Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-01-18
SATURDAY, Jan. S.
DEFENCE Of the Capital.


pressive.
SATURDAY, Jan. S.
Defence of The Capital
At very short notice a detachment Of ma
rines was ordered to occupy the forts on the
Potomac below Washington Unquestion-
ably this was done to prevent the occupation
Of these forts by secessionists, as has been
done in SOME of the Southern States. More
over, u. s. troops have been ordered to take
position in this vicinity, and an organization
of the militia and Of patroling companies of
citizens of Washington is under way, for the
purpose Of maintaining law aud order in the
capital. # is said that the President is now
so confident Of preserving the peace as to
promise to ride with Lincoln on Inauguration
day
MONDAY, Jan. 7.
Change Of Programme
Is is pretty confidently stated that the Sc
cessionists have changed their programme
They are likely to postpone secession until
after the 4th Of March, so as to permit the
Senators and Representatives Of secession
States 20 retain their seats in Congress and
disorganize the o. S. Government have
first rate authority for saying that one Of the
most conservative members of the House
from a slave Statc) has to-day declared his
opposition to the ordinary appropriations for
the army and the navy. OF course it is fair
20 presume that others. less conservative, will
exert all their power to defeat these bills. II
such is the programme, there is more than an
equal chance that they will succeed not in
the House, but in the Senate. The plan then
j. supposed to be this first, to cut the sin
ews Of the Government here before the 4th
OF March, and then to get as many States as
possible to secede from the Union.
Dissolved.
In the Senate. to-day, Senator Toombs an
bounced that the Union is dissolved. and
thereupon he made very abusive speech. At
the same time it was rumored in the streets
that the Senator had telegraphed to Georgia
No. 10 secede at present An Offset, perhaps,
20 his late warlke despatches-for which, by
the by, it has been suggested that an indict-
ment for treason may be good remedy.
Constitutional Compromises.
In the House, Mr.. Etheredge of Tennes-
see introduced series Of constitutional
amendments, embracing the Crittenden prop
osition with some variations Of course re-
recognition and protection Of slavery in sun
dry particulars. Objections came first from
Southern members, followed by a demand for
the yeas and nays by Northern member
E,heredge then moved a suspension Of the
rules ayes SO, noes rs. A majority, but
not two-thirds so the motion failed. The
Republicans were nearly unanimous in the
negative, and the "fre-eaters" voted with
them. The ayes consisted of Democrats
generally. both Northern aud Southern, ex-
ccpt fre-eators-the South Amercans-and
a dozen Republicans or peoples party"
men Of New York, Pennsylvania and New
\Nrsoy. This vote shows that the South can
carry any proposition they please, short of
a constitutional amendment, which requires a
two-tLirds vote. But the secessionists do
not wish for any accommodation. Up TO this
time the border slave States haze wished it,.
Their future course am not disposed to pre-
dict. They will define it quickly.
MAJOR Anderson Sustained
Mr. Adrian Of New Jersey proposed a res
oluton approving the course Of Maj. Ander-
son in taking post at Fort Sumpter and of
the Presidents determination to keep him
there-and pledging the support of the House
to all constitutional measures for the execu-
ton Of the laws and the preservation of the
Union. Promptly objected to by secession
ists Rules suspended, 1914 to SO, and reso-
luton adopted, l24 to So. Republicans
unanimous in the acknowledgements and
South Americans divided. This resolution
was bitterly enouuced-violently, very vio-
lently denounced-by several Southern men
as declaration of war Fudge As we'll
might the Imprisonment of thief or the
hanging Of traitor be denounced as dec
laration Of war.
old Virginia Getting Tired.
Gov Letcher to-day fred his big gun. IIe
don't want dsuuion now; he does want it by
and by, if the North will not worship the
black idols Of old Virginia and he is hope
full that nearly all the North will do il, for he
winds off by saying--''let New England and
Western New York be sloughed off from the
Union and ally themselves with Canada "
Oh. no Johnny Letcher don't want Cana
da annexed 70 his Union. That is one thing
And he is careful to cut off those parts of the
present United, or dis United States in which
Eastern and Southern New York would make
a Democratic State and all free States south
aud west of New York have until recently
Reen Democratic. John evidently has hopes
8of the Democracy yet, and his chief hope is
that it will be savocratie in sentiment, and
humbly submissive politically to the F. F. VS..
However, just think about the new empire to
which Gov. John would assign you all New
England and Canada and half Of New York.
Now take half of the free States west OF
New York, and the territory corresponding to
the Pacific. Put them into one confederacy,
purely free. | think we could get along with
the world quite as well as Johns Central
Coniederaoy. or the Cotton Kingdom. With
nobody TO attack us on the North,--a com
paratively narrow seaboard aud easily de-
Tended, both on the Atlantic and the Pacific,
and border of free States between us and
the terribly belligerent South, think we
should not be very much frightened. But
how Is John to "slough us off, Is it a
game that two can play at Suppose the
slave States should be "sloughed OFF, |
am suspicious that John would not like that
IL is pretty clear that he is afraid of being