The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-03
THE STARTING POINT OF SECESSION.
Savannah the Scene of the Initial Move
ment.
Graphic Account Of What Was Said and Done by the Savannah Leaders
Scenes and Incdeats That Will Be Remembered by
Some Of SaVannahS Citizens.
BYCO OF THE Y,psr srcrsso~


manner in which Secession was inaugu-
rated in the South. I don't mean to tell
how governors convened legislatures, how
conventions were called, nor how ordinan-
ces passed. All these are facts in histo-
~. NV task is to set down what occurred
behind the scenes and was obscured from
the public; TO jot down personal reminis-
cences and to tell how the extreme wing
of the Southern party, following the lead
ership of the Hon. VIM l. Yancey, that
gifted Alabama statesman, made their ar
rangements to precipitate the cotton
states into a revolution, either with or
without the help of conventions and legis-
latures.
All things haye a beginning. and while
South Carolina has been called
the hotbed of Secession and Charles
ton it's cradle. 1t was here
In Savannah that action was first ia
ken and the first secession meeting was
held here some days prior to the one at
Charleston. Besides 1t was in Georgia that
the Coffin Brigade" was organized, some
time in 1852. This brigade was composed
of the leading States Rights men to the
plumber of 5000, under the command of
the Hon. Walter T. Colquitt, Gather of
our late senator) and was organized to
promote secession whenever it became nec-
essary. 1t took It's gruesome name from
the fact that every man who joined il
was supposed to carry his coffin, fgura-
lively on his back should there be any
conviction for treason against the Union.
II became guild of honor and whenever
you found an ardent Thereafter you would
hat fa.ars nf "a
Coffin Brigade" It's roll was never print
ed, nor was it open to everyone who es-
sayed to enlist under its colorS only men
tried, tested and true could join this corps
d'ellte" of states rights.
Personal Relations With the Lead
ers.
But to return: I was secretary and
treasurer of the Democratic Executive
Committee in 1S60-61, and was elected Sec
rotary of this first secession meeting and
naturally knew all the details connected
with the movements. Besides this, my
personal relations with all the leaders gave
me unsurpassed opportunities of learning
their views and sentiments. l learned
how each man stood and what part each
was to take in the herculean task of dis
solving the Union and forming that dream
of Southern statesmen "a southern Conted-
eracy." Apart from all lhis;th prominent
facts have been often recalled in friendly
interchange of "reminiscences between
those of us who have been permitted to
survive the heroes of those days, and what
] write is the plain, uneXaggerated truth.
I had been on a visit to New York and
the Eastern States during the summer OF
1860, from the time of Lincolns nomination
until the last of September, when / re-
turned home, I was thrown with men of
every party and heard them express their
opinions and prophecies about the result
of the election. Almost the first friends l
met the dey after my return, were Gen.
Henry r. Jackson, Col. W. t. Thompson,
editor of the Morning News, and
Capt. Francis S. Barlow. Naturally
they wanted to hear news of the political
outlook. / told them what was generally
believed by far-sighted men of all parties
namely: that with the Democratic party
hopelessly divided between Douglass and
Breckenridge, with the party of Bell and
Everett which had no reason for existence
save to abstract votes from both wings of
the Democracy, and with a Republican
party united, compact, aggressive and en-
thuSiastic, the election Of Lincoln was re-
garded as a foregone conclusion, but there
was one hope for us and only one. If the
Fusion party in New York which was
composed of all the elements hostile to the
Republicans, could cross Harlem River
with majority of 10000. the State of New
York would be lost to Mr.. Lincoln, the
election thrown into the House of Repre-
sentatives and Mr.. Breckenridge would be
chosen President. what do they say OF
SECESSION" l was asked.
They expect it," l replied, and every
man has either a remedy for ID or a plan
to further it. For example," went on,
discussion took place at the New York
Hotel one evening when Gen. Gustavus w.
Smith and Gen. Mansfield Lowell were
present. 1t would be the easiest thing in
the world said prominent Republican,
Tor Mr. Lincoln to fit out an expedition
here in New York and coerce the South
before they got ready to organize a gov
eminent
How can you say So replied Demo-
crat, when the expedition would have to
nsnt Insight battle on the pier before
Ihey could attempt to go on board their
shps. You Republicans can't realize, he
continued, that New York City contains as
many secessionists as South Carolina, and
mat they will wage war here in the
streets with any party attempting to go
south and coerce the people down there ,"
gave this conversation as a sample of
What was being thought and said North
concerning this tremendous problem which
confronted us. / remember that Barlow
regarded II as a hopeful sign that we
would have no war, because a civil war
raging North and South, ne looked upon,
as impossible.
Making Treason Respectable.
Tut Jackson ami Thompson dl5
not soc II In that light. jack.
soh said: Those men will fail us when
tne issue comes, because they can only
ouer the resistance of an unorganized
poay to trained soldiers" However" no
salu Il don't believe we will have any
war at all, II the South acts promptly"
Wlll YOU tell. me-" / asked, "how the
south can net promptly and i'm what way
wv you propose TO act? How can you
''aart begin, the secession movement"
Nothing easier" he replied IF Lin
IN, ~ IS ecteg let one hundred me1 band
tse'her so as to mako treason respecta-
De, Let us seize the Custom House
St hu the Forts Jackson and Pulaski.
snouid the government attempt to retal;e
ssnefn issue a call TO the men OF che South