The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-07-31
Those Confederate Archives.

remarkable transaction just brought to
night, IN the purchase for $75, 900 of the
public funds. of the diplomatic archives
OF the Confederate States, said to have
been discovered in Canada, where by
order OF ex-Secretary Benjamin they had
been secreted, and le1 for the last seren
gears In the hands Of some person or
persons unknown. The air of mystery
attached to the whole transaction natu-
rally excltes grave doubts as to the
authenticity OF all the papers thus sold
Dy some person or persons unknown.
through their attorney; for they neither
give any information as to how they be-
came possessed of the papers aforesaid -
nor any proofs of the genuineness of
documents 80 strangely secreted, and
still more strangely unearthed, and sold
to the arch-enemies of the States which
once composed that Confederacy. The
purpose IN acquiring them was to use
them to the injury of the new friends
those States have found in the North.
and to perpetuate the worse than Egyp.
tian bondage to which they have been
reduced since the sham peace which for
seven years has mooked them after
armed hostilities ceased at Appomattox.
Late telegrams give the partial solu-
ton OF this mystery in the statement
that the Administration organs have
issued, or are about to issue, one of these
so.called Confederate State documents.
thus strangely and suspiciously obtained,
which dlvulges plot concocted between
jacob Thompson, Commissioners of the
Ooniederate States to Canada. President
Davis and Mr.: Benjamin. Secretary of
State, to burn Northern cities during the
war through incendiaries sent specially
Tor that purpose over the Canadian
frontier. and that 81 900, 900 had been
gwen thompson for that purpose, who
designs were happily frustrated, as
everybody knows.
The corollary to this startling PROPOSE
ton, of course, is: "These are the
wicked people with whom Greeley and
his party now ask you, the people OF
North Carolina, to strike hands .aoross
the bloody ohasm'-those wicked South.
erners who wanted to burn YOU. your
wives and children in their beds, in New
York and other cities, by the vilest
treachery. Here is Confederate testi.
mony to the fact, taken from the COME.
derate archives themselves, which Proyi
dence-that is, the national pocket-book
has placed in our hands. Great is
Grant! and greater our profits, if we can
re-elect himl"
This is the solution of the mystery:
this purchase is an electioneering dodge
to manufacture campaign documents for
Grant, so as to prop up his failing for.
tunes and lost popularity, by an appeal
to sectional hatred and suspicion of the
South, and a revival OF the fraternal
hate whose fires are smoulderipp into
ashes.
OF all the cruel and wicked things
perpetrated by that party, this is the
most wicked and the most cruel; but go
bare-faced an imposture can only reflect
disgrace on its perpetrators, and do no
harm, save to its fabricators.
The writer of this article can speak
with confidence On these subjects, be-
cause entrusted By the President of the
Confederacy with position and with
duties appertaining to the Secret Diplo.
macy Of the Confederacy, which neces-
sarlly made him acquainted with every
move made in or through the Depart
ment of State, he shared the entire con-
hdence OF President Davis in this regard.
He therefore knows, that although
there Is some truth in the statement that
Jacob Thompson was sent to Canada on
mission connected with Confederate
diplomacy. for the purpose of "agitat-
ing" on and through the frontier, and
that very large sum of money was
given him to use for that purpose, yet,
to the best OF his knowledge and belief,
no such villainous and cowardly plan as
that which these pretended dispatches
revealed, ever was conceived or put in
execution by him, or communicated to
President Davis or Secretary Benjamin,
and met their approval.
Nay, more; when, after the war, on
his return from Europe, whittier he bad
been sent as diplomatic agent of the
Confederacy, the writer of this article
referred to these designs which had been
widely disseminated during the war by
New York papers. in conversation with
Jefferson Davis, the ex-President most
indignantly denied any completely or
knowledge in such infamous plots or
proceedings. and branded them as pure
fabrications. No one who spoke to him
on the subject, and saw the fash OF his
eye, and the Indignation the charge ex-
cited, could doubt the innocence Of the
ex-President OF all completely or know
ledge OF so vile treachery. With MIR.
Benjamin the writer never conversed on