d fail, what then?'

"'Walters remarked that that was a question to be determined by this
meeting, and that he did not wish to decide it in advance.

"Mr. Spangler, from Illinois, said that he did not desire to detain the
assembly with a long speech, but he wished to impress upon the minds of
the delegates present that in the State from which he came, he did not
think the assassination of Lincoln and Silent would be indorsed, as it
would raise such a storm there that all their friends would be driven
from the State. He was in favor of their capture and, in fact, anything
that was thought necessary; but as he lived in the same town with Mr.
Lincoln, he would not like to be forced to stem the torrent if he,
Lincoln, should be assassinated. He would cheerfully vote for the first
proposition, and at the same time pay $100 into the general pool for
that purpose. This brought down the house--money seemed to be the one
thing they greatly desired. He said: 'Now, Mr. Chairman, who is the
Treasurer?'

"The Chairman answered that Mr. Thomlinson had the disbursing as well as
the authority to receive all funds for the carrying out of the objects
of the meeting.

"'Then,' said Spangler, 'here is my $100.' handing it to Thomlinson.
This started the ball, and in a few minutes $5,000 were raised and
handed over to Thomlinson, who thanked the friends for their liberality.

"The debate here closed and the vote was taken on the propositions. The
Chairman said he would put the third, or last, proposition first, which
was, whether the assembly would indorse the proposition of Capt. Alston
and Mr. Durham, who proposed to organize a force and assassinate the
leading men of the North who are prominent in the war against the South,
and recommend the authorities of the Southern Confederacy to carry out
the proposed project. The question being stated, the vote was taken.
Being very close, the roll had to be called, and the proposition was
lost by three votes.

"The next proposition was the one submitted by De Kalb to the
Confederacy, to blow up the Capitol at Washington when Congress should
be in session. The vote being taken, this proposition was lost; it being
deemed inexpedient on account of the danger of destroying so many of
their own friends.

"The last proposition to be voted on was whether the assembly would
recommend to the authorities at Richmond to organize a force and capture
Lincoln and Silent, or either of them, and hold the