The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-11-02


hope of n successful result is based
upon the enlightenment of the peo-
pie, and their giving that heed de-
mandcd by the importance of the
questions involved.
One by one the old links that con-
meet this generation with those of
the past, become severed, and the
living witnesses of some of the most
important events in our nations his
tory are borne away from our sight,
and their lips arc closed forever,
and all their recollections of the
years that have fled and arc lost to
us.
Probably there was not another
man living who was possessed of so
much information concerning the
inner history of our country and its
administrations, for the half century
Immediately preceding the late re-
bellion as was Hon. Francis p. Blair,
who has just departed this life at
the ripe old age of SO years, at Sill
yer Spring, about eight miles north
of this city in Maryland, where he
has resided since 1916, shortly after
the accession of James X. Polk to
the Presidency From 1920 to 1915
he was closely identified with poll
tics, serving with the Wings during
the canvass which ended in the de-
feat of Henry Clay in 1928, but af-
forwards leaving that party. In
1929 President Jackson invited him
to the editorial chair of an admin
istration paper to be published here
CThe Globe which he accepted and
until the retirement in 1915 at the
request of President Polk, he was
cognizant of all the intrigucs and
private plans of the Democratic
leaders.
After his rctiracy, his house be-
came to greater extent, the rem
devious of leading men, and many
political schemes have without doubt
been concocted beneath his roof.
In 1860, he being a strong Union
man, aided in the organization of
the Republican party and fully sus-
tanned President Lincoln during the
trying period of the rebellion, his
son Hon. Montgomery Blair, being
Mr.. Lincoln's first Postmaster Gen
cral.
When the rebels visited Mary
land under General Jubal Early, in
July 1864, the column nnder the
immediate command of Gen. Breck-
cnridgc, formerly Vice President
under Buchanan, halted on his farm
"Silver Spring" and destroyed the
family mansion, by fire. 1t is said
that Breckenridge had often been
entertained beneath its roof when
a guest there before the war, but
he permitted its destruction.
The Pennsylvania State Republi-
can Committee have struck the rebel
"kcy-notc'of this campaign. They
say, "Thc confederate army is far
more united to-day in the new effort
to seize the government than it was
fifteen years ago in the mad effort
to destroy it. They arc still aided
by their sympathizcrs in the North.
They have concentrated the strug-
gle upon the single issuc-the rec
olution Of the Government They
sink every other question out of
sight, and thus they "teach as or
duty" And our keystone friends
have struck no 'unccrtain sound"
1t is well known in this city that
there is an organization, with it's
qualifications extending to every
town and hamlet in the South, care
fully organized in corps, divisions,
ETC., that can place 100000 organ
lied and equipped troops in the
Capitol of the Nation within thirty
days! That it has it's agents and
spies in half the houses in this city,
and all through the Departments.
That, as in '61, an order could not
leave the War Department for any
direction with any greater celebrity
than it's duplicate would be forward
cd South; that there are in short;
spies on all hands, and any effort on
the part of the Government to call
for aid would be thwartcd, if not
smothercd, until the Capitol was
seized, Government overturned, and
legitimate power oustcd from place.
Such is the intent, and such are
the preparations. TO quote again:
"Shall they (the rebcls) recover IL
x what they lost on the battle
field in conflict with the people they
betrayed" Or is the North pre-
pared to trust traitors with the
Government for which they paid
millions of treasure and thousands
of lives, knowing that such conf
dencc will be betrayed for baser
uses than it was in 1861? We will
accept "peace and unity" but not
the sullcn compliance of the re-
strained convict. We want other
guarantee of the good faith of those
lately in rebellion than the assas-
sins knife and the Democratic rifle
club. Till that is given see to it