TIME OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION--TREASON EVERYWHERE
PREVALENT--INSIDE VIEW OF THE TEMPLE OF SONS OF LIBERTY--MAJ.-GEN.
BARRETT WITH COMMISSION FROM JEFF. DAVIS, AT THE HEAD OF A TORCHLIGHT
PROCESSION IN CHICAGO--TRAITORS WITH LOADED MUSKETS UPON OUR STREETS.
The extraordinary activity of recruiting for the Sons of Liberty, and
the zeal displayed by the master spirit of the Temple was ominous of the
wicked work they might be called upon to perform. James A. Wilkinson,
who was elected Grand Senior, was too young a man in the estimation of
many, and he was about to resign, when Judge Morris remarked, that "age
was not always wisdom" (the truth of which his own career has fully
illustrated,) and by request Wilkinson continued to hold the post. The
old order for arming of members was called up, and all were required to
comply with the condition at once; a particular pattern of revolvers was
specially recommended, and it was ascertained that the members were in
almost every instance, fully armed. A young man named R.T. Semmes, who
was said to be a near relative to the commander of the rebel pirate
Alabama, was appointed to deliver an address before the Order, but this
duty was never complied with in a formal manner, as it was subsequently
thought Judge Morris was better qualified, he being in a higher degree
than Mr. Semmes, to impart such information as the lower degree should
know. Upon an occasion of a special meeting, the Judge made a long
address, in which he stated the number of members of the Order in
Illinois at 80,000 men, saying they were all well drilled and could
be implicitly relied upon, at the right time; members were enjoined to
remember their obligations to sustain the principles of the Order, and
to aid each other. The Judge stated that "we" (the Sons of Liberty,) had
_two full regiments_ all well armed and drilled, in Chicago, and that
a third was forming. Such cheering information was received with great
gratification, and gave a greater impetus to the recruiting for the
Order.
The question of the draft agitated the members at each meeting, and all
declared their purpose never to go to the army, either voluntarily or
otherwise, to fight our brethren, "whose cause was just and right," and
a strong attempt was made to array the organization by formal action to
oppose the Government, and those especially who were impatient for the
general uprising, thought it a timely opportunity and ample provocation,
and felt confident that as the South manifested open hostility and
presented a bold and united front instantly upon the firing of the
first gun upon Fort Sumter, so would it be in all the States of the
Northwestern league; they would at once rise, when knowing that
their brethren of Chicago were in arms against the "usurper and his
hirelings;" but these hasty counsels did not prevail, and individuals
were exhorted to take care of themselves if drafted, but on no account
to go to the army.
Not only was there remarkable activity in the Chicago Temple just prior
to the Convention, but in all the States where the order existed. Our
Indiana neighbors often sent their worst Copperheads to the Chicago
Temple to receive instructions in regard to the mode of initiation; and
about this time, a man named Westfall, of Elkhart, Indiana, appeared in
the Temple, and edified the members with most _encouraging_ accounts
of the order in his own State. He was properly qualified as a Grand
Seignor, and no doubt served with that grace and dignity of which his
appearance gave such promise. It is hoped that the citizens of Elkhart
appreciate this gentleman's devotion to "the great cause." Judge T.H.
Marsh was put through a similar course of training, and being possessed
of remarkable dignity, no doubt made an excellent Grand Seignor. If he
was not fit for a good Judge, he was fit for a Son of Liberty. He no
doubt remembers the artist, who by an unlucky daub, spoiled his
picture of an angel, but took fresh courage, declaring it would make an
excellent devil. So the judge may make his own application.
The day of the great Convention at length dawned upon at least a hundred
thousand strangers in Chicago. Every hotel was densely packed from
cellar to garret, private houses were filled to their uttermost
capacity, while hundreds the night before, who could not find any kind
of a shelter, took in plenty of whisky to prevent catching cold,
and laid themselves quietly at rest in the gutters, much to the
consternation of the myriads of rats that infest our streets. These
street sleepers now arose, and shaking themselves, their toilet was
complete. Of all the God-forsaken, shaggy-haired, red-faced, un-shorn,
hard-fisted, blasphemous wretches that have ever congregated, even at
the gallows at Newgate, many of the visitors of the Peace wing of the
Democracy were entitled to the first consideration. Still there was
no collision with the citizens, although the representatives of the
"unterrified" had sworn that there should be no arrests in Chicago
during the Convention. The better class of strangers were War Democrats,
and it was evident they had no fellowship for the ragmuffins of the
Peace wing.
It should here be stated that the Order of the Sons of Liberty had
purchased firearms, carbines, pistols, shot guns and rifles, and at the
time of the Convention had stored in the city of Chicago, arms, for
at least ten thousand men. These arms had been brought here at various
times; some of them had been brought by vessels and others by rail,
and were now safely deposited in four different depots in Chicago, the
locations of which were known only to the Sons themselves. From these
four principal depots one or more boxes of arms were taken on such
occasions as would best serve, and placed in trust with some out-and-out
rebel sympathizer in the different wards, so that at the time of the
general uprising the "faithful" could readily obtain supplies. On one
occasion Brig.-Gen. Walsh applied to H.A. Phelps, on State street, with
a request for him to receive two boxes of muskets, but that man did not
like to incur the risk, whatever his sympathies may have been, and the
arms were not deposited with him.
It was quite apparent, the first day of the Convention, that our
citizens had resolved to act upon the advice of Adjutant-General Fuller,
to let these fellows "have their jaw out," and they did have it out, and
became terrible _bores_.
At an early hour, the temporary building erected for this gathering,
near Michigan Avenue, was crowded to excess, and after beginning their
labors all the speakers, without exception, entertained the audience
and relieved themselves of the most violent denunciations of President
Lincoln, and the policy of the administration. Each speaker vied
with the last in culling from his vocabulary of hard words, terms
sufficiently expressive of their feelings toward the government, but
do as well as they might, even with the aid of the poorest quality of
whiskey and education, evidently of many years among the lowest of the
low, not one of them could out-do the Chicago _Times_. The only parties
who could approximate it were Gov. Harris of Maryland, and Long of Ohio,
who were most decidedly in favor of secession. The differences between
the War Democrats and the Peace men, well nigh ended in personal
violence, and would, but for timely interference of the police. It is
not our purpose to report the doings of the Convention, and an allusion
is only made to call special attention to the elements which made up the
party who gave to General George B. McClellan a nomination which
proved to him the worst punishment that could have been inflicted, and
exhibited him to the world in worse company than he had ever before
mingled. The hostility between the different factions of the party, but
rendered the Peace wing or Sons of Liberty the more united, and more
firmly bent upon the overthrow of the government, as they saw clearly
enough, even before the adjournment, that there was not a shadow of hope
of electing the ticket formed, and the only hope of genuine copperheads
now laid in the election of State officers, and Judge Morris told the
people "if we can but get our Governor and Lieut.-Governor, it is all
we ask for; the order is strong enough in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky,
Missouri, Iowa and Ohio to enable us to take the general government into
our own hands." He added, "as the Washington government had not seen fit
to execute the Constitution and the laws, we will bring them to Illinois
and execute them ourselves."
At the close of the Convention, and the compromise had been made by the
different factions of the party, then came a time for general rejoicing.
In the evening torchlight processions, with lanterns and transparencies
bearing devices and mottos, all expressive of their animosity at the
administration. At the head of one of these processions was Maj.-Gen.
Barrett, the military commander of Illinois. At that very time Barrett
had in his pocket a programme, which had an intimation been received
from Price or Buckner, would have been of fearful import to the citizens
of Chicago. Barrett had at one time lived in Chicago, but for some
months past was a resident of Missouri. He was thoroughly armed, and
well knew the elements that had assembled in the city. Barrett had been
in the rebel service, or rather we should say in _another_ arm of the
service, inasmuch as none in these days, when all men are for the Union,
and it is so easy to be a patriot, will pretend to deny that the Sons of
Liberty were as much an arm of service for Jeff. Davis as his artillery
or infantry. This fellow Barrett, had on one occasion, as appears by
testimony before the Cincinnati military commission, visited Chicago as
an accredited agent of the Davis government, but he was not molested,
and mingled with men of his own stripe, without fear and without
difficulty. It will be interesting by and by, to read of the Chicago
Convention, and the incongruous elements there assembled. But as all
things have an end, so did this remarkable gathering, and dispersed
quietly, never again to meet as the representatives of the American
people.
Of course most of the Roughs of the Peace wing had been induced to come
to Chicago, with the idea that an uprising was imminent, and would no
doubt take place, when they would be able to repay themselves abundantly
from the property of our citizens. It is not strange therefore, that
these half starved, brutal wretches looked with evil eyes upon our
National banks, and hoped till the last that some lucky incident
might occur which would provoke an outbreak, and they would have an
opportunity to pillage our banks, stores and dwellings, but they were
doomed to disappointment, and with surly looks and threats of vengeance,
left the city, resolved at a future day to draw their pay, principle
and interest, from our banks, and we shall, in a future chapter, see
the manifestation of the same spirit, easily recognized as Peace wing
democracy.