The weekly Butte record., 1861-02-16


man who undertakes to SOW the wild oats " of
boyhood, has only succeeded in appearing ri
diculous. The near approach of the " ides of
March," seems to have dampened her dsunion
ardor. The determination of the President to
be led by the nose no more, the active prepar-
ations of Secretary Holt and Gen. Scott, will
induce her to accept of the plan of the Con-
vention Of States proposed by Virginia, which
Convention assembled at Washington on the
4th of February, and she will treat and retreat
from the perilous position in which the rash
ness of her rulers has involved her. From the
tenor Of the late news, we judge such will be
the result prior to the 4th of March We GER
tainly hope it may, for we are not among those
who would lombard their cities, and lay waste
their homes as an inducement to return to their
allegiance to the Union, if there are more
peaceable terms upon which it may be effected.
Should they choose to return without force,we
think they should be permitted to do so, and
that the Federal Government should be con-
tent with hanging two or three hundred
of the ringleaders in each of the secession
States. Should the Government conclude
even not to hang any of the traitors, we
should still be unprepared to pronounce the
Government failure. Such peace policy,
however, on the part of theFederal Gov
10 o%t1 tla -,
to the Union forever, in their " heart Of
Eelrts, as Charley Scott has it. The Fed
eral Government is not, and should not be-
tyrannical one. They should not be hasty to
accomplish by war what may be effected
peaceaby, more particularly where traitors ex-
hibit disposition to back down.
If the blowhard proceeding of the secession
lists has gratifed their own pride, and caused
the Northern States orepeal their reasonable
statutes, and to adopt for the future policy
of non-ntervention, it has accomplished some
good. Should it result in the adoption of the
Crittenden Compromise, so patriotically urged
by Douglas and others, it would only antici-
pate the policy of non-intervention, and we
have no objection to determining that result
now, if parties Will abide the contract.
We are not not among those, however, who
admit the right Of secession nor yet of those
who deny tie right of the General Govern
ment to coerce a State under the constitution
We have believed and still believe, that it
was the duty of the Federal Government to
enforce the revenue laws, to protect its pro-
perty from the assaults of States forces, and
that such policy on the part of the Govern
ment, would have prevented the present hula
balloo, by giving the Union sentiment in the
secession States a chance to have been heard.
The failure of the Government to do so in the
first instance, does not destroy the right
to do so at any time, and unless those
States shall return peaceably to their allegi-
ance, it is the duty of the Federal Government
to uphold the laws, collect the revenue, and
protect the government property against their
to go mrepresented in Congress- to dispense
with Federal Courts, and Postal service, they
should not be forced upon them farther than is
necessary to the execution of the Federal laws.
The argument that State has the right TO
secede and form petty Province, with, or with
out the protection of foreign power, ought to
rot in the living throat of the traitor who ut
ters it. American soil can never be thus trans
ferred, until the spirit of Benedict Arnold shall
have overshadowed the remembrance of the
patriot hosts of '76.
Mr.. HARRIS, of Butte, said, in introducing
his resolution endorsing Crittendens compro-
mise, that he wanted to know whether the
House was National in its character and poll
t;oc or vbofbor tho Doyp bl on roortv bo1 noc