Year: 1861

| course tOWaTus Tue scCeSSlOn.stSi Is SoiIcStiy
interpreted, the first object of the President
and the Cabinet is to hold the border Slave
States from joint cooperation with the rev.
olutionsts, and to strengthen the bonds of
attachment between those States and the
Union. The policy of the course, like all
other questions depending upon time for a
solution, is open to discussion, and while
we concede to the powers that be at Wash
ington the highest patriotism, and place in
great degree our trust in them, we may be
permitted to examine the policy of conces-
sion to the extent to which it finds advo-
Gates amongUnion men all over the country
| 1t is well dnown that the position of Vir-
ginia as assumed by the executive of that
| commonwealth, is that the Federal troops
shall have no passage through that State to
enforce the laws. The Constitution makes
it obligatory upon the General Government
to protec. a State against invasion and in
surrection Virginia has as much right to
! interpose in favor oc foreign as domes
mestic foe. If she is to be permitted to
dictate terms to the Federal Government in
case of an insurrection she can with no less
treachery decide in case of au Invasion to
take sides with foreign army. Virginia
has, through her Executive and her Sena-
tors in Congress, given evidence that her
heart is not right towards the Union. If
she stands disloyal now, if the representa-
tive heads Of the State are an index of the
people, about which there may be some
doubt, can any one see clearly how the af-
fectious of the old Commonwealth are to be
regained for the Union? So far as express
sympathies of the State are enlisted for the
enemies of the county, and this is an un-
happy omen. 1t is true, the people sent
what are called Union men to the State Con-
vention; but they were generally not Union
men without an If, but conditional Union
men. In other words, they were for Union
if the Cotton States pleased, otherwise not.
Now, we inquire, can any one pretend he
sees clearly that all the old affection for :he
Union of our fathers is going to be revived
in the bosoms of Yirginians-and when we
say Yirginians we take them as type of
the border State men-by the conciliatory
course of the President? We hope, with
the majority of true Americans; but we
cannot see much foundation for sanguine
expectation. Virginia has not arisen in
arms but she has taken position hostile
to the Constitution and in rapport with the
revolutionists. If there is good ground for
believing her people are lovers of the Con-
stituton and the Union, and will yet be
found battling for the right, conciliation
may be the right policy. But if she is to
adhere to the policy thus far announced for
her by Letcher, Mason and Hunter, the soon
er she is cut loose from the loyal States the
better For we entertain no idea that South
Carolina will ever again recognize herself
State of the Union unless forced to do so
by the very measures Virginia says she will
not sanction. While the voice of the auti-
coercionists is heard in the National Coun-
cils, and while anti-coercion is proclaimed
as the irreversible policy of the border
States, it is plain the Government must
the Union or let the border States go with
the rest of the revolutionary ones. The
border States if retained can never be any
thing but clog to the free State Union, if
the indications of popular sentiment in
those States are to be relied on. Their at
titude is apparently that of shielding scound-
rels from justice. They are like lawyers,
ready to take a fee from whatever side offers
most If retained with the Northern States
it can only be done by the latter submitting
to dictation, or the understanding is made
public that these border States have the
right to secede whenever the whim is ta-
ken.


Now, in view of the circumstances, if
there is not prospect of uniting the bor-
der States to the Union indissolubly, would
it not be better without delay, to adopt a
different policy from that announced in the
inaugural of President Lincoln? We take
the ground that none but degrading COM
promise can be made with the Cotton States
so long as they are it arms and holding
possession of the national property, and we
are decidedly not in favor of dishonoring
the Government by any concession to the
secessionists. Does any one suppose the
mad-caps of the South will ever place them
selves in position that the Government
can honorably treat with themf The DEM
agogues have possession of the arms. the
ears of the people, and the circulating lit
erature of the South, and the masses can
not be enlightened if they would. While
the demagogues hold such power there can
be no honorable means of compromise
They laugh in their sleeves to see the pseudo
Unionists of Virginia acting as their most
potent ally in holding the Union in sweet
palaver, while they are preparing to stab it
to the vitals.


The Union as whole can never be re-
stored, we are convinced except by degra-
ding concessions or by force. The first is


not to be thought Of, and what of the lat