The Jacobin Club of New York
The
Albany (N. Y.) Argus says that the plan to organize a military force in New York independent of the
Federal Government has not died out, but is still secretly progressing.
It says:
‘
Whether the Jacobin Club, established in New York, under the name of the ‘"National War Committee,"’ has been induced to attempt the raising of an army of fifty thousand men outside the authority of the
Government, only by the scent of the enormous profits of contracts on which some of the shoddy members of that committee have fattened in the past, or whether the usurpation has a deeper significance, and is designed as a threat against the constituted authorities who refuse to adopt the programme of the Abolitionists in the conduct of the war, it is equally dangerous, revolutionary, and unjustifiable.
Fortunately, the exposure of the doings of the committee has in a measure deprived it of its power for evil; and the open withdrawal of the loyal citizens, who, under a misapprehension as to its designs, became associated with it, brands its disloyal and unworthy character publicly upon its front.
When the committee was first formed
Auguste Belmont &Co.
contributed one thousand dollars to its funds.
Last week that firm addressed a letter to the committee, requiring that the money thus subscribed should be expended for the objects intended to be promoted by the donors — that is to say, the encouragement of enlistments under the recent call of the
Government, or returned to them.
The committee, through their chairman,
Mayor Opdyke, thereupon returned
Messippi Belmont & Co. the full amount of their thus admitting that the objects and designs of the committee were not to encourage enlistments under the
Presidents call.
In addition to this,
Messrs,
Morris Ketebum,
George S. Coe, and other citizens of approved loyally and patriotism, have peremptorily refused the longer use of their names to the committee.
The money returned to
Messrs. Belmont & Co., we should add, was divided by them between the
Corcoran Brigade and the
Irish Legion, now recruiting in the
city of New York.
The Jacobin Club is not, however, idle, although exposed and denounced.
Its agents are busily engaged in gathering up secretly the names of all who are willing to enroll themselves in the army of 50,000 men, to be placed under the command of
Fremont.
It is a repetition of the Wide A wake clubs of 1860, with this difference, that the Jacobin force will be supplied with arms, which they would not probably have the courage to use.
There is every reason to fear that this bold usurpation is of wider extent than has been supposed.
The secret, sneaking committee, who made charges against the Gord us in
Massachusetts, and who devoted their time to prying into the business of their neighbors, is part and parcel of the scheme.
In every city and county of this State, there is good reason to believe, similar secret bodies are in existence, with the object of systematically organizing a force that may be used, if the necessity should arise, to coerce the Administration into the abolition policy, it not to usurp the power of the
Government.
The people should be on their guard against this contemplated treason.
If the
Government fears or neglects to suppress it with a strong hand, other means should be taken to prevent it from growing into threatening proportions.
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