The Republican journal., 1886-07-22
THE Great Conspiracy"

events OF the great mllltaFN struggle, one cnap-
ter, indeed, being devoted to Il graphic dcscrip-
ton of the first battle of Bull Run, but only in
| cidcntally are other events of that great mill
| tary struggle noted. 1t is not a history of the
slavery controversy, except i'll so far as that
controversy was a part of another, still greater,
involving the national life and principles which
lie at the basis of national greatness and pros
perity. 1t is not volume of "reminiscences of
| the authors own distinguished public career,
as Democratic member of the House of Rep
resentatiyeS later one of the most distinguish
| ed of the volunteer officers on the Union side
during the war, and later still as one of the
leading senators of the United States on the
Republican side of the chamber. 1t is rather
as its title purports. a history of "The Great
| Conspiracy" which eliminated in open rebel
| lion against the government in 1861, and which
| was supposed to have been defeated and over
| thrown with the surrender at AppomattoX,
and with the subsequent adoption Of the amend
| mentS TO the constitution, and the enactment
| of those laws which have been known as the
| reconstruction measures. General Logan, in
| common with many others of his countrymen,
| does not believe that the "cOnSpiracy" has yet
| suffered its final defeat. He finds many of the
| living conspirators in places of power, bold,
| defiant, and aggressive, determined evidently
on the accomplishment of purposes within the
| mon which they failed to accomplish outside
| of the [ Mon. The scoDe of his volume differs
from any other that has yet been published
| and While ground is incidentally covered that
| has been tran cr>ed by others, familiar events
are treated with vigorous freshness which
| give the work charm and valuc peculiarly its
| own. General Logan's idea is that the cause of
| which in
| open treason in 1860 and 1861 was not alone the
| question of slavery, but the question of free
trade as well. In tracing the origin of "the
| great conspiracy, he finds that almost ut the
| beginning of the government few restless and
| discontented spirits agtated the subject Of free
| trade as against projections which principle
| had been embodied in the first legislation of
| the first Congress, and that in connection with
| 1t the doctrine of States rights Though the
famous Kentucky and Virginia resolutions of
.9N and 1879 We're drawn up by avowed pro-
tectoniSt>. jefferson and Madison unwittingly
played into the hands of free traders by giving
them the states rights secession theories, of
winch during the next sixty wears they con-
>tantly a>ailel themselves. 1t is shown that
under the operation of the tariff acts of 1916.
1874. ana lS2S.-though the principle of protec-
| ton, as embodied in the tr>t-namcd act, was
supported by the South-grcat prosperity >mil-
cd on the land, and particularly on tie free
Northern States. In the cotton-growing belt
VI '''"'' 'H'9 iioNptitI WAS ititlNti. icsSr
owing to the blight of slavery; and the con-
tra>t bred discomfort. Instead of attrbuting
''iis '"i'tSt 70 ~ rc'i e't''Se' SiN Nerv, lie az
Ho'a'es oi lrGt lraNe Stflbc, II 10 the project
I'VE ttTill' alld lhehcelorWafd Inc doctrines OF
lIct Iau' 'hi Ht"'s rights became 'he ln>el'-
''IHhe aiu pel uoc'rlheS OF the defenders OF
slavery. The advocates of free trade and the
"eltii'c[S oi slavery Wcn' nan! III hallu toSetii-
cr from ,ne passage OF the arm act or iSS TIL
'hc "fei'klhS up OF me fGpelll"n' winch came
II lle I1@lea result OF the theory OF states
riSh'> lheN auopie". Nullilfatioh III South
aroma III lN32' the forclllnner OF secession IN
iN"'- gre" OUT ol opposition TO thc pflhcpic or
Piot''tioi' JUS is secession grew out OF thc
aGSrG>>lohS OF the Siavtofrary, winch lovers OF
li't"ohl were bouId 10 resist. ''eherai logan
trace WIN marked SIKH the growth and devel-
opilnt"' vi thp lfte-'ra!' Sentliiieht III thc
SOUTH anu no IeSS Interesting IN ms sketch OF
lhc CROWN OF me slavery question. ms chap
icr ueNottI 70 ihe doctrine or popular soVcr-
elSn'H' WIN me history" OF ITS attempted appIl-
eIion' iohoWeil ny lhal on me mfihorabie pres
t'phiEi contest OF lN"o "nlch was the Sl@llal
lnf me maturing and carrying into execution
liio Pioi Mlhch LOT ~ years iau bcen forming IN
iiic ,iiiiu> Oh lc ftc-lr;itie siaNtocracv, l. ll
OF dramatic interest. The description of the
foSlh" scenes OF the 56th congress. OF which
lhc allthor was 4 member, Is 4 piece Of graphic
writing ana constitutes one Of the most marked
thlptef> Ill thc volume. hcncfai Logan at lhe
breaking out OF me war was, as Is well known,
democrat, hllt ms democracy was Subordlnat-
cl TO ms patflot>in. lie mas not forgotten that
curing the long dark struggle OF lS6l-to there
was "Coppcrhcad" as well as Mon Dcmoc-
facy, anu though the country has fallen on
lllhes' when there Is a manifest disposition to
forget some di>agrccablc things in our past his
Tory ne does not believer 1t Is well to keep in the
background the infamy of those who kept UP Il
nrc IN the rear of the tnon armies. As we
nave sad. General Logan speaks but little of
hlmself, but III his chapter on ''topperhead-
ISM V>. Union Democracy" he takes occasion
TO meet ana most etfectually answer the slam
drrotls accusations that at the outbreak of the
war ms SympathlrS We're with rebels. That
atgnsili9h can never be made AGAIN save by i
Wllfui NIanderer and naligncr. The story of
the splendid victories won over the frec-tradc
s!aNeocraey both in the field and in the coun-
rlls OF the nation, resulting in the breaking
down of the conspiracy and in its supposed eN
tinttlon, Il story which has become familiar
III almost every household of the land. is told
III detail, but General Logan has a high pur-
pose IN telling 1t. lie does not end it with the
alolllon OF lnt RECONSTRUCTION measures, hy
winch the rebrillouS States were rehahilitated.
ana took a%ilh Their places in the >isterhood OF
states. lie goes on instead to show that 1.-THE
snake was Scotchd not killed. and that once
IN the enjoyment Of the clemenry granted by
their con4ucrors, the old conspirator> hatchcd
IoSt cause" me shotgun and the tissue bal
iot plan was adopted to make the South again
solid and human blood cemened this Solidity.
slavery was dead, but system Of peonagc
was TO large extent substituted for ii, and the
oid Ifce-trade theory disguised under the high
sounding phrase OF "a tariff for revenue only
was brought to the front once more, and as
General Logan puts it:
AT last, after an exciting campaign, the pres
ldell'lal election OF 1881, was held, and Tor the
lfSt lime since 1916, the OLD 1rct-fradc Dem
ocracy OF the South could rejoice over the
triumph OF presidential candidate. Great
was lllr JOY OF the solld South. At last, Its
numberit>S crimes against personal freedom
ana pohtIrai liberty. would reap generous
harvest. AZ last, participation would no more
be regarded as bot upon the political eS-
cutchGon. AT last commensurate rewards
Tor all the long Years of di>conSoiate waiting,
ana OF hard work III night rulings, and house
burnlhgs' ana ''nl@@er' whipplng>, and "ng-
GER Shootn@s and ''nig@cr' hangngs. and
doihgs to which these old leaders We're impelled
pride OF race, and lust for power, would come.
and come in profu>on. Grand places in the
cabinet, and foreign missions, for the Old
rebels OF distinction. now chiefs OF the ''Solld'
southern conspiracy, and for these other able
Northern Democrats who had helped them
during or since the rebellion; fat consulates
abroad, Tor others or less degree; post-offlceS
without STINT for the lesser lights all this, and
more must now come. The long hidden light
OF glorious .iay was about to break. ''1h"
rrStof0ttnh ~ he goteranleht u tie pfinci-
PIES "H0 me PfdcttceS ~ the Pdi1ter peflod,'
predicted by "the unreconstructed', rebel
cmeitallS-and these ''Samc principles for
Whlch they fought for four Vcars'--the prnci-