The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-01-11

told him this would never do; spoke also
to others present in remonstsance, and
to the men who were starting to stop,
which they did Then John r. Davis
joined with me earnestley, in urging the
abandonment OF the plan oil squads alto
gethsr. Jeremiah Stiles at onco agreed TO
this, and the rest assented. 1t was con-
cluded that the men should 60 home and
do nothing further, and ifthe soldiers came
up and conducted themselves properly,
they were to be kindly treated. l advis-
ed this and it was agreed to. The squads
we're broken up and never met afterwards.
The people dispersed and went home =
sisting the capture Of drafted men. When
the soldiers arrived afterwards they were
kindly received and we'll treated by the
people, Is far as know.
The foregoing is a correct statement. in
substance, of the Rantz meeting and Of
my connection with it. 1t arose from the
reports in the neighborhood above mention
ed, and it sHslly broke up and adjourned
in the manner have described. My COP
neeton with it was, mainly, to oppose the
forming of squads and to advise the peo-
pie to go home 1t is true | had a pistol
with me which had been accustomed to
carry and bad procured for a journey
to the western country short time be-
fore.
Second: The secret meetings Of Clabs
in 1868, sixteen months before l was ar
rested, is the other point involved in the
prosecution against me. And [ will proceed
to state nv connection with those meet
ings and their true character.
The first meeting l attended was in
March 1861 think early in the month
at the Ash School House a man
named George HadIey was there and
spoke. believe he resides iu Wyoming
County. At the end of his remarks he
proposed the organization of a Club, and
that those who were willing to JPN il
should remain. The Society was organ
ized as the ''Uniou Club, 'and it was some
! times called Democratic Club. The oath
wa. to support the Constitution of this
/ Commonwealth, aud Constitution of the
/ United States, to msista;D fellowship to-
geiher, and not reveal the signs of recog-
milton. There were signs of recognition
! by which the members should know each
other. He represented it was an orgaui-
cation in opposition to the Union Leagues.
There wa. no oath to resist conscription,
nor was any such object proposed. In fact
there had then been no u S. draft. nor
am certain that the first conscription law
had been passed. I became member at
that time along with twelve or fifteen 9TH
| ers.
subsequently attended other meetings
in and near Benton township, ss follows i;
At the McHenry School House at Still
W ater at the house of Peter Kase in
Benton where a speech by Senator Dou-
glas was read at the Cole School House
in Sugarloaf; at the School House near
the residence of Abraham Manning in
Jackson; at the house of David Crossley
in the town OF Benton, and also at my
own house. mean one meeting at each
OF these places. also attended one or
two additional meetings at the Ash School
House, which is less than mile from
my residence, These. were all the meet
iugs | ever attended, and they were all
! Z Id in March, April, and May, 1863
| have attended naae since and | know
of none, nor of any Society, secret or
open, succeeding them. The meetings
died out those concerned got tired OF
them and they were dropped. From be-
ginning to end they were purely party
clubs; the meetings sometimes secret and
sometimes open; and there was no obligs,
ton, purpose or thought connected with
them of opposition to the ConscripsioD
Law or any other Law whatever.
The foregoing statement concerning the
Ran'z meeting aud The Political Clubs OF
/ 1863, is sustained by the testimony of a
number of citizens whose voluntary afids-
Wits accompany the present paper. The
witnesses are men of standing and cred-
it, 10 whom the facts are well known aud
who correctly recite them. 1t remains
only TO add, that there never was actual
resistance to United States officers or
troops by citizens in the Fishingcreek
country and that the stories circulated