therefore, they sold the negro, it only became a breach of trust, not stealing; and for a breach of trust, the owner of the property can only have redress by a civil action, which was useless, as the damages were never paid.  It may be inquired, how it was that Murel escaped Lynch law under such circumstances This will be easily understood when it is stated that he had more than A thousand sworn confederates, all ready at a moment’s notice to support any of the gang who might be in trouble.  The names of all the principal confederates of Murel were obtained from himself, in a manner which I shall presently explain.  The gang was composed of two classes:  the Heads or Council, as they were called, who planned and concerted, but seldom acted; they amounted to about four hundred.  The other class were the active agents, and were termed strikers, and amounted to about six hundred and fifty.  These were the tools in the hands of the others; they ran all the risk, and received but a small portion of the money; they were in the power of the leaders of the gang, who would sacrifice them at any time by handing them over to justice, or sinking their bodies in the Mississippi.  The general rendezvous of this gang of miscreants was on the Arkansas side of the river, where they concealed their negroes in the morasses and cane-brakes.

The depredations of this extensive combination were severely felt; but so well were their plans arranged, that although Murel, who was always active, was everywhere suspected, there was no proof to be obtained.  It so happened, however, that a young man of the name of Stewart, who was looking after two slaves which Murel had decoyed away, fell in with him and obtained his confidence, took the oath, and was admitted into the gang as one of the General Council.  By this means all was discovered; for Stewart turned traitor, although he had taken the oath, and having obtained every information, exposed the whole concern, the names of all the parties, and finally succeeded in bringing home sufficient evidence against Murel, to procure his conviction and sentence to the Penitentiary (Murel was sentenced to fourteen years’ imprisonment); so many people who were supposed to be honest, and bore a respectable name in the different States, were found to be among the list of the Grand Council as published by Stewart, that every attempt was made to throw discredit upon his assertions—­his character was vilified, and more than one attempt was made to assassinate him.  He was obliged to quit the Southern States in consequence.  It is, however, now well ascertained to have been all true; and although some blame Mr. Stewart for having violated his oath, they no longer attempt to deny that his revelations were correct.  I will quote one or two portions of Murel’s confessions to Mr. Stewart, made to him when they were journeying together.  I ought to have observed, that the ultimate intentions of Murel and his associates were, by his own account, on a very extended scale; having no less an object in view than raising the Blacks against the whites, taking possession of, and plundering new Orleans, and making themselves possessors of the territory.  The following are a few extracts:—­