New-York daily tribune., 1861-05-03
MR.. BOTTs TO MIR. BATES.


Mr. DYAR SlR: Your letter of yesterday hss been
received. Be this, you will have learned through
the Iress all that has occurred at Norfolk ara ~
tlis place but caiDo, tein TO give you la't con
reu,ion OF the excitement created not only here, but
throughout tie whole Southern country, by tie lroca-
NATION OF the ISL, Wild, Ia many respects may be
regarded the most unfortunate document that ever
issued from the Government. ln the at6 nee of tat
rgper this State could not Jeen carried ont Of the
CI,n; with IT, the Union party, and tie Cuion feel
ing has been amcst entirely swept out OF eN!stcnoe
You Cannot meet with ore uan IA tL0usaId VINO 10
not ini,arnCd with p2Ss30a )f ror, ard every one
ems SO regard the procama'On sc O declaration ~
war for The subiDgalion of the entire South. and for
tie exteirinaton Of Slavery; reaeur, VIII them on
this point would soOn Auest TIE c'ion II The
Atlantic, as il would check tie current OF their pas
sions.
When | saw you In Washington, some ten days
Since / had the honor 10 lay before yon and other
members of the Cabinet, cswe IA before Mr. Ligcoln
bimseli, Ii4n for tue settlement OF our troubles,
through the luedam OF National Convention, t. give
10 The ssceded States icGrc IfH fT0E. L Thought
tlen, as l Go now, that the lsn then .nggested vas
Tie only solaion 10 tie dread.n criss when was upon
us. Since that time matters have ar uned lar ole
frChtful aspect and now venture 10 make one moie
effort " save the unnecessary efu,lon O bTOtLois
blcod, and. in tie DaIne Of liberty, humanity, and
Christianity implore you TO give your earlest and
scleLn deli erailon =,
uee0 hardly say tia. no man in this nation has held
in higher appreciation the value OF our blessed Union
No has labured more constantly and earnestly iDr
pefUetULtlpu
more freely Tor loss than niue; no can mourn
more sorrowfully for its overthrow than i wil. No
man can condemn severey tie immediate ctUtes
that ha ve mnecersaiiy LED Us into this awini ana
terrible catastrophe than do. Yet for The trst tine
sner an entire night of ,leeless ietecii n wien |
pryed Nc neN prayed bfoIe for widJm aud strength
10 90 my duty ny mind hiss been Lro eh to The con-
ciuion that dissolution IS an Inevitable decree Oi
fate.
Lam satisfied that a conea on the part Of tie Cen
n
ton powerful naval forces, iis cOmmaLd Of money,
and j,s credit without limit, hacked by eighteen on
twenty millions Of PEOPLE against cght nlilonsl
ysulost military organization, witlIOut naval
forces OF without money or credit, IL not htelY
10 lie Of doub ful result in the end-bnt after that
what then Can tie Union be preteryod on tu n
terms, or would it be worth preserving il 1t co
After the best blood 4 d country las been shed "a
war witch las Jas-ion pielldiee, ard n natural out
mutual ate for its ioundHlion iteuhiled by Tie c n
ict could the two sections ever he brcught
as one peole agUiu i-and would 1t no require large
STANDING afies in constant active service, 10 conquer
and maintain peace AID would 10, that end a Let
in hateful, oathsome military despotsml
Ii am righ, all this would not peaceful sepa-
raton got as a military Eeces'Iy, bat as tlnmpl VI
reasop oder law, liberty, morality aud rel -iDr, over
pa.sion, rride pr. iudice hatred disorder and the
force OF The mo be lar wiser aud more desirable so-
ption Of tie problem than sucI scenes as viii result
oa purely sectional warfsre, trespli ar II ay and
from vi ch TIC heart kes, ant The sou reeoiis with
horror !
You NAV cut main, kill and destroy; yon may sweep
down baliaous with your artillery; you may block
up 18th your beete you may baINe olt tbe
oasauds auG Of thousands oi tie enemies OF tie
Government. lo1 may 0rerrna but yon cannot sHtya-
g0le the United South; ard II yOn could do all Ills,
you could net do it without ing an equal amount
Of MI cry upon those who aIe iis best iileuds d who
have STOOD rs long az there WAS plank 20 stand upon,
by tie eide OF the CiOi tie Constitution ano the laws.
Oar streets may red with blood; dwellings may
be eveed with the earth .lds may be iaid wafc
our hearth tones may be made dcsolie; and tben, at
the bst, what end has been gainedl Why, the Gov
eminent has exhibited lis powtrl which lbs never
been questioned but by tue idia the inolnt ami the
deuded apd for the display Of Which there viii he
abundant opportunites, without at eiiOIt now, Oh
either tide, TO cut each other's throatsl
So far from its teing regarded betrayal Of weak
ness by the other Powert Of tie globe, viii i cot be
10 ked upon ia the present emergency as an act Of
ard heroism on The part OF the more pow
erful party 70 IroI ore terms oil pace ley me- tben
as a strong devoted, unalterabie fnebd OF the Union
M could be maiqt0sned) )let NE, us consdeniious
and opponent o The fatal berey VI Seces-
son uree uon this Admi istraIion the lohcy OF sn-
ing another Proclamation proposng Hnee 10 hos',
ties, and the immediate assembling OF National
Convention rscoguize the Independence Of each OF
the Sates 90 de Ire withdraw from the Union, and
mike tho experiment Of separate Government, which
Il will not az ihiuk, take them long 10 discover is
the most egIegons error that man, In LIS hour Of mad
meas ever committed. =, . =,
In five wear frvm this time the remaining United
States would lie stronger and more powerful than the
tLiryfour States were six months ago-and you VIII
have Government permanent and enduring for all tine
to come 10 which al WHO seek asylum from oppres-
sion msy reeort hereafter.
will not undertake to speculate on the experiment
of Soutbe n Repubic-my opinions that subject are
well Defined and too well understood 70 make II aeces'
cary that they should becsnvassed boe. Lett be ted
and let II work out its own salvation.
this policy can b sdoted az sns s =. ..cInaS scI
spcs. where can live In Peacs, and uean evs tes