The Shasta courier., 1861-04-13
SHASTA COURIER
Presidential Appointments.

We confess that we have for some time
been looking hopefully toward Mr.. Lincoln's
Administration for a modification of that old
anti-slavery or Abolition spirit, so long ex-
exhibited by himself and the leading men of
his party generally. Although fully aware
of the fact that President Lincoln was the
original enunciator of the famous g irrepress-
ible conflict dogma, and, in his Senatorial
fight with Douglas, had proclaimed himself
in favor of the political equality of all per-
sons, without reference to race or complex
ion, we still were hopeful that in the midst
of unprecedented national difficulties.
and in the face of his awful responsibilities,
he wolfd, not only by words, but by acts,
show that he had sacrificed all Abelitiopism
to love of country. Wcwere hopeful that this
fact would especially have been shown forth
in the political character of his appointees to
Office We confess our disappointment. In
stead of making his appointments from
among men of national and conservative
views, he has chosen for places of the highest
trust men who have marched in the van of
the Abolition anti-slavery movement for
the past ten or fifteen years.
Chase, whom he has made Secretary of the
Treasury, was President of the Convention
which nominated Van Buren and Charles F.
Adams as the Freesoil Candidates for Pres
ident and Vice President.
The same Charles f. Adams he has ap-
pointed Minister to England.
Anson Burlingame, who has been in the
anti-slavery movement as a leader for over
fifteen years-and who once mathematical
the " God of Abraham, Isacc and Jocob,
and His " Holy Word" because they were
not anti-slavery-he has appointed Minister
to Austria.
ous Abolitionists in the United States, and
who, in his seat in Congress, invoked " war,
pestilence and famine upon the heads of the
Southern people, and expressed the hope that
the slaves would rise up and cut the throat
of every white man, woman, and child in the
South, and thus acquire iberty-this Alb
olition demon he has appointed Consul Gen.
eral to British America
Now, in the face of such appointments,
how can it be expected that the people of the
South can feel any confidence in the Pres,
ideDt's professions of friendship?
He says that he will not impose upon the
people of the South obnoxious office holders
that he will not insist upon holding all the
Federal Forts in the seeding States! Well
may he say so, for no one knows better than
he that he simply agrees not to do what is
impossible for him to do. If these assuran-
ees of a friendly disposition were the result
of genuine patriotism, it would speak we'll
for Mr.. Lincoln. But in the face of the fact
that he has most honored those life-l long
anti-slavery agitators, whose assaults upon
Southern institution and Southern rights
have led to a disruption of the Union, we
cannot attribute his "words of friendship
or his manifestations of good feelings toward
the South. to anything else than weakness in
the back bone-than fear. He declines to
carry out the programme of the old anti -sla-
very asitators to subjugate the South, be
cause ne can't do II, at the same time gives
them assurance of his approval and esteem,
by appointing them to the most honorable
and lucrative positions within his gift.