The National tribune., 1906-03-01
ARMY OF THE
CUMBERLAND.
from rage Id

tendent of the construction of the Gus
tom House and repairs to the Marine
Hospital at Chicago, where he had the
foresight to acquire large tracts of land,
which later became highly-Valuable
possession. He connected himself with
the Illinois Militia, and became Colonel
of a regiment for service in Utah, nut
had returned to Kentucky to manage
his farm. The belief in his loyalty was
so strong at Washington that commits
sion as Brigadier- General was made out
and sent on TO Kentucky. Jefferson
Davis and his coterie knew him better,
however. and that, no matter what
might be his outward seeming. he could
be relied upon for their service.
John c. Breckinridge.
A great power in Kentucky at that
time was John c. Breckenridge, a hand
some, courtIy man and fair orator of
somewhat more than average abilities
He belonged TO a distinguished family,
and had been the Major of the Sd KY.
for the Mexican War, but saw little
service. He entered politics, was elect
ed to the Legislature, and in 1881 elect
ed to Congress. During his service
there the most notable thing was one of
those furious wordy quarrels character
istic of the times with Representative
F. V Cutting, of New York, and duel
was arranged, but never came off. Pres
ident Pierce offered him the Ministry TO
Spain, and in 1856 he was elected Vice
President on the same ticket with
buchanan. The Pro-Slavery Democrats,
who withdrew from the National Con-
Vention in 1850, nominated Breckin-
ridge for President, and he received the
votes of all the Southern States except
Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and MIS-
souri,. The same year Kentucky elected
him United States Senator. He had
70 o.
garded as the beau ideal of Kentucky
.'chivalry," and drew after him thou
sands of the younger and more volatile
KentuckianS. He remained in the Sem
ate, defending the Southern Confeder-
acy as long as it was prudent, and then
went South to become a Brigadier-Gen-
erai in the Confederate army.
The numerous and influential Breck-
inridges were about equally divided. His
distinguished uncle, Robert Jefferson
Breckenridge, d. D., one of the great
Presbyterian divines of that day, was
an ardent and uncompromising Union
list, and did very much to offset his
nephew's destructive influence.
The Secess;onists in Kentucky were
in a decided minority, but they made
up by activity and VociferouSneSS what
they lacked in numbers.
There had been for many years or
ganizations in Kentucky whose avowed
object had been the acquisition of Cuba,
Mexico and Central America. These orr
ganizations had been grouped into The
Order of the Lone Star" 1t was really
secession in its object, but this was a
secret confined to the higher ranks. 1t
had spread all over the State network
of lodges with grips, passwords and
other mysteries SO fascinating to GER
tain order of minds. This Order of the
Lone Star eventually developed into
THE knights of the Columbian Star"
and then into the knights of the Cold
en- Circle" There were other allied
clubs. known as the "Precipitators,"
vigilance Committee" Minute Men,"
etc, etc, and all these became permeat-
ed with the single principle of marking
for slavery and secession. Social and
professional diSparagement was begun
with some, and the treatment ran
through the whole gamut to personal
assaults and even murder. Union men
were stigmatized as Lincolnites, Sub
missionists and Abolitionists. II is al
legged that fuiiy 100 men We're hanged
from time to time in the Fall of 1850
for no other offense than advocating
adherence to the Union.
Senator Crittenden.
AT the head of the Union men in Ken
lucky was the distinguished Senator
John J. Crittenden, whose family was
as badly divided as the Breckinridges.
Crittenden was the leader in the efforts
to compromise the differences and make
concessions to the Southern States which
would retain them in the Union. This
hope was a vain one, because the con-
spirators had resolved to fight, and
nothing would prevent them. They We're
willing to take all that the North would
give, but this did not deter them for an
instant in their settled purpose. Crit
tenden's celebrated compromise, intro
duced in 1860, proposed to amend the
Constitution by dividing the Territories
by the Missouri Compromise Line into
free and slave, abolishing slavery for
ever above Sc degrees 80 minutes, and
recognizing and protecting it south of
that line. When Territory became a
State it's people should settle its condi-
ton. Congress should not abolish slav
cry in forts and other Federal territory
in the same State nor in the District of
Columbia as long as Virginia and Mary
land should continue slavery Con-
gressmen and otfice-holders at Wash
ington should never be prohibited from
bringing their slaves into the District
nor should the Interstate slave trade be
pay owners the full value of fugitive
slaves rescued by violence or intimida-
aion. This compromise was approved
by the Legislatures of Virginia, Ken
lucky, Tennessee and New Jersey, but
Senator Crittenden was never able TO
get It adopted by Congress.
The Peace Conference.
On the invitation of the Legislature
of Virginia Peace Conference was
called, to which 13 Free States sent
delegates and also the Slave States of
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mis-
souri,. Ex-President Jonn Tyler presid-
ed, but It's deliberations came tc naugfit.
Gov. Beriah Magofiin tried to cover
his designs as skillfully as Gov. Jack
son, of Missouri, by many protestations
of love for the Union, while under the
cover Of these he was actively prose-
cutting his plans for secession. He pre-
tended to be displeased with the rash
movements of the seeding States, but
promptly recognized them as final and
trreyocable, and was opposed to cGerc-
ing them back into the Union. He
speedily arrived at the conclusion that
Kentucky was no longer safe in the
Union. and should resist the principles
and policies of the Republican Party
TO the death If necessary Therefore
he urged upon the Legislature, which
met in January, a State Convention, ap-
preparations to purchas. arms and to
put the militia of the State upon an
active footing.
Into the political complexion of the
membership of the Kentucky Legisla-
ture there entered all the complexities
that characterized the Border States
tnlonists. The out and out Secession
lists were In q very decided minority