"I have not been in Perry County since the 10th of June, when I made a speech at Tamaroa, nor have I been nearer Blairsville than Carbondale or De Soto, since 1857; nor did I ever make a speech in my life but what was a public speech, addressed to persons of all political opinions who would come and hear me; neither is there a truthful being on earth, who can say, that I ever joined, or ever belonged to the organization of K. G. C.'s, under that or any name whatever. I never joined them, nor did any man ever ask me to join them." During the conversation with the Marshal, one of the detectives (Woodruff) informed the latter, that he knew Meyers in the 2d Illinois Cavalry, that he was then known under another name, and was universally regarded as "a liar, Mlackleg, and scoundrel.”

While still confined at Cairo, the Marshal, Major Merrill, told Judge Duff, that he would have discharged him, but that Governor Yates had commanded him not to do so; that "he" (the Governor) "would be able in a few days to send him ten times more evidence, and of a much more positive character."

On the 26th of August, the "Daily Chicago Tribune" contained a copy of the Meyers affidavit, and what purported to be an additional one, which filled more than two columns of that paper. This was the Governor's mouse-the mighty production of his herculean mental labors, which astonished the eyes of an alarmed and startled world. The earth shook under it, to its deepest foundations! the heavens were gently bowed the sun was clothed in darkness! the moon turned to blood! and all nations and tribes of the earth fell on their faces and did mourn; even his Excellency, the Governorblushed. The following was "the ten times more evidence" -- the St. John's Gospel, which was intended to corroborate the Meyers affidavit. It boldly stated that on Sunday, the 10th of August, 1862, he had attended a secret meeting of the Knights of the Golden Circle, at a place ten miles north of Pinckneyville, in Perry County; that there were at least 400 Knights of the Golden Circle present, and that Judge

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A. D. Duff, Francis M. Youngblood, H. W. Newland, Joseph Crouch, and James S. Moore, of Franklin County; David Neal, David Williams, Ezra Johnson, Dr. Blanchard, James Blenhois, Thomas Logan, (the General's brother,) Benjamin Harris, Cartright Davis, and Philip Davis, of Jackson County; George W. Wall, D. M. Hoge, E. B. Rushing, Thomas Rushing, S. A. Baird, S. M. Pyle, Dr. Ross, O. H. McCarver, Bedford Thurman, W. A. Harris, Stephen Duncan, and many others, of Perry County, were present, and that all those mentioned made speeches on the occasion. It further pretended to give an abstract of what each one said, and, as a matter of course, the language used by each was disloyal.

Thomas Logan, in closing the meeting-as it averredopenly declared that, "as for himself, he was for Jeff Davis and the Southern Confederacy." The great length of this pronunciamento of the Governor prevents us from giving it in toto. But we quote verbatim one important paragraph. Speaking of the proceedings at the meeting, it says: "A LETTER WAS PRODUCED AND READ TO THE MEETING, DIRECTLY FROM JEFF DAVIS AND BEAUREGARD, TO EDELL JONES, STATING THAT IF THE K. G. C.'s OF ILLINOIS, COULD FURNISH TWO THOUSAND MEN FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY, THE CONFEDERATE STATES WOULD BE FULLY ABLE TO SUCCEED IN THEIR UNDERTAKING." This was an astounding revelation. At a time when the Federal Government was organizing an army of twelve hundred and fifty thousand men for the suppression of the rebellion, Jeff Davis and Beauregard write to a poor, obscure orphan boy of Franklin County, Illinois, who could scarcely read or write his own name, informing him that if the K. G. C.'s could furnish them with two thousand men, their cause would be safe. Could such an idea emanate from a

"brain

Healthful and undisturbed by factious fumes?"

When this document first appeared in the papers, the Judge and his friends called upon the Provost Marshal, and demanded the name of the party who swore to it, but were

informed that the Governor had directed it to be withheld. At Washington City, Judge Duff again demanded the name of the person from the Judge Advocate, and received the same reply: "The EXECUTIVE of the State of Illinois has requested the name to be withheld from the public." The Judge then came to the conclusion, that it had never been sworn to, but that it had been forged to assist in partisan measures, and that the document had been sent with a blank space, to Tamaroa, to be filled up with the names of all such persons as the Executive wished to oppress.

Court convened in Williamson County, on Monday, the 11th of August, 1862, at Marion, midway between Benton and Vienna. The Judge having left one of his children quite ill at home on the 3d, he determined upon adjourning court at Vienna on Saturday, to enable him to reach his home that night, if possible, so as to spend Sunday with his family, and be at Marion, Monday morning, in time for court. Accordingly, on Saturday morning, the 9th inst. at about 10 o'clock, he left Vienna in company with Judge Mulkey, both travelling in the same buggy, Judge Mulkey going to Marion, Judge Duff to Benton. About seven miles from Marion the buggy broke down. He then left Judge Mulkey at the house of a gentleman named Cash, from whom he borrowed a saddle, unharnessed his horse, and rode to Marion, which he reached at sundown. He then left his horse, borrowed a horse and buggy from Hon. William J. Allen, and started for his home, which he reached at midnight. Sunday was spent at his home, and about town, where he saw and talked with many of the citizens of the place. On the following day, (Monday,) he convened the court at Marion, and was proceeding with business when arrested. The affidavits of nineteen citizens, of both political parties, were filed with the Judge Advocate at Washington, proving the truth of the above statement, but it availed him nothing.

As we have already shown the falsehood of this document in the Judge's case, we shall digress a little, to give our

readers further proof of it in the casc of others. The Rev. O. H. McCarver, one of the party mentioned, preached to a large congregation on the day mentioned, (to wit, the 10th,) some twelve miles from Pinckneyville, when the affidavit says, that he was one of the twenty-five persons who addressed the meeting at said place, and even giving his words. His arrest was also a cruel act of persecution. He was torn from his family, friends, and home, ironed like a criminal, sent to Washington, and there confined in a loathsome prison for months. He was discharged without a trial, or even having any charge made against him, further than such as was contained in the Governor's evidence, and upon which he had been arrested.

The party were started for Washington about the 1st of September, and on the 3d were committed to the Old Capitol Prison, with the exception of Judge Allen, who, being very sick, was paroled, and left at the Kirkwood House. Judge Duff was cruelly treated, for the first few days, in regard to eating and sleeping. He was at first compelled to eat with criminal prisoners, deserters, drunken soldiers, and those under court-martial, at what was called the hog-pen, a place where several hundred prisoners rushed at meal-time to satisfy the cravings of hunger. Unable to bear the stench of the place, and the sight of the disgusting mass of halfputrid meat, he would grasp a piece of bread in his hand, and rush into the open air to eat it. Subsequently, through the intercession of Superintendent Wood, he was permitted to associate himself with other gentlemen, and form a mess. Henceforth he fared much better.

While in the prison, a fellow-prisoner, Mr. Wm. A. Harris received a letter from Mr. B. G. Roots, of Tamaroa, where the evidence on which he had been arrested was fabricated by his calumniators. Mr. Roots occupies a prominent position in the Republican party of Southern Illinois. It was written without any solicitation, or even communication, from. Mr. Harris. It reads as follows:

“'TAMAROA, Illinois, September 10, 1862

"WM. A. HARRIS, Esq.:

"Dear Friend: Believing, as I most fully do, that you are entirely innocent of any crime against the Government of the United States, I earnestly wish that I could do something to aid you in getting a trial, as I fully believe that all that is wanting to procure your release is an investigation of your case. I believe that the only evidence against you is an affidavit first published in the 'Chicago Tribune.' . . . . But I speak deliberately, and say only what I am ready to prove in any court, and before any officer who will take the testimony that I will procure, when I say that the affidavit contains so many lies, wilful, wicked lies, as shows fully that the affidavit is utterly unworthy of belief. I say publicly, that if the man who swore to that affidavit knew what he swore to, that is, if he knew what statements were contained in the affidavit, he knew that he was wearing to a lie. Yes, to a host of lies."

We leave a candid public to make its own comments. Judge Duff was held a prisoner for three months, sixtyeight days of which were spent in the Old Capitol. On the 11th of November, 1862, he was discharged without a trial, or without being before any tribunal to hear his case. Before being discharged, he, together with Judge Mulkey and Messrs. Mahoney and Sheward, was required to subscribe and swear to an affidavit that they would not prosecute the persons who caused their arrest, or the heads of the Depart

ments.

In concluding this narrative, we again quote from the Judge, who says: "Instead of regret, I feel a pride in the course I have hitherto pursued, in relation to the conduct of the late Federal Administration; and when I die, I ask no prouder inscription on my humble tomb, than, Andrew D. Duff, one of the Tyrant's prisoners in the "Old Capitol," during the great moral struggle between freedom and despotism, in 1862.""