Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-12
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR
Cancellation
Conference

VOuClll6ClO0 sing ways and means OF
Conforero. adjusting the diner
ences between the sec
tions assembled in Washington Monday.
February 4. 1861. at Wizards Hall. with
about two-thirds OF the accredited COM
mfssioners present According to the re-
port OF the meeting printed in The Star
of February 4, 1861, the sessions were
held behind closed doors and In conse-
guence there was difficulty in obtaining
an authentic list of delegates. though The
Star printed the names Of a number who
1t was known. were in attendance. They
represented the following states: Mary
land. Virginia, Delaware. Kentucky,
Missouri. North Carolina, Tennessee, New
York, New Jersey. New Hampshire. Ohio,
pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Illinois
Among the more distinguished persons
present Were ex-President Tyler. ex-Gov
Chase of Ohio, Reverdy Johnson of Mary
land. ex-Goy. Morehead of Kentucky and
David Dudley Field Of New York. It was
Understood that the convention would
await the arrival Of delegations from
other states before proceeding to BUSH
ness Many of the delegates had been
appointed only two and three days pre-
vious to the meeting, and had not had
time to reach Washington.
y
An election for members Of the state
| convention was held in Virginia the 4th
Of February. 1861 and,
Virginia according to the returns
~. printed in The Star the
CiecdOH. next day, resulted in an
| overwhelming defeat for the disunionists
per Sc. The Star thus characterized the
result editorially:
"She tVirginia) has declared by a ma
| jority of from thirty to fifty thousand
votes, in the face of the most persistent
and truculent efforts to work her loose
| from her traditional Union loving moor
| ings, that she has an abiding confidence
| that the north does not intend to revolu-
| tionize the government SO that 1t shall
| hereafter be an abolition government.
| welded palpably against southern inter-
| est and southern rights under the Con-
| stitution. She has proclaimed her be-
| lief that the great controversy OF the
age may not only be settled honorabiy
| for the most part experienced, patriotic
| and able retired American statesmen,
| now assembled here as commissioners OF
| the several states, will settle 1t upon
terms that will not only keep her people
| and the people of all the border slave
| holding states in the attitude Of staunch
| defenders of the Union, but will enable
| them speedily to bring the six seeded
| states back without firing a gun; a
victory to be won for the cause Of the
abiding character of free principles. a
thousand fold more glorious than any
that history tells OF among all the thou
/ sands of bloody victories by which civiliz-
ed governments have been strengthened
and strength to this 9TH of February,
| 1861"
| The following paragraph in The Star
Of February 6, 1851. indicates the ner-
| vous state OF this COM
Futile Hunt munity during the days
| e.. 49, Immediately preceding
| AoA ~ I'D the outbreak Of sectional
hostilities:
For some days there have been whis-
perings that a depository of arms for
reasonable purposes had been establish
ed In this city. Not much credence was
given to the rumor in any quarter: but
the fears Of some property owners in
the seventh ward having been excited
by more definite statement that arms
were concealed in the old gas house, on
Maine avenue between AZ and Sd streets
south, an order was given to Capt. A.
X. Allen to examine the premises. The
secretary of the gas company. Alderman
J. F. Brown. wrote an order to Mr..
| Gigney. the keeper of the premises, to
conduct Capt. A. through the building
and premises. Yesterday the examina-
| ton was made, and the result was that
no arms were discovered and no ar
rangements were there made indicating
a purpose to receive any"
/ \
A distinct reminder of the actual fact
Of secession in the far south occurred
to the people OF Wash
Soldiers ington on the 7th Of Feb
| ruary. 1851, when an ar
&AAAAsoi' rival Of troops was noted
in the following paragraph in The Star
of that date:
Company z, I'd Artillery, which re-
Gently left the arsenal at Augusta. Ga.
when it was seized by the Georgia state
troops, arrived this morning In WASH
ington, and are quartered on the second
floor of the southern wing Of the Treas
ury building extension. They number be-
tween 30 and 100 men, and are conf
manded by Capt. Elsley. They are acting
as infantry Accommodations have been
provided by the quartermaster for q
who are expected to arrive from the
cavalry headquarters, Carlisle, Pa, today.
| The men are to he quartered In the hall
over Burch's stable. which has been conf
| fortably fitted up for them. The horses
| Of the corps are to be stabbed at Burch's,
MAYORS and Bushs stables
i
The southern confederacy convention
was in session at this time fifty years
ago at Montgomery. Ala.
! Southern and the Geographic col
umns of The Star car
happenings. ried the daily reports OF
the proceedings. indicating progress to-
ward the formation Of q new govern
ment Meanwhile, there was compare
tive quiet throughout the south. SEN
sational note being struck ut the close
Of the week in dispatch from Savan-
inah. printed in The Star of February 8.
| 1861. stating that Gov. Brown Of Georgia
had ordered out military force to
seize every ship in the harbor belonging
| 10 citizens of New York, as reprisal for
the seizure BY the New York police OF
| property claimed by certain citizens or
| Georgia This was merely CONNER
cial dispute. to which political aspect
was thus given.
FRENCH ALTRUlSM.
The first measure on record to supervise and
4 regulate the manufacture and sale of champagne
1 has been enacted b.: the senate and assembly Of