The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-08-29
THE REBELLION.
A Minister'S Sermon the First Formal
Declaration Of War.

In one of Washington old book
stores / met gentleman holding IN
his hand a volume containing a
sketch of the celebrated family OF
Kemble. The conversation turned
on Fanny, her marriage to Pierce
Butler. the rich Philadelphian, from
whom she claimed a divorce as long
ago as nearly thirty years, and final
ly on Butler himself. "He was an
elegant gentleman" remarked the
PhiladelpLian, land with another
woman his life no doubt wonld have
been a far happier one. He. went
into obscurity soon after the divorce,
and died believe, only a few years
ago."
Did you know the part Butler
took in the earliest stage of the rebell-
ion?" / asked.
"Neyer knew he had anything to
do with it in any way. He owned
a plantation in lower Georgia, and
Fanny. before or after her divorce, L
forget which, wrote a book about life
there, showing up slavery as she
saw it. More than that | never
heard. Did Butler have anything
to do with the rebellion ?
| remarked that be was actively
engaged with South Carolina plotters
and took hand in bringing about
the secession of Georgia.
THAT is news to me. How was
it?"
Whereupon / proceeded to relate
what | knew: Il met Butler IN
Charleston about the middle OF
November, 1860, where he was stop
ping on his way from Philadelphia
to his plantation, near Darien, Ga. l
had come on TO Charleston TO write
letters to the New York Tribune" D"
II remember the correspondence
we'll" broke in the Philadelphia
gentleman.
"How did you manage 1t? Did
they ever find you out? Let's hear
the story" seating himself as if pre-
pared 10 listen.
Il was about TO say what / knew
of Butler in the early days OF the re-
bellion in Charleston. As for the
rest, please excuse me, for the pres
ent at any rate.
well let's have that
/ began again by saying that l
reached Charleston on a Sunday,
towards the close OF the day, having
sailed from New York on the after
noon of Thursday previous on the
steamer Monroe, Captain Sam Whit
ing who was years before sailing
master of the Hartline expedition. 4"
The same man and the identical
steamer that afterwards cut figure,
when the foreman had TO get out OF
Charleston the best he could when
the steamer was seized by the rebels
for a gunboat," interrupted my
listener.
The same, | SAID.
"Were you there then? intenected
my interested listener.
Il was. We came into the harbor
Just ahead of the Star of the West.
Lets know all about that"
After Butler has been disposed
OF, perhaps" said |, and then lwent
ahead again.
about the only person in Char
lesion | had ever seen before was
Butler. met him at the Mills
House, which was the finest hotel in
Charleston, though the Charleston
Hotel was then, as it Is now, the
most famous in the city"
How did you come to do it?
Must have been a hot hole for a
Tribune correspondent about that
time, | shold say. How did 1t hap
pen? Let's hear that"
My listener and questioner was so
earnest on this point that / re-
lated how that the morning of the
first movement of consequence to-
wards secession, which was as soon
as Lincoln's election was an assured
fact, Judge McGrath, who was a
United States Judge, and who till
then had been a Union man, resign
ed his seat on the bench, trampled
on his robe and took the lead. On
the morning this report reached the
Tribune office, where | was employ
ed. | had a conversation with Mr..
Dana. the managing editor, which
resulted in my undertaking to pro-
ceed to Charleston as the correspond
ent. had no definite instructions
was to do the best / could and
choose my own way, do as L pleased
and go where | thought best. Pur-
suant to this arrangement | reached
Charleston, as | have already said
With Butler | had more than a cas-.
ual acquaintance. Wedined tOgeth-
er within two hours after my arrival
With entire freedom he told mt
what was going on, what was intend
ed and what course had been mark
ed out by the leaders in the move
ment, which meant secession IN earn
est. The leaders, he informed me
were not the old-fire eaters of the
Calhoun and Rhett school, but &
more conservative class OF men
known as Co-operationists, opposed
TO the Precipitationists. Among th'
latter were Rhett, keitt and sensa'
tionists OF other days. He said that
already the Co-operatlonists, led by
Ex. Senator Barnwell, Judge Nc
Grath, Representatives Memmenger
Miles and a numerous body of con
servatives, who ment the secession
OF the South as whole and no.
South Carolina aloneif others would
not 20 out with her. This was the
idea of the precipltationists. The
cooperation idea was that all the
slave States should 90 together
Much fighting was not IN the pro-
gramme. Buchanan's administration
had nearly four months to run, anc
it would all be done within thai
time.
Butler was deep in the thing anC
apparently as much in earnest u.
though he had been a born CarOlin
ian. While dining many thing.
were explained 10y him. He salC
that on that very evening the Rev
Mr.. Preutiss, an Episcopal clergy
man and the rector of St. Marks, !
think, was to repeat discourse