The weekly Butte record., 1863-02-07
csRarzroxDExcE.l
THREE RIvEEs, CNich.) Jan. 6, I

OF the lst. Il would have been & pardonable
joke on the part of JEFF Davis, # be had issued
proclamation bearing even date, declaring all
the free negroes II the Northern States slaves.
+ The effect would have been an instantaneous
skedaddling for Canada BY the colored popula-
ton. Although there are but few. even among
the Republicans here, who believe in the eff
eaey Of this great document" still they say,
now that ii IS out, give it q trial twill make
no difference with the true. unconditional Union
! sentiment of the country. It is well known.
however, that, when the radicals shall have
seen the utter folly of this proceeding. they
will endeavor TO carry the people With them in
eonsenting 10 4 dissolution Of the Union. This
they can never accomplish. Many Repa6li-
cans here are sincere Unon men, and they will
never consent to a dissolution Of the Union
because the free States cannot put down slave
ry in the South. They now begin TO see where
the q irrepressible doctrine of their leaders
Is dragging them, and, with the Democracy,
/ they declare themselves for the Union with or
without slavery. II, as the radical leaders say.
the Union cannot exist half slave and half free.
but that it mast become all one thing or the
other, they accept the alternative, insisting
firmly upon the Union. Experience has alrea-
dy demonstrated that it cannot exist peaceablg
half slave and half free, with Republicans to
rule. They are now trying the experiment Of
making it ali free. If they fail in this, as fail
they will, the people Of the free States will still
declare for the Union. if with it comes the al
tentative of the Union being all slave This
Is my opinion, from what can Judge of the
pablic sentiment. The Democratic sentiment
has never cared a copper for the slavery ques-
tion. Whether the people sent it up or down,
they cared not, so that those interested should
settle it for themselves They would never
permit that question to interfere with their
devotion to the Union They will not aban-
don the Union because fanaticism is endeavor-
ing TO make it all free, and they will not aban-
don the Union if the attempt to make it all
free results in making it all slave The Union
is worth the sacrifice of all political opinions,
not essential to the existence of free govern
ment. The watchword here Is, "Our Federal
Union-it must be preserved" whether half
slave, or half free, or all slave or all free.
The Importance of the proclamation was
discussed by the press prior to its issue, and
there is but little added now The Chicago
Times is ultra enough to declare that the proc
lamation hopelessly divides the North To
admit this is making slavery preferable to the
Union. The Times has deceived itself in this
particular. The people will not surrender the
Union upon any phase the slavery question
may assume. 1t is 4 lame and impotent affair.
and should have no weight. 1t would be laugh.
able if the folly of rulers was not always
serious matter. The spectacle of ruler ad-
dressing subject caste far within the limits
of the Territory of victorious enemy; prefer
ring freedom TO men surrounded by hostile
bayonets, which he has in vain essayed to
break through advising them to labor for
wages, when he knows that such labor is i'm
possible to them; enjoining them to peace,
when peace is perfect notification of bis
proclamation the spectacle of such a ruler
is one of the most ridiculous history displays
one of the most dishearteuing a patriot can
contemplate but what shall be said Of the
President Of the United States who has lost
all the opportunities which united and fervent
patriotism has cast upon him, who has frittered
away the strength of hundreds of thousands of
soldiers and wasted hundreds Of millions of
dollars at the dictaton of those who desired
to wrest this proclamation from him The
struggle of the radicals to obtain emancipation
has overwhelmed the struggle of the people to
preserve the Constitution and the Union. To
this source may be traced the vacilations and
also the pretenses of the Adnnistration-th
disgTaceful attempt to destroy conservative
Generals-the lack Of vgor which has charac-
terized the war. Strong in the delusion that
freedom to the nggers would be the trump
card in his hands Mr.. Lincoln has played his
game languidly, throwing away all other cards,
to find that his trump, when thrown out, cuts
very sorry figure after the uninterrupted de-
feats to which his folly has subjected him. In
issuing the proclamation, Abraham Lincoln is
only keeping alive the delusion created by JEFF
Davis.
New York.
Gov. Seymour was inaugurated at Albany,
on the lst. He replied to an address of Gov.
Morgan, as follows:
GOVERNOR MoRGAN-I thank YOU sir. for
your good wishes and your kind expression of
a generous desire for my successful discharge
of the duties upon which I am now 10 enter.
| congratulate you that you are able to close
your administration with calm satisfaction
in the contemplation Of the good condition OF
our State. 1t gives me great pleasure to testi-
fy to the zeal, fidelity and ability with which
YOU have discharged the duties of Governor of \
New FORK during 4 time when the country has I