Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-06-07
LErrER FRoM Mr.. pArEs ro ma. ROWS


--sass-
LETTER FROM MIR. BATES TO MIR. Bolts.
The Wheeling (Va.) Iaieiligencer publishes the
following letters from the Hon. Edwards Bats
to the Hon. John Minor Bolts They we're
written in reply to letters which have been pub
lished:
WASHINGTON CRY, Monday, April 30, 1861.
Hon. JOHs NJ. Bora, Richmond Va;
DEAR SIN; bay before yesterday Saturday,
Col. VIM. Henry Russell OF Kansas (now sojourn-
ing in this city,, handed me IN open not4 from
you to me, bearing date Richmond, April 49,
1861, in which was folded up, but not mentioned
in tue body Of the note, printed paper (ap-
parently clipped from newspaper), which pur-
ported to be letter from you to me. l say
purpOrted, for although you may hare Writtsa
such letter, certainly have received no such
letter in your handwriting, nor in any form
except the printed slip folded in your note.
You and l, Mr.. Butts, know each others
characters very well. Heretofore, yours has
been marked by bold, frank and manly traits
which won for you many friends and admirera
all over the country, and hence my establishment
on receiving from you such n note with such an
inclosure. | do not impute the blame to you
for | cannot avoid the conclusion that you are
acting under duress-ihat you have become the
victim of set Of desperad0es, who, having wan-
tonly plunged into the guilt of treason and the
danger Of ruin, would gladly sacrifice you and
me, and ten thousand such men, if thereby they
can make way Of escape for themselves from
the least of the dangers which they have 50
wickedly incurred.
Here at Washington, perhaps, we know little
more about the mnchiuatinns of the conspirators
at Richmond than .ihey are aware Of. But be-
side that, the documents (yOur note to Col
Russell, your note to me, and the printed slipl
bear internal evidence Of concerted plan, d
ts.Ua Sal funN l.1I
Bolts, butt by those same conspirators who,
failing to inIimidate the Government by bullying
violence, have changed their tactics, and still
hope to win the victory and destroy the nation
by q less hazardous but more cunning process.
]. Your note to Col. Russell (which he showed
mel imports that you are safe and comfortable
ct Richmond, while we have melancholy testi-
mony that such men as you are neither safe nor
comfortable there.
2. Your note to me of April 20 covering the
printed letter, but not mentioning ~ contains
several phrases which am persuaded yeu would
not have used if left to your own free action
The note begins by stating its main object thus
81 write hurriedy to say that have consented
to the publication Of my letter to you, with the
hope" &C. Which letter to me? l have re-
oeived several letters from you, but none OF the
18th of April. "Consented to the publication"
at whose instance Iherhrase and the con
text invite the inference that the publication was
made at my instance, and that inference was,
believe, generally drawn 10 this city, and will
probably be drawn all over the country; where
as, you do kHOip that had nothing to do with it's
publication.
The note concludes with this very suggestive
line; ~ am not ut liberty to speak of what is
going on here" l can earnestly comprehend
that humiliatng fact aud do painfully sym.
pathiEe with you, aud with all good and faithful
men in my native State, when | behold the
capital Of the once free and proud Virginia sub.
jected to the tyranny of n lawless mob
8. The printed letter. Alas that l should
live to see such o letter under the hand of the
gallant and gifted John NJ Bolts | shall not
20 into uny minute criticism Of the letter-to
Hhow how it contradcts all the main facts 10
your high and honorable political history, and
conference.-the the whole line Of your active
and useful career, onward and upward for the
last 80 years. My personal regard and my grea
respect for your character forbid me to do that
But cannot forbear to say that the whole soopg
and tendency of the letter, if not its design /.
an argument in favor Of dissoging the Union
aud hlottiug from the map of the world the ma,
tlon Of the United States. it's silent approval
(by failing to condemn) of the violent and re
evolutionary proceedings of the people Of thl
Southern States lin several ief them before thu
idle form of Secession was gone through with
In plunderng the money and arms and othe
property OF tue Qnlteu bthtcSs IN SEEING upOl
our ungarrisoued forts; In making open wa
upon such as refused TO surrender; in frinI
upon. and in some instances actually degradinl
the flag Of our country and in schemes and pro
jects boastfully announced in the public press
and partially acted out iu military preparations
to seize this capital by violence, and break Vi
the Government.
Your letter does not in terms assert, but b,
necessary implication assumes, that this Admin
will a.
country, by the cheap and easy experiment 0
Issuing proclamation, proposing truce o
hostilitieH, and the immediate assembling of
National ConyentiOnl" 1t Seems to me, my dea
Sir, that there are some serious objections to thi
cheap plan Of peace; and first, the President ha
no power to call Il National Convention. Second
II he did call II, there is not the remotest proba
biity that the insurgent States would obey th
call Third, IL they did obey it, there is lttl
hope that they would agree to come in on equn
terms with the other States, by recanting thei
recent assumption Of separate and abaolut
sovereignty and by restoring oil that they hav
taken, by violence, from the United States l
short, after all that is past it seems to me tha
there are but two alternatives left to this Admir-
istration-frsi, to submit implicitly to all III
claims Of theinsurgent States, and quietly to col
sent to dismemberment Of the national union
second, to do its hest TO restore peace law, an
order, by supporting "the Constitution and th
Union, and the enforcement Of tho laws" Ii
the nation judge which horn Of the dilemma th
Administration ought to take, in view of all il
obligations in regard to the permanent interes
OF the country, and to it's own patriotism an
constitutional duty.
am amazed at tho course Of things IN vi
ginir Your Convention was not called to di
solve the Union, nor trusted with the power
Secession. BY the act of its creation, tn
sovereign power was reserved to the people
Virginia. Yet, as soon as the Convention he
secretly acted upon the subject, without any pr
mitigation of the ordinance, and, while the ueop
were yet ignorant Of its existence, the exeeut
officers Of Virginia rushed ineontinently, in
open war against the United States They o
deRvored to obstruet the harbor Of Norfolk
order to secure the plumber of the Navy Yard
Gosport, and sent military power to compile
the work Of its spolintion. The enterprise faile
indeed, to clutch the spoil, but 1t caused I
destruction of millions Of dollars worth Of rub
property. The same thing was attempted in
ference to Harper's Ferry, and was only fri
trated because the vigiant little garrison, kno
ing its inability to resist such superior numbe
destroyed the property and made good its retire.
They menaced this capital by open threats
military force, by obstructng the roads eRdi
to It, and by active endeavors to command
navigation Of the Potomac. And all this v
done while the State according to the letter
It's own law, remained member Of the Union
Think you, my dear Sir, that men who