Year: 1861

| the promise 1t proved to the world that


however perfdiousiy the Administration had
acted towards the Southern Commissioners
in attempting to reinforce Sumter, after
promising to withdraw the garrison, the
Southern people intended to be and were as
good as their word 1t brought the two
sections, and the tDo GoUernmcnts and the
two Presidents face to face, and fixed the
status Of each fairly before the world. So


much good, and no eoa, that we can see, dId


tie atorming Of Fort Sumter do.-ETPresS'


We assure our readers most positively that


the above is an extract from the leading edl-


toral in Yesterdays Express. 1t is not from


the Charleston Mercury, nor the Richmond


Examiner. The extract cannot fail to create
pleasurable sensations within the breasts OF
those who voted for Breckinridge last fall,
but who now think the United States Gov
ornment should be maintained. "The Fort
Sumter farce has not, we believe, very gen
orally excited the risibles Of Union men. We
always said that it elated the party of which
the Express is now the organ and when
they laughed exultantly over the desecration
Of our country's flag, we said, let those
laugh who win"


That the Administration acted "perfidously'
towards the "Southern Commissioners
would be very true, if the latter had the
right TO dictate to the Government in the
premises. AS we do not think they had that
right, we must express our opinion that the
attempt to furnish beef and bread to the
starving soldiers under Major Anderson, was
no exhibition of perfdy. 1t is not true that the
Government had ever "attempted toreiniorce
Fort SUMTER" it only sought to furnish sup
plies to those already within the Fort 1t Is
moral treason against the United States
Government, according to the generally re-
ceivcd opinion here, TO say that any 1.-TWO
Governments" or 1.-TWO Presidents, have
been brought face to face by the battering
down of Fort Sumter The traitorous mis-
creants headed by JEFF Davis have faced the
Government to which their allegiance is due,
and threatened its overthrow. If the EX-
press thinks that some good and :" no evil
was done by the storming OF Fort Sumter,
then ii must think civil war a blessing, for SO
was the present war commenced.


There may be no power to prevent the
uterance of such sentiments as we have quo
ted from the Express. The crime of treason,
as defined in the Constitution of the United
States, consists only in levying war, and i'll


lending aid and coxlort to the enemy. If
laid and comfort" only mean actually furnish
ing money and supplies to the enemy, then
the sympathizers with treason may with inn
punity labor to destroy public confidence in
the National authorities and to create sym
pathy for hardened criminals who conspire
for the Nations overthrow. If, however,
"aid and comfort" may be so defined as to
embrace open sympathy with the cause OF
rebellion, and undsguised hatred and con


tempt for the Government, then the publica-
ton Of anti-Union papers should be stopped
by legal process, and all who labor to build
up an anti-Government party should be
brought to justice. 1t is question of law,
entirely and one which it is the duty Of the
United States District Attorney to carefully
study. There should be no restriction of the
lawful freedom of the press on the one hand !;
and no license for selition and treason on the
other If the Constitution really defines the
crime of treason so loosely that it is no offense
for men in times of rebellion, to speak and
write in favor Of the rebel cause and to bit
terly denounce the Government for attempt
ing to suppress the insurrection; if loyalty
may be demoralized by gross misrepresenta-
tions of fact, by speakers and writers for the
press if no man is a traitor until he has fred
a gun upon U. S. troops, or fed those who
are so doing; if apologies for treason, en-
enlargement for traitors, and ridcule and
abuse of the Government may with propriety
constitute the platform of political party at
popular elections it, in short, the question
of whether the Government ought to be de-
stroyed by force, is open to argument, and
proper one to be voted upon at every cleo
ton in every locality where a batch of
traitors are tolerated, then our Governmental
system is not Constitutional representative
Democracy, but we are a swarm CT Red Re-
pubicans. Can the minority be safe under
the rule of Red Republicanism Who are
the minority here? Let these two questions
be well considered by those who claim and
now exercise the right to vilify and denounce
the Government of the United States. We
hope that reason may some day resume its
sway, and that when the present enemies of
the Goverement shall look back with wonder
at what they did and said in these times
they will learn to admire the spirit of tolera-
ticn which governed the citizens of loyal
States during the mad revolution of 1861.


MIXED. The Tehama Democratic Conv en-
tion must have fallen into the hands Of the