New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-06-16
THE CHICAGO CONSPIRACY.
Yam n. Atlantic Mouthly for July.

49, the ayccate OF the United States disclos
me tho existence e widespread conspiracy at the
Vast which bad ior rs object tie oTer'lrcw OF the
Union. The conspiracy, the Report s'aed bad mill
s.ry organization. with commsndeg.inckef General
sad subordinate oficcri and 700 0o0 eurosd members
sS bound 10 blind obedience 10 the orders of their su'
..r,ors and plesged 70 take up ANS sgqrs. any
Eoye-nment fund wa ing war against q peope eD
heevoring TO establisA government oil theT own
shOee.'
de TO the Union ard fendly 10 the socalec Conedef
scy; and ts ultiinat. offsets we've general Iisng Id
Missouri" ana siTri.ar "risng in Indiana CLIO;
Illinois and Kentucky. IN cooperation with hebel
so<ce which 10 Invade tie iast-nal'e1 stare.
sts1ting and incredible as the report seemed ,oe
nothing but the Truth. and it did not tel me who's
hrth Il omitted 20 state that the orean2ff'on vas
psrned in Bieh,nont that its operations were on.
fscted by Jacob Thompson WHO was IN oaau" iVI !
that pGrpose ard that wholesale robbery sison s'd
p;dnight assassin ston among its designs
The point marked ont for the first attack was Camp
Yonrlsy nj Chiorgo The 900 Rebel soldiers coatred
Msre bene hhe,Sted and srrned 10 he joined BY
&c Canadian refugees and Missouri 9 But'erAuts ell
ssged in their release, ead tue OoO ana more meAusrs
Gthe uessouable order resident In Chicago ms
Sprce Of nearly 20 90 pen. would be Nucleus about
wbeL the coLspirators ia other paris oi
InOi. eSpd sass and seng sHfa Sy .SG
he order from other States. would form an army
Sxa1red thousand strong. So fully bad everything
esr foreseen aud provided Tor; Una, we Gs'os rnn
pected 10 gather and organize this vast ecdy OF men
xithin The space of q fortnight The United states
sonll bring into held force capspe OF withstand
ing the progress Of such an army The CONSEQUENCES
would be that the whole character OF the war would he
sheDge6-its thcnor would Da SHIFTED from the border
10 tie heart Of the Free states anu W % ne
So of dis confidently counted on by the
Rebel leaders tue outbreak OF hosiites wouu nave
What saved the nation from being drawn into this
whirlpool OF mint Nothing but the cool brain, seep
less Vigilance and woTdsf sagaci! % one mnp
Aom field duty because Of disability, but commissioned,
fyerily believe BY rovidepce itself to ferret out ana
Si this deeperlaid "mersfrsau anu "ie ;s
1)tber men--and woua 3D. too-were INSTRUMENTAL IN
dragging the dark n'euy TO ighti put ,he! aisu 70
tthom its tp eno inity. and 20 discover s point oi
srtb.eak He did that; and he ihrottied The tiger
when about TO fprng, and deserves tue lasting graf
kude Of his country How he did II propose 10 tel IN
Shis paper II is marvellous tse 1t Will read more
NE romance Il an history: but calling 10 mind what
good once said to me. Write the tr9tl let pco
ole doubt il they WILL" shall narr3te the facts -.
There Is nothing remarkable In the appearance VI
tAis young man Nearly six feet high. he has an
erect military carriage, frank. manly face and
NILS every inch soider-sueh soldier as
would stand ny 81 day in asquare hand-to'hand neht
With an open enemy; but the keenest eye would dect
n him 10 Indication OF the crafty genius which ceghtS
70 follow the winGings Of wlckedDess when 6rro" ing
b the dark. But if Lot Iouche or Vidocq he Is
certainly able man; for in section where ate men
Ae plenty sppo.bOssoms IN June, he was CHOSEN
torepresel lis district III tie state Senate and enter
ing the erny snbaltern officer, rose before the 5attie
q Perrvv lle 20 the command Of regiment. At that
Satte Rebel bullet entered is shoulder and crushed
the bones of his night elbow This disabled lin for
4eld duty snd so il came about that he assumed the
Neht blue of the veterans and on the second day VI
Hay 1854. sroeeeded Gen Orme IN command u the
military post at Chicago ,..,., ... -,,.,
stands sort CT mute sentry. the front gateway Of
Camp Douglas. the new oonfnandant as YVES natural
tc0ked about him. lie fonnd tie camp-abou 90 acres
q fat sandy soil inclo>ed by q tight board fence, an
inch thick and IA feet hehhad garrison Of but two
snIy zoo men fit Tor dutv TINS small force guard
tng + 0O0 Rebel prisoners, one thiId 81 whom were
Texas rangers ana gnerrll!as VINO hdd served indef
Norgan-wild reckless Characters fondor Of fight
Than Of dinner. and ready for any enterprise how
ever desperate that held out the smallest prospect OF
freedom. To add to the seeming insecurity. nearly
every Office in the camp filed with these prisoners
They served out rations and distributed clothing to
oheir comrades. dealt out ammunition to the guards
and even kept the records In the quarters ~ The
Il the prisoners, not the prisoners in charge Of
Che prison This state Of things underwent sud.
Gen change With TIE Exception Of a very lew, whose
characters recommended them to pee llsr conhdeice
~ were at once placed where they beionged-on Tie
A postoffce was connected with the camp and lsi'
next received tie COmmandants attention Lvori
about IT appeared 10 be reealar a vast nuIuOsi OF
letters care and ve1t, but they all passed ulsedrI,
ard seemed TO contain Eothne cOntrnband. Many oi
tkem however were short epstles on long pieces Of
PAPER o curious circumstance among Iohaetis
with whom stationery was scarce a"d SIeehDecfs
we're sver-penty. Ore saitry dey IN June. lie
Conmandant buiaed fire. and gave these let
Sers warming. aud loi presto tie white specs
broke into dark lines breathing thoughts blacAer
Nnan the 1nld that wrote thetn Cmp"ra >ioOhs WINS
pered 70 bis wife. away down IL Texas The ioftle OF
July is comm Sukey be man, fur In gVine 10 ee
ebrate I'm gwire up loike 2 rocke! ct does come
down loKe stick And Sergeant Blower ssiu 70
John Ccppcrhea I'D Of Chicago, Down In old Wig nny
fused ~ iiitk The fourth OF July lnnbng but this
prison has made patriot. Now. Ia IKE 10 burn M
Ill fired sight Of powder and II you help, abc God Is
wiling shall do IT," IL similar strain wrote hall
score OF them ..4 .
Huch patriotism seemed altogether too worty 10 be
genuine. 1t told nothing but II darby bl1ted at del
events 10 cone. The ComuaBdent bethoaclt aim that
TIE Democratic Convention would assemble Oh the
Sourth OF July that vast multitude Il people would
eongreyate at Chicago that occasion ana tha III 30
lreGt thIong 1t would be easy for the clans 10 gamer
attack the camp and ibefate the prisoners Lttrpai
vigilance s the price If liberty and the youDg Com
usndant was vigisut. Soon Prson.Square received
Fresh ins'almeLt Of prisoneTs- They we're genuine
.ntternts cot at ire toes al the knees ont at
ehs elbows ont everywhere In fact and Of everything
but their senses. Those they had snugly about tben
They frsnrnzed with Corporal Brooks, Sereeant
Blower and others Of their comrades and soon le rneh
Shat grand pygOts chic display wac arranged 10 come
ct on lndepeude nee. day. A huge bonfire Wah 10 DC
built OUTSIDE and the prisoners were " salute tie Oh
Gag. but not with bank carir ages. .t.
But who was to ligat the ou;ide bonhre' That the
Conmandant set his own wits TO working. 10 soon
ascertsined THAT singular organization existed IL.
Chicago. 1t was called "ihs Sociey 0i tie lllin,
and It's object ret forth by Us pTiLtd Constitution.
was fhe more perfect development Oi tie literary sci
sntifc moral physical and soclnl welfare OF the CON
seryatiye citizens Of Chicago The Comuandaht Knew
n conservative citizen whose Developments was not
peret and he recommended him TO JOIN the
organization The society needed reelnis ana Hlua'
tionfees and received TIC new MeDDtr VIII open ms
Soon he deer in the outer secrets or he order Dut
he could not penetrate It's inner mysteries those were
Spep only eject lew who hsd already atla 10
~peTfsct development of vilainy lie learned eItgD,
tOwcver. TO verify the dark INNS thtown on " 'e
orsouers The society numbered some thoushids o.
members all fully armed, thoroughly drilled, and Iifa
nently waiting sigma 10 explode mine ceeper than