Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-01-24
From the Rochester DsmOeri
A seeessIonIaE Bntherah.

John Minor Bolts has addressed letter to
the editor OF the Alexandria (Va.) Gazette,
in which he propounds certain questions,
which viii require all the Virginia editors
smartness to answer in a manner satisfactory
TO himself e1aI
Mr.. Bolts asks ''Did you approve the con-
duct of Mr. Fillmore's Administration, when
he sent Federal troops into Boston to enforce
the case of Anthony Burns2"
This interrogation, besides being very
pertinent one, gets said editor into very tight
place, out of which be can only creep by
pleading Indifference or ignorance as did the
Jews of old when rather perplexing query
was given them by the Master of all minds.
If the editor answers yes, he lays himself
I open 70 q succession of very annoying inter
rogatories If no the dilemma is an equal
ly perplexing one, for it involves notification
Of the Fugitive Slave Law.
Mr.. Botts asks again, "Are you now in
/ favor Of all the powers of the Government
being exercised for the purpose Of enforcing
/ the provisions Of that laWW
This is but a corollary of the previous
| question, naturally growing out of it, and
entailing the same disagreeahle predicaments
/ If replied to in any direct manner.at
Mr.. Bolts proceeds to put one more brief
| question, viz; "Are you in favor of the
equality Of the States 7f and then 'presuming
them to be answered in the affirmative over
whelms the editor completely by the force
and pertinency Of his concluding queries, as
follows:
" How, and upon what principle, do you
r,oda Fba d5sFsroffon ha4u-aa, ravahvsfirrr oTfn
! law by force in Massachusetts and at the
same time, propose to incur the penalty Of
treason, and induce civil war into our midst,
by resisting the same process for the execu-
tion of other laws in South CarolinaW
ado you think you have a right now to
plunge this State into all the horrors Of civil
war, and involve the people of Yirginia il
the crime of treason, by espousing the causs
Of South Carolina, that is in a state Of rebel
lion against the General Government, and
thereby transfer the battle ground from
South Carolina TO Virginia, and then cal
upon the non-slaYeholding portion Of 'hG
State to do all the fighting tor slaveholdin(
sympathies only, when their slavery property
is not endangered; and do you not think the
experiment is a hazardous one to the slave
holding interests of this Slater
nDon't you think, as South Carolina is tn
only State that has taken steps from which wa.
is likely to result, that hers is the soil upol
which the war (if any comes) should be con
Quoted, and that our women and ohildrel
should not be subjected 10 the horrors tina
will attend it, BY transferring the scene from
the rice and cotton fields Of that State to thl
hesrthstones of Virginia 2"E
ain this view OF the subject, don't Vol
think it would be more becoming and NOR
chiYalric on the part Of those who thinl
South Carolina is justified in her presen
position, and who recommend resistance t
the General Governmental If the President c
, the United States should feel that the obliga
tions of his oath required him to execute tn
laws and suppress insurreetion, should vol
unteer their services to Soath Carolina, g
down there, and make that the scene Of thei
heroism and renoTn, instead Of stirring u
the worst passions OF our nature, and drag
ging those into the difficulty who do nc
believe South Carolina is justified in wis
she has done, and who have no sympath
with the hot haste with which she has actel
I and the insulting manner in which she ha
treated YirginiaP -
This cross-examination Of Mr.. Bolts, is nc
eonhned to the limits OF Virginia IN its appl
cation. There is not man in the SOut
who can give a satisfactory and consisteu
answer TO these questions, and tatths sam
{ time persist IN course of treason and rebel
7 lion. Ifit is right to execute q law in Ma,
: sacbusetts for the benefit Of the South, it i
right to execute United States laws whsreve
r violated, for the sake Of the Union.