Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-12-18

big lighthouse. a nag was nOlSUeu ana,
to the great satisfaction of the anthori-
ties at Washington, public proclamation
or announcement was made that port
in Texas was open to trade. No mention
was made of the fact that the depth of
water on the bar was but a very few feet ;
and, in point of fact, the deputy collectors
labors were confined to endeavors to keep
his safe and himself from being washed
away.
Fortunately. the authorities "builded
better than they knew" when they es.
tablshed a custom house on Brazos San
tiago. 1t gave them a ptcd-d-tc1Te from
which went forth secretly and silently,
certain influences bidding fair to produce
momentous results
Before the date of Bankss expedition
loyal Texans had moved heaven and
earth to induce the President and Mr..
Stanton to divide their State.
mo better course could be taken" they
pleaded. Eastern and Western Texas are
wholly different. The former is coun-
try fitted for cotton and other tropical
productions the latter is adapted to stock
raising Divide the State at the Colorado
or the San Antonio River, and call the
new one BeXar Hold the river line with
a sufficient force; let all the Union men
take refuge west of that line-and the
thing Is done"
Mr. Lincoln was pleased with this idea
at is a much better plan than that West
Virginia one" said he: but Mr. Stanton s
energies were concentrated nearer home,
and he declared that the forces could not
be spared. The loyal Texans" cast down
but not discouraged took their departure
from Washington and bded their time.
Again, and it was doubtless in conse
quence of what they told him, and his
reflection thereupon, that Banks's expedi-
ton was sent. After its withdrawal,
things in Texas went from bad to worse.
During the occupation of Corpus Christi
ana Indianola, the inhabitants had been
requested to take the oath of allegiance !;
then again they were left to the tender
mercies of the Confederates. Anarchy
grew apace. A man named Black man
aged to secure from Banks a commission
as captain. He raised a company of n
hundred men, assembled the river, crossed
it near Eagle Pass or Laredo, and be-
came the terror of the border. How many
lives he took, how many cotton trains he
captured, none can tell He was but one
of many. People in Texas became more
and more disconnected and restless. The
past history of their State was that of
grand struggle for freedom. Men who
had fought with Houston, Fannir, and
Crockett, and Stephen Austin chafed at
military rule and forced levies chi bono,
they began to ask themselves and each
other. Just then from the Federal flint
and steel at Brazos Santiago, there went
out sparks which reached this ready tin
der in the State. With wonderful skill,
care and discretion, communications and
overtures were conveyed to willing recip-
tents; and at last one of the most prom-
nent loyal Texans appeared at the White
House with news of the greatest impor-
tance for the President.
Mr.. Lincoln ardently longed for peace.
Day and night the horrors of fratricidal
strife weighed on his mind. Under the
1tsf hn al ,nln ln1t
man; with each year of the war the som
Der shadow depended on his weary spirit
with deep earnestness he sought for
stop the shedding of blood. What
the Texan told brought him ray of hope;
and his mind, fertile in resources, grasped
the situation in an instant, and suggested
the thing to be done.
The Confederacy," said he, sis like a
bunch of matches, tightly tied together
with string, Pull out one and the rest
will follow"
There were earnest conferences at the
W hlte House and, when they were con-
Guided, the loyal Texan again departed,
charged with the details of Il striking and
original plan-as follows:
Texas had once seeded from Mexico; let
her now secede from the Confederacy.
Let the question of her re-entry into the
Union await the dealings of the Federal
Government with the other seeded
states. All Mr.. Lincoln asked, for the
present was that he should own and hold
the few former United posts which he
needed, This arranged, he would keep
hands Off" Not only would he interfere
in no way with the interior economy of
this free and independent commonwealth,
but he would raise the blockade. From
Sabine Pass to Point Isabel, ingress and
cotton, sugar and all, should 90 out to the
world, supplies of all kinds would be
poured in State Courts and officials
should make and administer the laws
and peace and prosperity would once
more prevail. Even the Richmond gov
ernment wished to coerce the 'erring
sister" (and how wsuld this comport with
the cardinal principles of the secession
= they could not do it. They
had no navy and, as for troops, they had
already begun, as General Grant tersely
put it, to rob the cradle and the grave"
to resist the power of the Federal armies.
Such was Mr.. Lincoln's ingenious,
and benefcent programme
and this proposition met with a ready re-
sponse. Once again the Jealous negotia-
tor appeared in Washington. His mes.
sage was brief: LET officers of high
rank" he said "be sent to trial"
With what care and skill the final steps
of this remarkable movement were man
aged, one may learn from the fact that to-
'ltS tlter twenty one years nave elapsed,
nothing is. generally known of it. On Il
certain day, early ,in 1865, "A party con
sisting of a federal major general, a brig
adler general, other military officers and
the loyal Texan whose services had been
50 useful, left New Orleans on the steam
er Clinton" for Brazos Santiago. After
Il few preliminaries, they started in boats
rowed by United States sailors and took
their course up the Ldgltnd dc Ia Mddrc
When they had covered nine or ten miles,
they approached bluff they stopped
and made II signal. After time it was
answered. How fortunate ~ they said
in the hearing of the sailors. 1--WE shall
at last be able to arrange as we have long
desired, for the exchange of prisoners"
They landed and mounted the bluff II
was lovely spot the nearest ranch being
twenty or thirty miles away. On the
level in beautiful grove of mesgruts
were pitched some tents; and near them
were IA group of well-known and distin-
guished Confederate officers and some
fifty soldiirs. The meeting was hearty and
cordial. Old comrades, thinking only of
past days, and forgetful of intervening
arrangement, joyfully clasped hands.
The commsariat was abundant and
varied, ahd conviyiaity. preceded bust