Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-01-11
PROM WASHINGTON.
SATURDAY, Dec. %.
A Crisis.

army has done more for the country in a sim
gle hour than the whole Government has
done since the Inauguration of James Buchan-
an. ! wrote last week that Maj Anderson
had cktfoppcd the President. the Cabinet and
the secessionists 1t was true. On Friday
last tho South Carolina Commissioners found
the seceesionists in Anderson's trap; so they
waited upon the President and required him
TO explain FIRST, and then to take them out of
the trap. A smart trap. The President de-
clared that Anderson had acted without au-
thority thus acknowledging that Anderson
had caught him and all his Cabinet. ca
pacious trap! At once the Cabinet was sum
moned, and for hours it struggled in the trap,
and struggled in vain. A strong trap To-
day tho Cabinet went at it again, and the
question was whether OF not Anderson should
be withdrawn from Fort Sumpter, and the
forts be surrendered. Yeas--Thompson Of
Mississippi, interior Department. Thomas
Of Maryland, Treas. Department. and Floyd
of Virginia, War Department Nays-Holt
of Ky. (P. NJ. GENERALLY Black of Penn,
Estate Department. Stanton of Pa, (Attor-
ney Generally Toucy of Connecticut, Navy
Department, The noes have 1.-THE Presi-
dent al ides by the majority-and FLoYD RE-
SIGNS. Wonderful, Wonderful, wonderful
trap
But more: the Postmaster General this
day gave drafts to the mail contractors in
South Carolina for all the mail money on
hand in that State, and issued circular to
every Postmaster to know whether he will
serve that rebellious State or the Union
Uncle Sam or nobody. This is beginning at
the right end and in the right way. The
Secretary of the Treasury will be obliged to
take the same course with the Collectors. or
the Cabinet will not be unit, and Thomas
will have to follow Cobb and Floyd.
Was there not crisis in the Executive
Department on Saturday, Surely; and l
hope "a little) that the President is now SO
far committed in the right direction that he
cannot back out. have my theory about
him. lie is timid Up to this time he has
been more afraid of the South than the North
Now he is more afraid of the North than the
South. Or, to put it in little more respect
full way: his policy has been to keep quiet
by yielding to the secessonists +; and now he
finds that the Government and the country
will speedily tumble into ruin if secession is
not resisted. Nor is he alone. The great
commercial power in the cities, which has
done its utmost, by cowardly concessions and
corrupt uses of its capital, to countenance
traitors the commercial interest, which dare
not act upon honest principles because it fear
ed panic that interest, now that the panic
has come, is fierce for resistance to secession,
so as to save the remnant that remains The
conservatism that has cringed is becoming
brave and patriotic. Anderson's trap was not
without effect upon the money-changers in
Wall Street.
But more as the crisis was solved in the
White House on Saturday, like process was
going on at the Capitol. The committee of
thirty-thgee resolved:
First-That they would not guaranty slave
~ in territory hereafter to be acquired south
Of SO deg. 80 min. Ayes H. consisting of
all the Republicans present, Davis of Mary
land and Stout OF Oregon. Noes 10, all
from slave States except Burch Of California.
Second--That they would not guaranty
slavery south of SO deg 80 min. E, in ex-
listing territory. Ayes 8, all from slave States
gon. Noes l6, all from free States except
Davis of Maryland. Mr.. Taylor of Louis
lana said il was clear that nothing could be
agreed npon that would be satisfactory to
both North and South, and that he should re-
tain his position in committee only for the
purpose of making a minority report; and
thereupon Messrs. Taylor Of Lou. Winslow
of N. G. and Houston of Alabama left the
committee.
7Eird-That New Mexico Including Ari-
iona. and of course all territory south of
SO deg. so min. and some up to 81 deg may
be admitted as a State on equal footing
With the original States. Ayes IL, all from
the free States except Davis Of Md and Bris-
tow of Ky. The Republicans voting aye
were Adams of Mass, Ferry of Conn,
Humphreys of N. Y. Campbell OF Pa, Cor
win of Ohio, Dunn of Indiana, Curtis OF
Iowa, Howard of Michigan and Window of
Minnesota. The Republicans voting no were
Kellogg Of Illinois, Washburn Of Wisconsin,
Morrill, Of Vermont, Robinson of Rhode
Island and Tappan of New Hampshire
Wers this bill to pass, il would dispose of all
territory about which the slavery extension
lists can quarrel--unLa noe acquire more. New
ertheless, it is well TO remember that there is
little danger of getting more slave territory
(or any other, trust,) during the admins
tration of Lincoln. African slavery has the
saintest hold on New Mexico: it is said there
are only fifty slaves there, and those mainly
house servants. Indeed, 1t is hardly possible
to sustain slavery any where beyond the val
ley Of the Rio Grande, and that is narrow
limit. Mexican slavery-peon service-does
exist in New Mexico, and numbers some
thousands; but ! fancy it is antagonistc Il
African slavery. In any event, do not thinl
New Mexico will be slave State If sue comes
in, and doubt whether she can come in b,
any act Of the present Congress. If thu
proposition is not satisfactory to the Southern
people, suspect it will not be pressed
SUNDAY, Dec. 80
A Spur for The President.
| do not pen this item on Sunday, gin imi
tation of the Sundays work of the sout
Carolina conventon.) nor did discover
on Sunday. Monday morning. paper record
it--thus
WARNRu NoIoE--Y esterday morning, the cit
zens residing Ia the immediate neiRhbol hood OF u
White House SOMEWHAT surprised 20 beht Id hoatin
- .N NaNa laI.l - nat