The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-23

The Smithsonian Institute and the National
Observatory have a new phenomenon to deal with
The Administration has surprised the world with
a constitutional scrnple To the Honorable, the
Attorney-General, belongs the credit of the dis
covery
We published, yesterday, part of letter from
The Hon. EDWARD BATES to the Hon. A. T.
RITcHIE, member of the tFVirginia Convention
Mt Wheeling, in reply to an inquiry from the lat
ter "upon the question of dividing the State of
"Virginia into two States" Mr.. BATES objects to
the proceeding altogether. 1t would not only be,
he Thinks can act of revolution" which is bad
enough, but IA plain breach of both the Consti-
"tutions-of Virginia and the nation'-which
would be intoerable. s'It is plain, he tells Mr.
RTcHIE, 'that you cannot take such course
iwithout weakening, if not destroying, your
"caims upon the sympathy and support of the
General Government" How, indeed could
MIR. RITCHIE venture to imagine that the General
Government could feel any thing but horror in
describable at the idea of such thing as breach
OF any constitution, State or Federal? Mr.. BATES
lmplores Mr.. RITcHE, therefore, to ''abstain,"
ana especially Sin this terrible crisis of our ma
tonal affairs AS he calls the sartificial crissu
OF Mr.. LINcoLN-'from the introduction of any
f'new elements of revolution He beps him &c
pecially, ITO avoid all new and original theories
''of government" and to "adhere as closely as
circumstances will allow, to the old constitu-
''tional standards of principler' 1t would be
shocking that there should be the slightest de-
parture from these, particularly Tin the nsurgent
commonwealth" In the common wealhs
which are not insurgent, lie does not seem to think
that it would be quite so bad.
Truly this is refreshing SAMANIEGo's fable oe
the scrupulous cats is nothing to it, Those feline
casulsts, the poet informs US, found their way into
- N''chen, where lat capon was at roast. They
"e'oureo the capon, without argument and then
s"'e uoWn to consider whether it would be proper
10 eat Tue spit Did they eat il? Not at all-
they were conscientious. Mr.. BATES has mo basi-
tation about suspending the bgbeas corn,,. Win
out authority Of law lie thinks it al, r;,ht -
rest and imprison citizens without warrant not,
or accusation; to deprive them of all opportur;tv
of trial. to remove them to distant prisons. awav
from their homes and families and subject to pri
vatlon, restriction and contumey. He has no OBJ
Jecuon TO having their houses searched at mid
high'' by force, and without legal process. He
cohcurs IN the propriety of overturning the laws
ana constitution of Maryland; of removing State
oiiicers ana appointing and paying others in their
stead; oil handing over the government of cities
to Major Generals, and setting the military obo,o
the civil power. All this he is delighted with
but violate the Constitution, by splitting ono sto,a
into two? Never! never!-he could not surviro
it. He can get along well enough with Mr.. LINZ
coin, in regarding the States as counties, to he
treated accordingiy-but-introd any 'snew
"and original theories of government" he
would die first lie can enjoy one of Gen. FRE-
EoNTs forced loans, in st. Louis, as constitu-