46. CHAPTER XLVI.
WIRY WILLY IN NEW YORK.
Wiry Willy, having changed his coat, which had become
known in the several armies, set out from the President's
head-quarters, early in the morning, on his double
mission.
As he passed through Philadelphia, poor Willy beheld,
with a sad heart, the evidences of desolation produced by
civil war. Not half the stores were open, and these had
but few customers. Many of the mansions were deserted,
and grass was springing up between the bricks of the unfrequented
pavements.
Upon landing in Camden, Willy was under the necessity
of exhibiting his passport; and it was frequently inspected
in the cars. New Jersey, from the Hudson to the Delaware,
and along the left side of that river down to Red
Bank, was one military encampment. The sounds of the
drum and fife and bugle; the creaking of artillery carriages,
the rattle of sabres, and the tramp of armed men,
prevailed everywhere.
Upon landing at the Battery in New York, the first spectacle
which greeted the vision of Willy, was the glitter of
innumerable bayonets. The city seemed in possession of
the military followers of Ruffleton.
Willy, in obedience to the instructions of Randolph, proceeded
first in quest of Mr. Lex, a gentleman of fortune, a
patriot, but one of the friends of the President.
At the stately mansion of Mr. Lex, Willy was confronted
by a grey-haired negro porter.
“I desire to see Mr. Lex,” said Willy.
“What business have you with him?”
“Important business. I come from the President.”
“Follow me!” said the aged servant, closing the door
and leading the way into the library, where Mr. L. was
sitting amidst his books and papers.
This patriot was then past the middle age, but still in the
zenith of physical and intellectual vigor. When it was announced
that the messenger came from the President, he
rose with alacrity, and taking Willy's hand between his
own, in silence, led him to a chair. Then turning his benevolent
countenance full upon him, awaited the communication
he had to deliver.
Willy removed the scalp from his head and placed two
documents in the hands of the patriot. One was a manuscript
copy of the secret circular, to which allusion has been
made, and the other a letter of instructions in regard to the
mode of distribution. Being deemed hazardous to send
any of the printed copies by Willy, the President requested
Mr. Lex to have a certain number printed in the city, and
to furnish Willy with a list of names of faithful friends in
the Northern States to whom they might be delivered.
“Come again at midnight,” said Mr. Lex, after perusing
the President's letter, “and you shall have a few circulars
and the names of the persons to whom they are to be delivered.
You have dispatches from Lord Slysir to General
Ruffleton, and the latter will probably furnish you with new
passports. You will then be facilitated in the discharge of
the perilous duty you have assumed. I need not warn
you of the dangers on every hand. You will perceive that
the Reign of Terror has commenced. Already one of the
faithful friends of the President is doomed to death. Major
S—'s blood has been demanded by the Tribunal of
Three, a Court created by the Convention to try and condemn
without appeal those whom they call the enemies of
Liberty. Endeavor to see the Major after your interview
with Ruffleton, and deliver him this.” Mr. Lex placed a
bank note in Willy's hand.
The Tribunal of Three, to which Mr. Lex alluded, and
which had sentenced Major S—, was the most monstrous
and fearful engine ever erected in any country, for the purpose
of striking terror in the hearts of the people. The
Convention had decreed that one of these courts should
hold its sessions in every county twice a moth. They were
to investigate alleged offences against the North; and
therefore all who sympathized with slavery or slaveholders;
gave aid and comfort to the enemy; held secret or open
correspondence with the Southern or Federal armies; opposed
the acts of the Northern Convention, or conspired
against the authority of General Ruffleton, who was entitled
The Protector—were to be adjudged guilty of treason,
and condemned to die. A majority of the three judges
could condemn or acquit. There was no appeal for the
condemned, nor preliminary investigation before trial; and
execution was to follow sentence almost immediately. These
courts were to be surrounded and protected by the military
creatures of Ruffleton; and so, in an inconceivably brief
space of time, the Usurper had become absolute; for all
power, civil and military, reposed in his hands.
Wiry Willy, after leaving the mansion of Mr. Lex, proceeded
to the City Hall, now jocularly called the Lion's
Den. In it the Convention held its sessions, and there the
Protector issued his decrees. As he was passing near the
Park, Willy's eyes were almost blinded by an object glittering
in the sun; and this, when he drew nearer, he discovered
to be the polished blade of a guillotine just erected.
There were hundreds standing round, gazing at the new instrument
of death, the first of the kind ever erected in this
country. Willy shivered with dread, and passed on through
the Guards which surrounded the Hall. He demanded
access to the General or Protector, avowing that he was
the bearer of despatches from the British Minister, and no
one sought to impede his progress. He was conducted into
an anteroom where many were in attendance, waiting to
be admitted. Ruffleton, now, was the disposer of fortune
and honor, as well as the arbiter of life; and if he had
been the d—l himself, he would have been surrounded with
flatterers.
Upon the announcement of the arrival of despatches from
the British Minister, Ruffleton dismissed every one from
his presence and ordered the messenger to be admitted without
delay.
“Willy!” he exclaimed, on beholding his old acquaintance.
“Is it possible? Can you have deserted Randolph,
or Crook, or Blount? No! You care not a fig for any of us.
But is it true that you have brought me letters from Slysir?”
“Let the letters speak for themselves, if you won't believe
Wiry Willy!” and, having said this in his former simple
manner, he placed the letters in Ruffleton's hand, and turned
aside and sat down, while the abstracted General hastily
perused them.
“Good! Capital!” exclaimed Ruffleton, quivering with
delight. “Willy!” he cried, “what reward do you demand?
Here, take my purse, and call again to-morrow.”
Willy was afraid to refuse the gold; but he declared that
he demanded no additional recompense, except a passport
to go wherever he pleased.
“You shall have it! Here!” said Ruffleton, writing
with great rapidity. “But do you intend returning immediately?”
“Wiry Willy is not fool enough for that! General Crook
was going to hang him once! The next time they might
do it! They know I was with Lord Slysir.”
“Ay—they would suspect something. And his Lordship
is not yet able to travel?”
“Lord! no, sir! He's all black and blue from the rough
usage of fighting Jack Bim.”
“Bim! I'll Bim him! But how did it happen that you
offered to come hither?”
“I wanted to travel.”
“And leave Mary?”
“She won't be married now, when there's nobody to
object.”
“A quarrel. She's a pretty girl, Willy—but I have
other matters to think about now. I suppose you met
with Summers at Randolph's head-quarters?”
“Oh, yes.”
“He's a skilful penman, but an unfaithful clerk! Tell
Randolph not to trust him. Is he much in Randolph's
presence?”
“A great deal. He's writing almost all the time.”
“He did the same for me, and then ran away the first
chance he had. But if you do not return immediately,
where are you going?”
“To get out of these troubles. Wiry Willy is resolved to
see Niagara, Saratoga, Newport, and Boston. But he saw
one thing yonder in the Court-house yard such as he never
laid eyes on before. It shines like a looking-glass!”
“You mean the guillotine. But the blade will be red
with the blood of a traitor before sunset?”
“Oh! It's the machine they cut heads off with in France,
ain't it?”
“The same kind. If you linger in the Park an hour or so,
Willy, you may see the operation, and then you can tell the
people all about it in your travels.”
“I will, by jingo! But, General, how I would like to see
the traitor first, and notice how he looks, and hear what he
says!”
“Well, you may. You see I can be in a good humor.
Take this line to the keeper of the prison—the Tombs—and
you will see the prisoner. Your hand—good-by, Willy.”
And Willy hastened away.
Ruffleton opened a door communicating with a capacious
room in which were seated Virus, General Balatrum, Smiley,
the new President of the Convention, and several politicians,
who followed the rising fortunes of the Protector.
“Gentlemen,” said Ruffleton, as all rose to their feet,
“here is cheering intelligence from Lord Slysir. The destination
of the British army under Sir Charles Hunt, is the
Federal Capital! Sir Charles is to form a junction with us,
and to be under my command. Nor is that all. A large
number of ships of war have sailed from England to co-operate
with us against the South. The Ministry have
ratified the conditions agreed upon, and no doubt the money
has been sent by the fleet!”
“Then, sir!” said Virus, exultingly, “you are not only
our Protector, but our Lord Protector!”
“There is one thing, gentlemen, one thing wanting,
before I can feel that I stand on firm ground; and that
thing I am sure you might procure.”
“Name it!” cried they.
“A sanction by the people, of the powers vested in me
by the Convention.”
“It shall be done!” said Virus.
“If the people could be induced to vote at all,” said
Smiley, “they would not dare to vote against you.”
“They shall vote!” said Virus.
“I cannot conceive why they are so averse to voting,”
said Ruffleton, walking to and fro, and musing. “They
are hostile to the Slave Democracy, and to the South, and
I propose to liberate the slaves, and to exterminate the
Democracy!”
“Recollect, General,” said Virus, “that an immense
number have joined the army; and that accounts for the
diminutive vote polled for the delegates. Besides, the
candidates nominated by your friends, rarely have any
opposition.”
“But not a day passes that we do not have resignations.
This must be checked. Smiley, the delegate who abandons
his post, unless under urgent necessity, must be denounced
as an enemy. Let one or two of them be condemned and
decapitated! That will put an end to resignations!”
“It shall be done,” said Smiley.
“And, General,” said Virus, “within ten days I undertake
to say, the authority conferred on you by the Convention,
shall be ratified by a unanimous vote of the people.”
“Let that be done, Virus,” said Ruffleton, “and then we
shall all be secure in the positions we have assumed.”
“All I require is a little work from the instrument put
up in the Park.”
“Let it work!” said Ruffleton, stamping the floor.
“And let a few gentlemen of the press be among the
first victims.”
“Are they not condemned? Why delay?” continued
Ruffleton.
The General then returned to his Cabinet.
