The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-21
OPINION OF ATTORNEY nENErAL p.r


OPINION OF ATTORNEY GENERAL BATES
oN DIVIDING THE STATE OF VIRGINIA
4 letter from MIR. Bates to Mr. A f. Ritchie, of
Marion co was read in the Wheeling Convention
on Ihursday last. Il was in answer to an Inquiry
as to the Propriety of forming new State in the
western part OF Virginia. Mr.. Bates says:
The formation Of new State cut of Western
virginia is an original indepand mt act of revo!u-
uon. DO not deny the potrcr of revolution (I do
not call 1t righttor it is never prescribed, it exists
IN force only, and has and have no law hut the
Will OF the revoIutipnistS) Any attempt to carry
1t out involves plain breach of both the Cnnstitu
tions-ot Virginia aud he nation. And hence tits
PLAIN that you cannot take that course without
weakening, II not destroying, your claims upon the
sympathy and support of the General Government;
and without disconcertng the plan already adopt
eo ppth ny virginia and the General Government,
Tor the reorganization Of the revolted States and
the restoration of the integrity of the Union.
@ d"bfd btfd IL the pro-
q saareI hssnnbly, and your new Go eltion ana
CONSTITUTIONS, Gng PRESIDENT the t az he
Virginia, known to our Fathers and to ms
me rresident admitted the obligation and prOtais-
ca MS beSt efforts to fulfil it, and the Senate ad-
mitted your Senators not rs representfng a rew
and namsless State, for the first time heard of
IN Ea our history, INT as representing "the good old
Ii had time l think / could give persuasive rea.
! sons for declining the attempt to create A new
| state az TINS pcri!Ous time. At another time 7
ngnt ne willing TO go fully into the question: but
now can say no more.
ARREST OF PIERCE BuTLER.-The arrest Of This
gentleman IN Philadelphia, which was noticed in
cur paper of yesterday, is thus described by the
Press of that city:
At o'clock yesterday afternoon Marshal MILL
ward, accompanied by Deputies jenkins, Sbarkev
and Schuyler, proceeded, by order from the Secre
tary OF w ar, to boarding house on Broad street
apuVe Flne, the premises designated as the tran
g. N f,G Dial, ma
guarded the house, and the Marshal rano the hell
! and inquired for Mr.. Butler. That gentleman an
| pearlng, Mir Ali"ard arrested him by warrant, at
Ine e same time repeating ths usual formula. Mr.
Dulier uld not resist. aud the deputies took him in
eharge' Buffers effects were examined, but moth
ing OF suspicious nature found therein.
Ar. Butter was a5opt being walked to a carriage,
| when the lady Of tie house asked careIesslv. -
! 'Mr. Butler, when will you return ?'
Mr.. Butler said, in reply, nonchalcntIy:
when the waC is over"
He then conveyed down Walnut street to
the wharf, where ne took the New York boat en-
! ronte for Fort Hamilton, New York, where he
VIII be confined until orders are received for his
| release. ~
Mr. Butler left for Charleston at the time Of N.
fall of Fort Sumter, and returned about two weeks
! ago. He is said to have been implicated in shin
| ping arms to the South.
number Of important arrests are on the tapis
i RELEASE OF T. A. Il. NELsoN-We understand
! that Mr.. Nelson has acknowledged his obligation.
citizen of the State Of Tennessee, to submit to
| her late decision; and upon his pr mise to act
| hereafter in accordance herewith, the Presiden t
OF the Confederate States has ordered his release
Tne above is from the Nashville Union and
American" which paper also makes the following
statement:
Two resigned officers of the United States army
passed through this city on Monday, who were m
pressed into the service against their raive South
| at Manassas. They had just returned from their
commands in The far West, and were ordered to
me command OF dragons in the battle of the 2lst.
| They rendered their designations, but these were
declined, and they were ordered TO 90 into he
| battle against their will
They not ordered up to the front of the
| battle unit, near its close. Their did not fire
a gun, but eighteen Of them were killed and wound
ed. Alter he battle, they applied for furl ug h /,
| KY, and thence forwarded their TesEn ttlons, to
| enter the Confederate service. They have gone to
Richmond
A CoLLrsfoN ANTIclrATED.-TLe following story
is told by the correspondent of the Philadelphia
! Inquirer:
few nights since a locomotive was sent out on
! the railroad from Alexandra, for the purpose of
! placing pickets When they arrived at a point
! about four miles from the town, their locomotive
having been creased and otherwise prepared
that its movements on the rails could not be heard,
| to the astonishment II the persons upon il. As
! they rounding curve they heard lGccmo-
| tive coming from the other direction, evidently
| sent out by the Contederates for similar purpose.
IL Is NetN TESS u IUe loCOnOtlVe IFtn Alex
| andria Immediately backed the Potomac,
| fears of collision, probably with our heavily
freighted engine, rendering such step desirable.
CURToUs JAPANESE DoCUMENTs.-The Consul at
Hakodadi Japan, has forwarded to the State De-
partuent the Orgi ma! japanese vouchers, with the
! trauslatfuns, tor the expenditures made behalf
! of the Consulate. They very voluminous, con-
! sidering the small amount Of matter contained in
| them. One is bill presented by Mr.. Goo-so-go-
yo-yau kas ke-whoever he may be--of CHG gah-
| si-na Hakodadi, for sxty-two bundles of charcoal
! and two hundred and twenty sticks Of fre-wood
furnished to sailors. The aggregate cost thereof
in japanese currency reaches the portentous figure
! of As go Reduced to United States CURRENCY the
amount is SI2l4 The hill, with signature and
! SEAL fills three pages OF Jau6neSe paper.-Corres-
roadenec Philadelphia Inquirer.
| The "MEEEIMAo BAIrLEY."-It would seem that
| the hull OF The Merrimsc a. Norfolk is being con-
verted into irOn-caSed battery. If so she will
be floating fortress that will be able to defeat the
whole navy OF the United States, and lombard its
cities. Her great size, strength, powerful engines
and speed, combined with the inyulnerability Sc
cured by the iron casing, will make the dispersal or
destruction of the blockade fleet an easy TASK LOT
| her. Her immense tonnage VIII ens?le ner 10
carry armour proof against any Pr'lec'ile' ana
she could entertain herself py throwing Domos
| ;nto Eortrass Nonroe even, without risk. We
| hnne soon TO- hear that she Is ready to commence
| her avpnpipg career on the seas.-LoH'sclHe CoH-
! rier. ---
c.nr GrRAEpEAU-The telegraph frequently re-
trs 70 Cane Girardeau menaced by the Confed-
| drats troops and many ofour readers probably do
not know its precise location. 1t is the most i'm
portant city in South Missouri, well built, and
finely located with population-before the wa
of about five thousand 1t is Immediately the
Mississippi river, one hundred and fifty miles te-
! low St. Louis, and fifty miles above Cairo. The
hills of the river just here are high and rolling,
giving to the place. from an approaching boat
| finely picturesque appearance. Ihere are nne
| schools Protestant and Catholic in the place,
two printing offices, numberess churches and
| Touring mills
Barnum has live hippopotamus at his Museum
J in n ew York.