Butte record., 1856-08-02
War Movements.

After the afriTal OF the Sierra nevada, an
unusual activity prevailed in the Navy
Yard. The different vessels of war were
placed in fighting trim, and Fort Point and
Alcatraz Island are to be garrisoned with
full complement Of men. The Decatur,
which had been placed in the Dry Dock for
repairs, was let down again on Wednesday,
and her guns reshipped and shotted. The
old sloop -of-war Warren, which has lain so
long at Saucilito, has been towed up to the
Navy Yard and prepared and fitted for ac-
ton. The San Francisco Herald of Friday
says that considerable hustle was observa-
BILE on the decks of the John Adams, lying
off the foot of Sacramento street. Her decks
we're cleared and everything put in ship
shape. The steamer Massachusetts, and the
frigate Independence, are expected here in
a few weeks, when Commodore Marvin, the
senior officer on the Pacific Coast, will take
command of the squadron An effort will
also be made to enlist five hundred men for
the artillery service.
The object of these warlike movements is
thought to be the result of an order received
from Washington, to put San Francisco in
state of defence in anticipation of the pre-
sent misunderstanding with the British
government assuming a serious aspect. The
authorities at Washington have better
means of Information upon our foreign rela-
tons than we can possibly have. and not
withstanding the almost general and conf
dent belief prevalent among the people that
no war would grow out of the dismissal of
the British Minister, Champion, it is posi-
Bile that the next steamer may bring the
news of an interruption of the peaceful re-
lations between the two governments. 1t
has been generally supposed that the COM
mercial interests of the countries are too
closely interviewer to permit an Interrupt
ton, and we are still disposed to believe
that there will be no war between our gov
ernment and England The dismissal of
Mr. Champion is no good excuse for decla-
ration of war, although it can be made
pretext for one. Should war be declared
upon this ground, it will be because England
has determined upon it, and only waits the
slightest pretext, and the U. 5. Government
could not honorably avoid it. But we are
unable to see why England should desire
war with any power, and more especially
with the United States. Her prosperity
4 L. 81, IF h
tile interests, and WAR with the U. S.
would affect that interest and the people Of
Great Britain more severely than did the
Eastern war just terminated. She would
not only have the cost to pay, but large
portion of the population of England would
be thrown out of employment and left to
starve, while England was spending nil
lions in trying to fog Uncle Sam for per-
sonal matter towards one of her Ministers,
who had refused to live in our country with
out violating our laws.
/ We're it the volitile and volcanic nation of
Frenchmen who were going to war upon this
pretext, it would be a matter of no surprise,
/ France has to furnish employment for her
/ hordes iu.t returned from the Eastern war,
or Louis Napoleon would not easily retain
his imperial seat. But why the sober, Sc
/ date ard magnanimous John Bull should
seek war upon so fimsy pretext, We can
not imagine learned Doctor not long
since pronounced the outbreak in San Fran
cisco to be the result of certain volcanic
gases in the atmosphere, and it may be pos
sible that the government of England is
similarly afflicted The Eastern war seems
to have been waged almost without cause.
merely for the purpose of seeing what two
powerful nations could do against Russia.
Having taken the south side of Sebastopol,
peace honorable to both parties was effected.
We are inclined to believe it would have
been better for us to have waged war upon
some foreign nation, and thus given our cit
zens an opportunity to have displayed their
belligerant feelings, instead of rising as an
armed mob and trampGng upon our institu-
tions France adopts this method to main
tain her despotic institutions with eeiat, and
it may be necessary for us to adopt the plan
of getting up a war occasionally, five would
maintain our institutions in their purify
We had better pay the cost of war every
FIVE years than permit the constitution and
laws to be violated by our own citizens.