St. Paul daily globe., 1886-12-06
THE NORTHWEST CONSPIRACY

THE NORTHWEST CONSPIRACY.
The promised publication of the papers
relating to the Northwestern conspiracy
created CONSERVATION among number OF
prominent politicians and their friends, IN
anticipation of a revelation which would
materially iniure, if not totally destroy.
their future political prospects. Steps were
Immediately taken to suppress the publlca-
lion of these papers, while, Oh account OF the
nubiic appetite being whetted by the efforts
to suppress them. the magazines andsmetro-
politan newspapers redoubled their efforts
70 secure them for publication. AS weeks
and months passed by and the papers were
not forthcoming, the public settled down
into the conviction that they were to be
forever suppressed. 1t is an agree
able surprise, therefore, to ind the
first CHAPTER Of the history of the
Northwestern conspiracy appearing in
the current number of the Southern Bivouac
with the promise of that journal that the
publication will be continued from month to
month until the whole series is laid before
the public eye. The preparation of the pa
pers is in competent hands. They are
edited by Judge THOMAS IL. HINES. OF
Bowling Green, and Hon. JOHN b. CASTLE
MAN. of Louisville, who were active partici-
pants in the conspiracy and. of course
know all the inside history of it. Judge
HINES was a rebel cavalry officer who
served Oh the staff of Gen. JOHN II. NOR
GAN, the noted partisan leader. 1t was
Can't. HINES who planned MoRGAN's es-
cane from the Ohio penitentiary, and in
consideration of his valuable services as
scout and spy, he was selected by
the Confederate government at Rich
mond for special service in organ
izing the conspiracy in the Northwest.
Very little of the details of the conspiracy
are detailed in the first chapter. 1t is
mainly devoted to an explanation of the
causes which induced the Confederate
government to inaugurate such move
ment. The gloomy outlook for the Con
federacy after the battle of Gettysburg and
the fall of VicksbuTg impressed the rebe
authorities with the necessity for drawing
upon new resources in order to keep the
rebellion on its feet The refusal of the
Federal government to exchange prisoners
of wal had reduced the Confederates to still
greater straits. All the white men in the
South capable of bearing arms had already
been conscripted into the army. There was
no way to recruit the depleted rebel ranks.
The only way to fill the thinned ranks
was by recovering from the Northern
prisons the veteran soldiers with which
lod nnrd-
inglv suggested that movement
should be inaugurated for that pur-
pose. and as such a movement had to be
organized inside the Union lines, 1t re-
ouired tact and secrecy to accomplish it.
At the same time it was represented To the
Richmond authorities that feeling of dis
content bordering on outright mutiny and
rebellion against the LINCOLN administra-
ton prevailed in many of the Northern
states on account of negro emancipation.
the drafts and the prolonged prosecution of
the war. The Richmond government de-
termined to utilize this disatfectiOn. if pos
sibe Accordingly, in March, 1864, an
order was issued by the Confederate war
department detailing Capt. I. FL. HINES
object of the undertaking. as defined by
the Confederate secretary of war, in his
letter of instruction to Capt. HINES. was
Ito proceed to Canada, passing through the
United States under such character and in
such mode as you may deem most safe. for
the purpose of collecting there the men of
Gen. MoRGAN's command who may have
escaped. and others of the citizens of the
Confederacy. and arranging for their return
either through the United States or by sea- "
HINES is next instructed to place him.
self in communication with Hon. JAMES p.
HOLCOMBE, who had been sent as speci al
commissioner to the British provinces, and
in his instructions directed to facilitate the
massage of men to the COnfederacy. The
Confederate secretary then proceeds to tell
Can't. HINES that in passing through the
United States it will be his duty to confer
with the leading persons, friendly or at
tached to the COnfederacy, or who may be
advocates of peace, and to do all in bis
power to induce these people to organize
and prepare themselves to render such aid
as circumstances may allow. Under the
general authority thus conferred the ar
ranging of details were left to the discretion
and sagacity of the special agent, Ito be
carried out as eXigencies may die
tate" Gen. POLK was directed to
transfer 200 bales of cotton to Mem
phis. from the sale of which Capt.
HINES was to be provided with a fund on
which to draw for the purposes of his mis-
sion. On the 9th of April, 1864, an order
was signed by JEFFERSON DAVIS appoint
ing CLEMENT c. CLAY, of Alabama.
JAMES P. HoLCoMBE, of Virginia, and
JACOB THOMPSON, of Mississippi COM
missioners to proceed to Canada, there tc
carry out the instructions received from Mr..
DAVIS verbally ''in such manner as would
seem most likely to cOnduce to the further
ance of the interests of the Confederate
States" The first chapter of this hereto
fore unwritten war reminiscence concludes
with the departure of the rebel commits
sioners from Wilmington. n. c., on board
of a blockade runner, OF their pursuit By
the Tn ted States war steamer Connecticut
and of the narrow escape by reason of thu
Connectcut'S machinery failing. The sue
eessive chapters which will give in de
tail all that was done by HINES and the
commissioners. will be awaited with un
usual interest as this really promises to b
the most entertaining scrap of war Iitera
ture that has yet appeared.
Capt. HINES states, however. in an in
troductory letter. that number of politi
clans in the Northwest who were concerned
in the matter. will rather be benefited thai
injured by the statement of plain facts
He thinks that time has so sOftened thu
asperities of the war that the good common
sense OF the people is able now to appre