The weekly Butte record., 1861-05-25
Our Country.

belion, is constantly raising our respect for the
Government, and more and more satisfies US,
that it is worthy of preservation. 1t presents
TO day, one of the noblest spectacles of history
For two or three years, JEFF Davis, and his
band of thieves, had had the complete control
Of the Federal Government and for the pur-
pose of carrying forward to a successful result,
their traitorous designs. had, for the moment.
utterly demoralized and almost disorganized
The country.
The feet Of the nation had been distributed
around the world or had been laid up in ordi-
nary all disposed of in such manner as to
require the longest possible time to bring it
into service at the very point the traitors
knew it would be needed.
Thousands of stands of arms and immense
quantities of munitions of war had been re-
moved from the Arsenals and Military Depots
in the Northern States, TO the South, and pla-
ced in unglarded situations, that they might
be ready to their hands when the signal was
given or, what was still worse, had been
placed in the charge of men, sworn to betray
their country
The system had left the forts unguarded !:
had disposed the army in unavailable situa-
tions, or under the command of traitors, who
would surrender them without striking blow
in defense and had left the Treasury bank
rupt, under system of peculatons and plum
der, which would have done credit to band
of pirates.
1t was such Government President Lincoln
took charge of, upon the fourth of March last
The traitors, well knowing the ruin they had
wrought, were exultant over their infamy, and
congratulated themselves upon their advanta-
ges, and boasted that with the long prepara
ton they had been making it would be but
holiday pastime to take possession of Washing
ton, make it the seat of government for Mig
gerdom, while the army could be thrown still
in advance and occupy Philadelphia, to pro-
tect their new government and keep the Yam
KEGS in proper subjugation. Even jeff Davis
boasted in his inaugural that the tide of war
if war there should be---shoud be rolled North
ward-that the n Northern hordes should feel
Southern steel, and smell Southern powder"
We have read of bands of outlaws, who
would permit no one to become member of
the band, until the applicant had committed
some crime, which would forfeit his life to the
laws. The rebels seemed to require baptism
of crime of each individual State, to fit it for
the new confederacy, and it was the stealing of
Government property; the violation of oaths ;
the trampling down of the Constitution and of
law the mobbing of innocent men and women.
that made the State applying for admission,
welcome to the band.
But the rebels neglected one element in ma
king up their estimates, and that was the pa
triotism of the American people.
In less than sixty days the President has
brought into active service one hundred thous-
and men, well provided with all the require
ments of war, and ready for instant action
Another one hundred thousand have been en-
rolled and are awaiting marching orders, should
the nation need their services. And still an
other hundred thousand were offered for enroll
ment and refused. Thirty millions of dollars
have been poured into the Treasury from indi-
vidua hands Who would not be proud of
such country and such a people?
The attitude assumed by the Government is
having very marked effect upon the rebels
themselves. Under certain gentle admonitions
and arguments, from the President, MARYLAND
has yielded one of the State Right doctrines,
that no Federal troops can march across a
sovereign State, without permission of the
State; the Legislature voted that it was i'm
polite to secede, and today, is arming to sup
port the Union. Governor Jackson, all at
once, discovered that it was not the policy Of
Missouri TO attempt to steal the Government
property within the borders of that State and
even General Frost, who displayed the Spartan
50 chivarouSly. IN uords, when he told Capt
Lyon il" if he wanted the guns, to come and
take them advises the good people of St
Louis to keep COOL" Gov. Letcher denies
that he ever intended to attack Washington !;
talks of Withdrawing the troops from Harper's
Ferry and has cooled down into a very phil
osophic frame of mind, over the occupation of
Fort Monroe by ten thousand Federal troops :;
and Davis himself, in his last message, has no
more threats about the feeling of Southern
steel and the smelling of Southern powder, but
assumes more the tone of martyr than of
conqueror. Bcmbastes alone Ialias Wigfall)
is left, who talks of having the President and
his Cabinet prisoners, in thirty days and of
making Philadelphia summer retreat for the
Southern army. But then he is not RESPONSE
BILE for what he says, any more than Montgo-
merry, in the California Legislature, or any
other madman.
We feel that we have Country and a Gov
ernment, and the traitors begin to feel it too !;
but our knowledge fills us with pride for our
country; theirs fills them with fear Even
now, an armistice of sixty days is asked for,
showing that even with their two years prepa-
ration, they are confounded and bewildered
with the energy the DromDtness and mower of