The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-11-16
TnE Hon. joins: nLINoR norrs.

In Richmond applied to his friend, Mr..
Charles Palmer, for all the Information
he could furnish him upon the question
Of secession and the rebellion, the mer-
its or dement's of which he did not un-
derstand. Upon this request being
made, Mr.. Palmer applied to Mr.. Bolts,
who he was we'll aware was far more
competent to enlightenIhis friend upon
the subject than himself, or, indeed, any
other gentleman in the South. There
upon the Information desired was fur
nished in letter, which contained, in a
condensed form, the important history
constituting the basis OF the present
work. Since 1851, time and circum-
stances have led to an enlargement of
the history, and the views it presents
have been enforced by additional ar
guments, and the facts related substan-
Iiated by incontroVertiblet testimony.
Shortly after this letter was sent to
the French Consul, it became rumored
about Richmond that MIR. Bolts was
engaged in writing secret history of
the rebellion, and, as a matter of
course, the Confederate authorities
were soon trying to ferret out the truth
of the matter. For some time nothing
of any importance in relation to the
subject transpired. On the first day of
March, 1852, however, the Confederate
Congress passed an act suspending the
writ of hdbeGS corpus, and declaring
martial law. The next morning, which
was Sunday, about an hour before day.
break, the late General-then Captain
-Godwyn, Assistant Provost Marshal
Hnder General Winder, (of Anderson
vile memory, with a hundred armed
men, surrounded Mr.. BoLts's house,
obtained admission, arrested him in
bed, and carried him off to filthy ne
gro Jail, where he was lodged, and kept
in solitary confinement for eight weeks,
his house and family in the mean
time being placed in the custody of
two of General Winder's satellites.
After his arrest, his trunks, writing
desk, and every receptacle for private
papers were closely searched, and his
private letters and papers taken pos
session of and carried to the Provost
Marshal's office, were they were exam
ined. Mr.. Bolts knowing how ObnoXi-
Gus he had made himself to the Confed-
crate authorities by his bold, outspoken
hostility to the doctrines of secession,
and also to all engaged in inaugurating
the wicked and atrOcious rebellion, had
concluded-as soon as he heard of mar
tial law having been declared-that he
would probably be among the first vic
tins of their vengeance, and he had
taken the precautiOn to conceal the his
torical sketch in question in a place
where the rebels would not be likely to
find it, and through the medium of a
office of one of the foreign Consuls for
safe keeping until called for.
Two days after the imprisonment of
Mr.. Bolts, Captain Godwyn, who was
acting as his jailOr, presented himself
in his cell, when the following CONVEX
satiou occurred. I'D
After interchanging the ordinary sal
utatiOns, Captain Goodwin remarked to
Mr.. Bolts that he thought they did not
get hold of all his papers in their search.
Mr.. Botts-Ah! perhaps not. Did
you miss any particular paper, Cap
tain, that you had reason to expect was
there2
Captain Godwyn-Yes; there was one
we did not find that we were led to be-
lieVe was there.
Mr.. Botts-Indeed! And what paper
Was that, Captain?
Captain Godwyn-Well, don't know
exactly how to describe it.
Mr.. Botts-I expect 1 could tell you,
Captain, what it was. Are you really
anxious to get possession of it?
Captain Godwyn-Well, yes; should
like to get it. Where is It?
Mr.. Botts-AhI that you must find
out for yourself, Captain. You had no
difficulty in finding me, at midnight,
and you will have to find that for your
self. But, IT you are very anxious to
get it, you shall have it, but only on
you get it.
Captain Godwyn-what are your
terms2 ~
Mr.. Botts-My terms are that YOU
shall bring me the affidavit of jeff. Da-
Wis, sworn to before Judge Halliburton,
that, upon my delivery of that paper
to you or to him, itshall be transferred,
without alteration or mutilatiOn, to the
editors OF the Enquirer and Examiner
for publication, just as it came from.
my hand; and, to show you that am
not afraid or ashamed to let your Gov
eminent or the world know what have
written, l will accompany the docu.
ment with five hundred or thousand
dollars to pay for the expense of publi-
cation. ti6f-#
Captain Godwyn-It must be a livery
Important paper that you will give SO
much to have made public. What is it?
Mr.. Botts-I presume you know
what it is you are in search of, but if
not, you shall know. It is the secret
history of this rebellion for thirty years
before 1t broke out. gll5
Captain Godwyn-Why are YOU SO
anxious to have it published2
Because" replied Mr.. Bolts, rising
from his seat and advancing toward
the Captain, at the same time shaking
his huge fist within few inches of his
face, and speaking with great vehe-
mence in voice and manner, "because,
by Heaven, sir, If the people could read
1t and learn the truth, it would lead 10
a revolution iDithin TeUoEution in
which could take active part ~
Upon this the Committee rose, and
the Captain departed to report progress
and ask leave to sit again.
During Mr.. Botts's imprisonment.
the French Minister, Count Mercier,
visited Richmond, and expressed to the
friends OF Mr.. Bolts great anxiety to
see him and converse with him on the
subject of the war, as he had great re-
lance on his views. But this he was
not permitted to do. From this fact it
may be justly inferred that the French
Consul had previously communicated
some of Mr.. Botts's views upon this
subject to the ambassador at Washing
ton; at all events copy Of the letter
was placed in Count Mercier's hands
curing his visit to Richmond, and that
the document made an important inn
preston in that quarter is not at all
Improbable.
Mr.. Bolts prefaces his book with a
few remarks, in which he claims strict
fidelity to historical facts. He traces
the rebellion for the thirty years in
which he had watched the growth OF
the spirit which animated 1t, and ex-
plains the cause and results of the ac-
ton of politicians, as they conspired to
bring on the late dreadful war. John
G. Calhoun he names as the author of
secession and describes the contests Of
Jackson with him. Then he dweIls at
length upon the slavery question, the
Southern Commercial Conventions, the
Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Ne-
braska Bills, and the events which