Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-05-21

The Baltimore Plot to Assassinate
Abraham Lincoln.

lifted from the evidence disclosing the
plot TO assassinate Abraham Liucoln, on
his contemplated passage through Balti-
more, on the 23d of February, 1861
Considerations affecting the personal
safety Of those by whom the conspiracy
was detected, prevented disclosure at
the time. The subsequent assassination
of Mr.. Lincoln, and the. disclosures con-
nected with the trial and conviction of
Booths associates, removed any doubt in
regard to the real existence of the plot.
The truth now may be disclosed, and
the public desire to know the exact facts
upon which Mr.. Lincoln acted, may now
be gratified. The circumstances detailed
in this article are taken from the records
of Allen Pinkerton, the chief detective,
and are selected from the reports written
out daily at the time, by those engaged
in the investigation, and they are believ-
ed by the writer of this article to be
true.
The election of Abraham Lincoln to
the presidency was Immediately seized
upon by the reckless conspirators, who
had long been plotting the overthrow of
the Union, as a pretext upon which to
consummate their designs. They at once
employed all the machinery of popular
agitation to create public opinion, and
fire the southern heart" so that it
would sanction the deeds of violence and
outrage which they contemplated
Through the press, by popular meetings,
public speeches, and in social inter-
course, and in every possible way they
painted the alleged wrongs of the south,
the outrages past and anticipated of the
north, to infame and excite the infam-
mable southern temperament, until the
slaveholding states became great seeth-
ing volcano. Especial efforts were made
to render Mr.. Lincoln personally odious
and contemplate. No falsehood was too
gross, no lie too infamous, no statement
too exaggerated, to be used for this pur-
pose. These means were resorted to
with systematic concert, until the mass
of the people in the slave states were
made to believe that this pure, patient,
humane, Christian statesman was a mon
ster, whose vices and passions made him
odious, and whose habits made him an
object of just adherence.
Maryland, a border state, occupied a
position of peculiar Importance, and
great efforts were made to bring her
within the control of secession. Ennis
saries were sent to her from South Caro-
lima and elsewhere, and nothing left un-
done to secure her cooperation in their
revolutionary movements. These efforts
were too successful; still there were
many bold spirits who gathered around
that intrepid leader, Henry Winter Da-
Wis, resolved to stand by the Union at
all hazards. But majority of the
wealthier classes, and those in office,
with few exceptions, were in sympathy
with the rebellion, and the spirit of trea-
son for time swept like tornado over
the state.
On the 11th of February, Mr.. Lincoln,
with a few of his personal friends, left
his quiet, modest home to enter upon
that tempestuous political career which
carried him to a martyrs grave. With
a dim, mysterious foreshadowing of the
future, he uttered to his friend and
neighbors his sad farewell. He seemed
to be conscious that he might see the
place, which had been his home for a
quarter of century, where "his chill
dren were born, and where one of them
lies buried, no more. Conscious of the
great duties which devolved upon him
greater than those devolving upon any
president since Washington, he humbly
expressed his reliance upon "Divine
Providence, and asked his friends tc
pray that he might receive the assistanc,
of Almighty God"
As he journeyed toward the Capitol
received everywhere with earnest sym
pathies of the people, his spirits rose
and when he pronounced "good bye" tt
the Prairie state, at the state line, ht
said, Behind the cloud the sun is shin
ing STILL" And on he sped through the
great free States of Indiana, Ohio, Penn
sylvania and New York, to fulfill hi
great mission.
There was living at this time in Chi
cago man by the name of Allen Pin
kerton, one of the boldest, most shrewd
and skillful detectives of any country
He had always been thorough anti
slavery man, superintendent of thu
underground r. R." friend and com
panion of Lovejoy and the old guard
of early abolitionists in Illinois. Will
his anti-slavery character well known
such was his reputation as detectiv