Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1866-07-13

began TO appear above the surfsce, snd
visible and vigorous effort was made to
reorganize the party upon the basis of op-
position to the war, suspendiDg hostiiities,
and negotiating the return of the rebel
States TO the Union by giving them new
I guarantees for slavery, and if they did not
succeed, permit them to 60 inpeace. Con I
nected with this were exhibited strong
predictions for aNorthwestefn Coufeder-
scy and it was argued persistehtly in their
speeches and papers that'the interests Of
Indiana were exclusively with the slave 3
States, and whatever could be was said to
texcite prejudice and hatred against the r
States in the East. @ zaTI9siIg'ef b. lri r
| The first Convention held in the United
States after the beginning Of the waFwas
in this city, on the sth Of January, 1862,
wherein the Demoeratie leaders resolved Q
strongly that the people Of the North %ereH
wholly to blame for the existing conflict
and should be compelled to do the South
Justice, which would bring il to an end
During the spring and simmer Of 1862
the reasonable order Of the "Goldeu
Circle was extensively organized in yar-
ious parts of the State and the fact was
presented by the Grand Jury in the Dis
| trict Court Of the United States. The
Epresentment pas published; bat the truth
Of il was vehemently denied by the men,
bers Of the order and its Paftissns every
! where, and the witnesses who lhad testif-i
! ed TO it freely charged with perjury Du.
| ring the summer of thisgyear the Union
army suffered its greatest disaster under
the command Of Mcclellan, on the Pen
insula, and the rebels and their allies in
the North, flushed with victory, were ex-
cited with brilliant hopes Of final success
| IN the struggle. The loyal men Of Indi-s
ana, depressed by disaster, watched the
progress Of the fight with intense interest,
and spent their time in recruiting for the, !
armies and providing supplies for the sick
and wounded, while Democratic leaders
gave themselves upwholly to .electioneers'
4 ing, the circulation of slsndssous odocu-a
ments against the Government, and spent
their money hvisbiy IN every possible
way to carry the election. In this they
were aided by Confederate agents, with
Confederate funds, for It was well under
that great battle for the rebellion was
about to be fought at the polls in Indiana.
The election IN October almost went by
default so far as the Union party was con.
cerntd and the Democracy succeeded sbya
majority of nearly 1O,OO6 in the State
No sooner was the election over than it
WIS given out IN Democratic papers that
the military power. of the State would be
seized out of the hands of the Governor
by the new Legislature, and that The In
diana Legion, which had been organized
/ for the defense of the border, would be
dissolved and deprived of their arms. m
About the first of December it was dis
covered that the Order of the @Golden'
Circle had been introduced by Democrat
lie politicians into the camps in this city,
: and number of soldiers initiated. This
!, created the greatest alarm both here and
lin Washington, and the most vigorous
measures we're resortedto to put down and
{ Ieradicate it from the arn5I LThe princi-
/ lpsl witness who first divulged It's existence
, lin the camps was soon after missing, and
! has not been heard of sinceby bis friends
) Tor families aeiisf ,i'rE9 rot sesnoH fi".t
{ 1.-THE session of the Legislature, the Jan.
+ uaFy following, was distinguished in the
. beginning by the most revolutionary and
! Insulting measures. The message Of the
) Governor was returned to him bythe ma
: iority of the House, and q resolution pass
D / ed accepting the message of Governor
: Seymour, of New York. Resolutions of
!, the most incendiary and reasonable chat
+ acter followed each other in quick success
4 sion, and the brief time Of the session was
| consumed by the most violent and inhaiii-
p matory speeches, denouneing the Govern
ment and the further prosecution Of ths
!, war. W ~ h.ii1H '..@tl'1eAi a'ts'n @
' Soon the Military BILL with awhithth
9 Governor had been thFsatens6 was intro
! ddced by the chairman of the COMMITTEES
1 on Military Affairs, and the first vote ta-
) ken upon it demonstrated the fact that the
/ Democratic party In the House wssa
; unit IN its favor. II took from the Gov
s ernor all fpower over the military aid trans
9 ferred It to the four State officers, viz -
: the Auditor, Treasurer, Secretafy Of State
g and Attorney General, three Of whom
s were members Of the Order Of the Gold
? en- Circle, afterward known as the Sons Of
9 Liberty II gave these officers The custo-
{ dy and control Of the arms, and the appoint
4 ment Of Central officers dissolved the lr.
i, diana Legion, and provided for new or
4 ganization, which .Sas to be- under their
!. exclusive control, Tt Is true. IL left the
: Governor the appointmeht Of an Adjutaut
General, but it stripped this Adjutsnt Gen
: eral of all power and transferred it 70 an
! other, to be appointed by the four State
officers. The bin was in every feature in
violation Of the Constitution Of the State,
!, establishing military provisional govern
, ,, ment, was intended as Legislative revo-
! ! luton, and had It passed would have
\ produced an immediate and bloody civil
, war. twas put ahead of every other i'm
portant measure on the calendar, was put
through from one stageto another under
!, the gag of the previous question, and its
5 final passage was defeated only by the
!, withdrawaloft the Union Members from the
: House, thus leaving it without quorum.
2 The very pendency Of the bill created the
y most intense excitement throughout the
State, and seriously threatened the pub
: lie peace, and had it passed the House,
no doubt was entertained but what it
would have passed the Senate. To see'r
. In few days the Legislature adjourned
: having made no appropriations to defray
! the ordinary expenses of the State Gov
ernment. The benevolent institutions, the
penitentiairiites, and other important mat
ters, were left wholly iunprOyided for, and
( it was confidently predicted by the reyolu-
tionists that all these institutions would BE-
suspended, and the wheels of government
!, blocked generally, unless the Legislature
!" was called back in Extra session; but in
: this, as in many other things, they were