The Great North-Western Conspiracy in All Its Startling DetailsAyer, I. Winslow
History
The Great North-Western Conspiracy in All Its Startling Details
Ayer, I. Winslow
Knights of the Golden Circle; Northwestern Conspiracy, 1864
Two of these "gentlemen" visited the office of the writer of this book
during the progress of the trial, and used the following language. "If
it be _true_, (he having inferred from Alexander's testimony that the
writer had been in the interest of the General Government), a thousand
times you had better be Charley Walsh than Dr. Ayer."
A project was considered to rally the order and carry out the original
programme, but as well might an attempt have been made to infuse life
into a body that had been buried a fortnight. A messenger who went to
Lewiston, Ill., to "see what the order would do about it," were coolly
told by their Grand Commander, S. Corning Judd, Esq., that "they
wouldn't do a thing." This unsatisfactory report proved two things--that
S. Corning Judd, Grand Commander, and candidate for Lieut. Governor of
Illinois, (who might have got the election, if the "ballot and
bullet" butternut machinery had only proved available), considered the
institution as "gone up," and 2d--that he was ungrateful to a people who
had at least made him their nominee. Gentlemen who, by request, visited
the different sections of the State and of the Northwest, all reported
that immediately after it was known that the Government knew their
secrets as well as they did themselves, they tacitly agreed not to
regard themselves as a "secret" organization in future, and we have the
best of reasons to believe the entire order is so completely uprooted
that it can never again spring up to curse the land. Home traitors have
been taught, and it is well if they profit by the lesson, they
cannot form any society or order based upon treason, that can for any
considerable time continue "secret." Its purposes will transpire, for
the all-seeing eye of Him who reads the hearts of men, and will not
suffer "a sparrow to fall to the ground without his notice," that
God who hath decreed that this nation shall be re-united, shall be
prosperous, free, happy, and truly great, will not suffer traitors to be
successful, but will give them into the hands of those who reverence
His mighty and terrible name; and their cunning shall be a reproach, and
their machinations shall be known of all men, and they shall blush with
burning shame that they were ever false to their country.
[Illustration: JUDGE BUCKNER S. MORRIS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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