The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-06-02
General LOgan,S Book.


General John A. Logan's history of
"The Great Conspiracy" deals in facts
instead of fictions. 1t is replete with
information concerning what the war
was, how it was caused and pushed to
it's conclusion, and how it has come to
pass that those who could not conquer
in the field, nor yet at the ballot-boX
have nevertheless obtained control of
the government. The Tribune well
says: "This is the work of man who
is thoroughly in earnest. Others have
forgotten that rebellion was a crime
he has not. Others have drugged
their memories that they might not
remember the deliberate conspiracy
which caused the civil war-the sacri-
fees of that great struggle, the unspeak-
able infamies and cruelties of treason
in arms, and of more cowardly copper
heads at the rear; the pretended SUBJ
mission of rebel leaders at the South,
the campaign of assassination by which
the Constitution and the laws have been
suppressed in southern states, and the
people therein deprived of republican
form of government General Logan
has not. To him it is grief beyond ex-
preston to recall all the heroisms and
agonies of the war, the bloodshed and
tho pobla 1;voo 1o;d doup oDd 70 roAoot
that in high sense these sacrifices
have been in vain" In the first place,
General Logan arraigns the authors of
the federal Constitution for their weak
ness in permitting slavery to identify
itself with the national autonomy; and
their error bore fruit of an unpleasant
sort. He then shows how the slave
power was strengthened by the Louis
lana purchase; and also how the latter
day theory of free-trade-which, though
at first opposed by the South, became at
last fundamental part of its economic
creed-was allied with slavery and the
theory of state rights in bringing about
the rebellion.
After giving an account of the great
debate between Mr.. Webster and Mr..
Hayne, of General Jackson's treat
ment of Carolina notification and Mr..
Clay's compromise tariff of 1888, the
author reviews the annexation of Texas,
the war with Mexico, the defeat of Mr..
Clay and the futility of the COM
promise measure of 1850, and the great
debate between Douglas and Lincoln.
He produces an overwhelming array of
proof to show that secession was the
result of deliberate and long-meditated
conspiracy, having for its ultimate end
the establishment Of separate aristo-
cratic government, in which the detested
idea of equal rights should have no
be the cornerstone. He believes that
Buchanan knew that secession was
wrong, but he allowed himself to be
persuaded by southern leaders that he
had no constitutional power to prevent
it. General Logan shows that in their
rejection of the propositions of the
Peace Congress the seeding states
placed themselves in an irreconcilable
attitude and weakened their cause " in
the eyes of many of their sympathizers
in the North and in the border states.
An interesting chapter is devoted to
Lincoln's Inauguration and the opening
events of the great revolt. He gives
facts to show that neither Mr.. Douglas
nor himself had any sympathy with the
secession movement from its start
though the contrary was asserted in the
campaign two years ago. On one occa.
sion, in 1861, Mr.. Douglas said to him
substantially: "The time has now ar.
rived when man must either be for OF
against his country. Indeed, so strongly
do feel this, and that further dalliance
with this question is useless, that l shall
myself take steps to join the army and
fight for the maintenance of the Union. y
To this the writer replied that he was
equally well convinced that each ant
every man must take his stand" an6
that he also purposed at an early day
to raise a regiment and draw the SWORD
in the Unions Defence"
OF strictly military events during tn,
civil war, General Logan says but LITTLE
in the present work; but he promises
another work on the military history O
the war in the near future. His accoun
of the political events during the war il