New-York daily tribune., 1861-02-16
FROM MARYLAND.
A PEEP IN UPON THE UNION-SAvLNG
CONGRESS-,

BALTIMORE, Feb. Is, 1861.
I ran over TO the Federal capital yesterday
to eco how the UniOD-Ssving Congress was set
ting on, and to take hand, if possible, in tAA
patriotic work of assuaeng the grief of our op-
ponents, who find it go difficult task to keep.
themselves from carrying the Border Slave States
into the gulf of perdition, simply because Lincoln
and Hamlin have beaten them; for this is the
real cause Of discomfort, gloss it over a. you
may, with all the palaver about Southern rights,
&c. Besides, there are some bakers dozen Of
them Ex's and / wanted TO shake them by the
hands once more this side Of the grave.
1t was May day of the first water, and every
body seemed satisfied with each other. mean,
every body who had not beea bitten by the Pal.
metto Rattlesnake; and even many Of them were
rapidly convalesiDg, and actually had smile for
their plying neighbors and former friends. The
very atmosphere seemed to be buoyant with hdel.
ity to the Federal Government, and the soldiers,
usually so distasteful to Americans, actually i'm
parted sense Of security such as We never used
to realize. They were there to defend the capital
from traitors, and people fraternized with them
with great JUNCTION.
Of course, secrecy is the order of the day in
the Amateur Congress, and so / could not get at
any facts from that source; but somehow or
other, outsiders were not ignorant Of what was
going on inside, and the various plans Of adjust
ment were freely discussed among the knowing
ones.
The result of my observations may be summed
up in few words The elections in Virginia
and Tennessee have cooled the ardor of the Com.
promisers down to freezing point, Fahrenheit, and
the prospect was, last evening, that no serioui
effort would be made to arrest the progress OF
the natural current that is rapidly drifting US to-
ward and past the 4th of March. The attempt
of the ak rebellous States to dam up that cur.
rent has resulted 30 disastrously to the Canutes
engaged in it, that found very little disposition
to try it in the Border Slave States. As one
said to me, yesterday, the attempt to stop the
onward course of the United States Government,
is very much like trying to step the downward
current of the Father of Waters with Q shiogle
A Virginia Delegate, about whose patriotism
and love of the Government NO one would doubt
if could repeat bis name, expressed himself TO
me perfectly ready to accept the result Of last
Novsmbers election as the law of the land, and
to obey it cheerfully, nay, to lend hearty sup
port to Mr.. Lincoln, holding him responsible for
the execution Of his officer but the difficulty he
had was to get the notion out Of the heads OF
the people of Virginia that the Republicans In
tended to interfere with Slavery in the States
An error sowed broadcast by your own ora.
tors and presses" True" said he "Will not
the unanimous vote of the House, indorsing Mr..
Sherman's resolution, or rather the plank in the
Chicago platform, that neither the Federal Gov
ernment nor the States, nor the people Of the
States, have a right to do any such thing, tend
to open the eyes of the people of Virginia on this
subject" 7" ~ think so" said he.
The efforts on the part of certain Of the Com.
promisers, who are fighting the battle for the
Secedant States, to keep up the flame of excite.
ment, are evidently losing effect. Every day that
abridges the gulf between now and the 4th Of
March, tends to put out the Secession fire. The
course of the Montgomery cabal, itself tends
to the same result for there is no longer any
danger from an attack upon Forts Sumter and
fre-ester to-day. "And Maryland viii doubly
do for YOU" / replied, 81 if Gov. Hicks will give
the people a chance to vote on the question"
4" You are right" said he despondently. Z" North
Cardinals voice will seal the fate Of Secession,
beyond the hope Of resurrection, in my judg.
ment." remarked. "Not q doubt of it," said
my interlocutor, who, ten days ago, wanted TO
fight me for opposing him.
Gov. Hicks, whose frmness prevented our hl'
libusters from precpitatng the State OF Mary
land into the foolish expense incident upon can'
ing the Legislature together, and harrassing our
people with the question of Convention, l am
sorry to say, is giving out in Washington, fhat
unless a Compromise is speedily effected, be can
not hold out much longer, but must yield 70 inc
clamor of Ex.Gov. Lowe 81 Co. Now GOV.
Hicks knows perfectly well, that the people OF
MARYLAND will vote down any call for Conven'
tion intended to disturb our existing relations 70
the Federal Government, seven to two, ut least,
If not nine 10 one IL was this knowledge OF
the temper of Maryland, that justified him IN re-
fusing to assemble the Legislature at ab' Ana
he knows, too, that he is not going to call that
body together, for the simple reason, that " WIZ
speedily terminate bis official life, by an impeach-
ment!
This threat or rather intimation, will have no
effect upon the deliberations of the Conference
because they are just as correctly advised Of the
true state of things in Maryland as the Governo,
is. And so, too, the threat that vire'h'a WI
seceds unless Compromise is effected, WIZ Oe
treated by tho Conference as brHfa% Ja'@'1.
Ey.Msmbsr of Congress Ricaud heada tne