Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1866-05-03

throughout New England. The government Of
the United States was nerdicted from lcvying
forces in New England to meet the enemy.
The British soldiers in Canada, and all along
our frontiers to the far West, were supplied
with everything from New England, while the
American soldiers were pcrishng for the want
of food and clothing amid the snow storms
along the Canada line.
AT such moment the commissioners of the
Hartford Convention appeared at Washing
to proclaim their purpose of secession to
President Madison, TO use the phrase of one
of them, "peaceably if we can, forcibly if we
must" Mr.. Forsyth and his brother com
missoners from the South followed this pre-
ccdcnt when they came to Washington,
spent month in negotiation with Mcssrs.
Seward, Holt, and Stanton, asking, "audi-
cncc to adjust (to use their own words) in Il
spirit Of amiiy aud peace the new relations
springing from manifest aud accomplished
revolution in the government of the Union,"
and as earnestly acknowledging the fact,
the surrender of Fort Sumpter was demanded
and it was acceeded to by Mr.. Seward, who
gave Judge Campbell assurances authorizing
him to say TO the commissioners, 81 feel en-
tire confidence that Fort Sumpter will be
evacuated in the next five days" Forum
atelv in the days of the Hartford Couven-
ton there was Gen. Jackson as there is
now q Grant. The British had felt his pow
cr throughout the war in the Southwest as
we'll as the vgor of the navy on the seas,
and when the Essex iunto commissioners ar
rived in Washinton to renouncc the govern
mcnt, the victory of New Orleans and the
news Of peace met them. They lost the
voice which they came 10 utter when they
found the British lion hushcd on the ocean
and on the plains Of New Orleans. They
went home but they were no, prescribed.
The governments of New England had sym
pathised with the foreign enemy, but the
mass of the people had not as yet been forced
into the ranks of the encmy-their means
had been largely contributed to support the
British power under the awe its presence in.
spired and the influence the traitors among
them cxerted. But none Of these men were
punished. Maine which was in fact under
the paw Of its ensign as a conquered country
was not considered out of the Union. Its
officials, although they obcycd the order
cmanating from British authority, and rend.
cred important service TO that government
and were in fact guilty of treason, if the pow.
or Of compulsion though not cxerted, had no
justified it, were not questioned by our gov
ernment farther than to draw from our courts
decision that submission TO Il power tha
acts justifiablc.
But now the tables are turned, and tier,
/ is no such allowance for the people of th'
South, who were under durcss while the con
spirators were establishing an absolute usur
: patton over them by military force, and th
leading men in the administration going on
ard that coming in, at Washington, wcr
both united in Il negotiation with that usur
patton TO acknowledge 'pcace and omity
: with it, as the result of " a manifest and &C
conplshed rcrolution IN tie gorernment Of til
Union," and this confirmed by the promis
Of the Premier that the strongholds of tn
g United States in the harbor Of Charleston
should be surrendered to that usurping gov
= crnment. The men who stood by the uniol
in the South until the whole reg ION was give
I over by the government bound TO protec
. them, but which, instead of interfering i
: their behalf, was capituating for their surrer
@ der, had no alternative when thus permitted t
: be enyroncd within the military lines Of III
4 foe, which expelled everything Union be
= yond their border, but submission. Whc
c right has the national government now
h hold these men subject to penalties for az
c ouicscing in their enforced condition, an
= yielding to the will Of the state government
II and the military power thus established, an
n going into the war, more than the Unl'e
o States had to hold the men of Maine lab
l. to punishment for giving aid and comfort
is the British army there il the war OF 1Sll