the North. So well
satisfied was Price Of ker sincerity and toe
importance If her mission. that Be at once
telegrsphed 20 General Jos pm r. Johnslon
10 come to Jackson 9nd listen 10 her propo-
ssls. He aid 60, and o second interview was
held with her. at which were present Gen
erai Johnston and Major John Tyler, Of
Prices staff. At that meeting she mada
them two distinct propositions;
First, That he seeded ststes should
abandon their rebellion and retain 20 the
Union as Is was. The C0ngressmen from
the West and North-west Va re TO guarantee
to them an the rights they claimed, the On
iorcement Of the Fugitive Save Law, the
holding Of slavesin The Territories, &e, III
of which they wera 70 mai atain Il the East
should dissent, ~ force Of arms.
.-esIn case this was not accepted,
Second, That tho Western and North
western states should JOIN the Confederaey.
accepting their proslavery constitution and
JED Davis as pre- ideut, provided they were
not required % accept slavery in them Own
stsfes, except a. the viii eli their people.
This new cuufederacy oftne South and West
Il vas expected would meet with no opnosi-
ton from the Easl, and iu ease It did, their
nuited arms were expected 20 prevail The
secret military organizations Of the West
were pleiaei tohrilIg into the field a sufh-
Il az
at tbe South, while the United rebel arny
would easily overpower the East
So iupor ant DID these propositions ap-
pear 10 Gen Johnston, that be gave Ms
Richardson passes aud letters 20 Richmond,
to procure an audience with JEFF Davis. lie,
however, regardt q the scheme as visionary,
and with one pretext after an1ther, post
psned the Audience Tor tssoOr thrs cmenths,
uotl she became d.sgusted and returned
home.
When it is remembered that the evidence
collected by Judge Advocate Holt showed
the Kuignis of ihe Golden Circle 10 be CON
posed Of 5eo. 600 able.bodied men, Of wnom
500 900 were srmed; and that the acceptance
of lha seooua propesHpp, as aeoge, weuld
have br0ughi over the na1s eotiled delaey
several able Federal Gene als, it VII be
seen that this woman's project was no idle
dream. NAV say here that several inteilj-
gent rebels who had been led into this Sc
cret Of this plot, have unwittingly expressed,
in conversation, their disgust at this iresh
uroaf of Jeif DAVIS obstnacy, adding that
The results would then have been far difer-
eut from the present, wEich opinion is
shared by Federal oiiicers. What The result
might have been, wi not conjecturei let
those who sre curious 20 Follow such uncer
tain speeulaiions, pursue it further. No
lover Of his country eau repress o hudder
rs he eonfemnlates, from a safe distance,
the vavninr chasms over which our be-
loved country oacc toppled. This fact alone
should confirm our belief in the ''maniiet
de s.inf' a tle great rePubiic thst an un-
doubted minority Of its adult lnhahitanta
hrve been permitted and enabled 10 save 10
from destruction as the hands OF a mai7lity-
Cor. Con-. Com.