CONFEDERATE STATES. 



125 



ment. The plans for combined operations were 

 concerted at "Washington, and made known to 

 the public through the press of that city in the 

 following manner. The leading print said : 



*'The subjoined communication, disclosing 

 the designs of those who have undertaken to 

 lead the movement now threatening a perma- 

 nent dissolution of the Union, comes to us from 

 a distinguished citizen of the South, who for- 

 merly represented his State with great distinc- 

 tion in the popular branch of Congress. Tem- 

 porarily sojourning in this city, he has become 

 authentically informed of the facts recited in 

 the subjoined letter, which he communicates to 

 us under a sense of dnty, and for the accuracy 

 of which he makes himself responsible. Xothing 

 but assurances coming from such an intelligent, 

 reliable source, could induce us to accept the 

 authenticity of these startling statements, which 

 so deeply concern not only the welfare but the 

 honor of the Southern people."' 



TVASHIXGTOX, January 9, 1S61. 



I charge that on last Saturday night a caucus was 

 held in this city by the Southern Secession Senators 

 from Florida, (Jeorgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louis- 

 iana, Arkansas, and Texas. It was then and there re- 

 solved in effect to assume to themselves the political 

 power of the South, and, to control all political and 

 military operations for the present, they telegraphed 

 to complete the plan of seizing forts, arsenals, and cus- 

 tom-houses, and advised the Conventions now in ses- 

 sion, and soon to assemble, to pass ordinances for im- 

 mediate secession ; but, in order to thwart any opera- 

 tions of the Government here, the Conventions of the 

 seceding States are to retain their representations in 

 the Senate and the House. 



They also advised, ordered, or directed the assem- 

 bling of a Convention of Delegates from the seceding 

 States at Montgomery on the loth of February. This 

 can of course only be done by the revolutionary con- 

 ventions usurping the powers" of the people and' send- 

 ing delegates over whom they will lose all control in 

 the establishment of a Provisional Government, which 

 is the plan of the dictators. 



This caucus also resolved to take the most effectual 

 means to dragoon the Legislatures of Tennessee, Ken- 

 tucky. Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, and Virginia into 

 following the seceding States. Maryland is also to be 

 influenced by such appeals to po'pular passion as 

 have led to the revolutionarv steps which promise a 

 conflict with the State and Federal Governments in 

 Texas. 



They have possessed themselves of all the avenues 

 of information in the South the telegraph, the press, 

 and the general control of the postmasters. Thev also 

 confidently relv upon defections in the army and navy. 



The spectacle here presented is startling to contem- 

 plate. Senators intrusted with the representative sov- 

 ereignty of the States, and sworn to support the Con- 

 stitution of the United States, while yet acting as the 

 privy councillors of the President, and' anxiously looked 

 to by their constituents to effect some practical plan of 

 adjustment, deliberately conceive a conspiracy for the 

 overthrow of the Government through the military or- 

 ganizations, the dangerous secret order of the Knights 

 of the Golden Circle, " Committees of Safety," South- 

 ern Leagues, and other agencies at their command ; 

 they have instituted as thorough a military and civil 

 despotism as ever cursed a maddened country. 



It is not difficult to foresee the form of government 

 which a Convention thus hurriedly thrown together at 

 Montgomery will irrevocably fasten upon a deluded 

 and unsuspecting people. It must essentially be " a 

 monarchy founded upon military principles," or it 

 cannot endure. Those who usurp power never fail to 

 forge strong chains. 



It may be too late to sound the alarm. Nothing may 

 be able to arrest the action of revolutionary tribunals 

 whose decrees are principally in " secret" sessions." 

 But I call upon the people to pause and reflect before 

 they are forced to surrender every principle of liberty, 

 or to fight those who are becoming their masters rather 

 than their servants. EATON. 



A letter from Washington to the Baltimore 

 press, of the 10th, made this statement: "The 

 leaders of the Southern movement are consult- 

 ing as to the best mode of consolidating their 

 interests into a Confederacy under a Provision- 

 al Government. The plan is to make Senator 

 Hunter, of Virginia, Provisional President, and 

 Jefferson Davis Commander-in-Chief of the 

 army of defence. Mr. Hunter possesses in a 

 more eminent degree the philosophical charac- 

 teristics of Jefferson than any other statesman 

 now living. Col. Davis is a graduate of West 

 Point, was distinguished for gallantry at Buena 

 Vista, and served as Secretary of War under 

 President Pierce, and is not second to General 

 Scott in military science or courage." 



It is charged above that the caucus met on 

 Saturday night, January 5th. A despatch from 

 Washington, under the date of January 6th, 

 appeared in the Charleston press on Monday, 

 January Vth, relating to the same caucus, and 

 was as follows : 



" WASHIXGTOS, January 6. 



"The Senators from those of the Southern 

 States which have called Conventions of their 

 people met in caucus last night, and adopted 

 the following resolutions : 



' R:folved, That we recommend to our respective 

 States immediate secession. 



" Sesolved, That we recommend the holding of a 

 General Convention of the said States, to be holden in 

 the city of Montgomery, Alabama, at some period not 

 later than the 15th day" of February, 1561. 



" These resolutions were telegraphed this even- 

 ing to the Conventions of Alabama, Mississippi, 

 andFlorida. A third resolution is also known 

 to have been adopted, but it is of a confidential 

 character, not to be divulged at present. There 

 was a good deal of discussion in the caucus on 

 the question of whether the seceding States 

 ought to continue their delegations in Congress 

 till the 4th of March, to prevent unfriendly leg- 

 islation, or whether the Representatives of the 

 seceding States shonld*all resign together, and 

 leave a clear field to the Opposition to pass 

 such bills, looking to coercion, as they may see 

 fit. It is believed that the opinion that they 

 should remain prevailed.'' 



The Senators who represented the States 

 above mentioned were as follows : 



Alabama Benjamin Fitzpatrick, C. C. Clay, jr. 



Arkansas R. \V. Johnson, Wm. K. Sebastian. 



Georgia Robert Toombs, Alfred Iverson. 



Louisiana J. P. Benjamin, John Slidell. 



Mississippi Jefferson Davis, Albert G. Brown. 



Texa*. John Hemphill, Louis T. Wigfall. 



Florida David L. Yulee,* S. R. Mallory. 



* On the capture of Fernandina, in Florida, by the Fed- 

 eral troops, in March, 1S62. numerous letters and papers 

 were found in the houses abandoned by the inhabitants, 

 among -which was the followins letter. Its statement of 

 facts coincides so accurately with the representations of 



