The National tribune., 1907-01-10

Extent ana completeness Oh the Sece~'
sion PIot-JeGerson Davis the Lead
ing COnspiratOr-His Military Prep
arations for Rebcllion-Gen. Scott and
Col. Stone Put Washington In Stats
Of Defense.
The Outbreak of the War.
All leaders of all bad causes are self
deluded. They cannot conceive of other
men being actuated by higher sent-
mentS than their own, nor that they
should, if necessary, fight for them with
superior courage and determination.
Never n all history was man more
self-deluded than Jefferson Davis. AT
no time had he the slightest concep-
tion of the immense mass of loyal peo-
pie in the country, nor of their vehe-
ment devotion to the National integrity.
1t must he admitted that he had abun-
dant basis for this self-delusion. The
greater part of the men with whom
he had been associated in his political
life were strongly dissatisfied with the
trend of public sentiment that led to
the election of Abraham Lincoln, and
q dissolution of the Union with the
States arranged into more agreeable
companionship was undoubtedly fire.
quent suggestion and topic of discus
sion among them. An eX-President OF
the United States residing in the Yankee
State of New Hampshire was among
Davis's closest friends and quite SYM
pathzed with him in his repugnance to
the new order of things. There We're
United States Senators. Governors and
many other men standing high in pub
lie esteem who shared these convictions.
Mayor Fernando Wood, then in his
prime as a political leader, openly ex-
prest his desire to have New York City
break away from the Union, and set
herself up as a free city in imitation of
Hamburg, Bremen, Lubbock and the lit
tie Italian civic Commonwealths of the
Middle Ages. Nor did Davis get as
stern discountenance as he might have
expected from those who had greatly
contributed to the election of Mr.. Lin
coln Horace Greeley, then by all odds
the most influential editor in the United
States, had advocated letting "the erring
sisters go in peace" and again declared
that he would not have Union pinned
together with bayonets." Even Gen.
Scott, from whom something quite diff
ferent might have been expected, had
expected the dissolution of the Union,
with the separation of the country into
four distinct Governments-one, with
its Capital at Albany, N Y; one, with
its Capital at Columbia, S. c.; third,
with its Capital at Alton, ILL.,, and the
SOU1tWneTt oIi Tie
President James Buchanan, who was
really loyal man, corrupted and un-
nerved by false theories, believed that
while secession was unlawful and
wrong, could find no warrant in the
Constitution for "coercing'' a State to
remain in the Union. Everywhere we'll
meaning but misguided men, altho they
could see no tangible reason for the
South's discomfort. yet talked and wrote
advising that every effort be made to
placate her and coddle her back into
good humor More worldly-wise men
would have known that the most diff |
cult to placate are those who deliber-
ately forge causes of quarrel. The men
whom Mr.. Davis represented, and who
selected him for their leader. had never
contemplated a perpetual union with
the North, and had only regarded this
union as temporary makeshift, until
their section grew strong enough to as
sumo independence.
Years of Preparation.
While there had always been many
men in the South, and quite frank, out
spoken ones. who felt hostile TO the
union with the North, it is difficult to
say at just what period real system
attic preparation began for the separa-
ton. The Notification proceedings in
South Carolina in 1882 We're part of this |
plan. When Notification was ended by
the heavy hand of the stern Jackson
and the pacific efforts of the great Com
promiser, Henry Clay, the men who
were fomenting Notification did not
change their attitude in the least; they
simply bided a more fitting time. The
wiser of them saw that If they We're
going to do the thing they must not
delay too long, because the rapid
growth of the North in population and
wealth was becoming alarming. There |
had been advocates of precipitous sep
aration at various times, more particu- |
larry in 1856, when an occasion was 20
be made of the candidacy for President
of man opposed to the extension of
Slavery and the enormous favor whicn
that candidacy met in the North.
Beyond all question no man did such
effective service in preparing the South
for secession as Jefferson Davis, and
this service was rewarded by his being
made President of the Confederacv
Whatever else may be said of Mr. Davis
he was a farseeing man, of great in
tensty of purpose, great courage in
executing that purpose and untroubled
by any scruples in accomplishing what
he desired. His work was most evident
In the Army, which he had always made
a specially. He knew more or less every
officer in the Army. and had fixed ideas,
usudliS as 10 MS character,
abilities and sectional bias. As Secre- |
tary of War under President Pierce he |
had done his best to promote those Off |
GERS whom he believed would be useful
10 the South in the coming conflict. He
saw that this work was continued under
his successor, John Il. Floyd, of Vir-
ginia, and he supervised and greatlyl
aided IL as Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs The War
Department was singularly under the
control of men whom Davis selected
and who represented his views. There
were at that time II officers in the
Adjutant-GeneraPs Office, of whom six
went South and became Generals in the
Confederate army. These We're: Col.
Sam Cooper, Adjutant-Ge Mai
w. w. Mackall, A. A. c.; Maj. George
Deas, A. A. G.; Capt ID. r. Jones, A
A. G.: Capt. John Withers, A A. G.,
and Capt Dabney H Maury, A A. c.
Among those who did not go South
were Mais. Don Carlos Buell. and Fitz-
John Porter. Tho these two officers
entered actively into the work of the
Union army there is no doubt that at
the time Secretary of War Floyd be-
lieved them to be fully in sympathy
with his disunion designs. This fact
operated greatly TO the prejudice of
these officers in their careers in the
Union army, since many men in the
higher circles of politics and the army,
aware of their intimate relations with
Floyd, could never convince themselves
of Buelrs and Porter's sincere loyalty