JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL HOLT'S REPORT ON SECRET ASSOCIATIONS AND CONSPIRACIES AGAINST THE GOVERN- MENT-EXPOSÉ OF THE "ORDER OF SONS OF LIBERTY," "KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE," "KNIGHTS OF PAGES. Fourth-Its Military Character and Armed Force, 762-764 Fifth-The Ritual, Oaths, Forms and Ceremonies, 764-766 ILLUSTRATIONS. PORTRAITS. EDWARD D. BAKER, BENJ. F. BUTLER, J. C. BRECKINRIDGE, J. J. CRITTENDEN, JOHN C. FREMONT, ISAAC W. HAYNE, PATRICK HENRY, THOMAS JEFFERSON, H. W. HALLECK, MAPS. SEAT OF WAR IN VIRGINIA. FIRST BULL RUN BATTLE-FIELD. FIRST BULL RUN BATTLE-FIELD, SHOWING POSITION OF ARMIES. CHAPTER I. A PRELIMINARY RETROSPECT. AFRICAN SLAVERY IN AMERICA IN 1620-CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE COLONIES AND ENGLAND IN 1699-GEORGIAN ABHORRENCE OF SLAVERY IN 1775-JEFFERSON AND THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE-SLAVERY A SOURCE OF WEAKNESS IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR-THE CESSION BY VIRGINIA OF THE GREAT NORTH-WEST-THE ORDINANCE OF 1784 AND ITS FAILURE THE ORDINANCE OF 1787 AND ITS ADOPTION-THE GERM OF SLAVERY AGITATION PLANTED-THE QUESTION IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION-SUBTERFUGES OF THE OLD CONSTITUTION—THE BULLDOZING OF THE FATHERS-THE FIRST FEDERAL CONGRESS, 1789-CONDITIONS OF TERRITORIAL CESSIONS FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA, 1789-1802— THE COLONY OF LOUISIANA (MISSISSIPPI VALLEY) PURCHASE 66 OF 1803-THE TREATY-CONDITIONS TOUCHING SLAVERY-THE T° 66 .... causes O properly understand the condition of things preceding the great war of the Rebellion, and the ca underlying that condition and the war itself, we must glance backward through the history of the Country to, and even beyond, that memorable 30th of November, 1782, when the Independence of the United States of America was at last conceded by Great Britain. At that time the population of the United States was about 2,500,000 free whites and some 500,000 black slaves. We had gained our Independence of the Mother Country, but she had left fastened upon us the curse of Slavery. Indeed African Slavery had already in 1620 been implanted on the soil of Virginia before Plymouth Rock was pressed by the feet of |