226 
EE’S EBEJtl, 
TOLY lg. 
A They have attempted to bring the allegiance of the 
? people of the United States into direct conflict with 
b their subordinate allegiance to the State, thereby 
| making obedience to their pretended ordinance trea¬ 
son against the former. 
We, therefore, the delegates here assembled in 
convention to devise such measures and take Rtieh 
action as the safety and welfare of the Joyal citizens 
of Virginia may demand, having mutually consid¬ 
ered the premises, and viewing with great concern 
the deplorable condition to which this once happy 
commonwealth must be reduced, unless some regular 
adequate remedy be speedily adopted, and appealing 
to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for the recti¬ 
tude of our intentions, do hereby, in the name and 
on the behalf of the good people of Virginia, 
solemnly declare, that the preservation of their deal¬ 
est rights and liberties arid their security in person 
and property, imperatively demand the reorganiza¬ 
tion of the Government of the Commonwealth, and 
that all acts of raid Convention and Executive, tend¬ 
ing to separate this Commonwealth from the United 
States, or to levy and carry on war against them, are 
without authority, and void, and the offices of all 
who adhere to the said Convention and Executive, 
whether Legislative, Executive or Judicial, arc- 
vacated. 
Spirit of the Hour. 
Touching.- The dying words of one of the Ohio 
Volunteers who fell at Vienua were, “It grows very 
dark, mother,— very dark.” 
Western Texas shows her sympathy with Consti¬ 
tutional Government by taking steps to hold a Union 
Convention, like that of Western Virginia, and by 
organizing a mounted force which lias already beaten 
twice its number of rebels. 
M ajok Van Dor has been appointed Colonel of the 
Wisconsin Seventh Regiment. He is a graduate of 
the Imperial Austrian Military Academy, and served 
in Hungary under Gen. Rem. In this country he has 
lived about twelve years, acting as instructor in mili¬ 
tary academies. 
The forty steam gun-boats which the Government 
have contracted for will bo completed and ready for 
sea in about four months. The aggregate armament 
and force of these vessels will be as follows:—Officers 
and men 8 , 000 ; thirty-two pound canuon 480; Ten- ! 
inch guns 40; rifled cannon 40. 
One of the first acts of the new Legislature of Vir¬ 
ginia, which met at Wheeling Monday, will be to 
elect two United States Senators in the places form¬ 
erly occupied by R. M. T. Hunter and .1. M. Mason. 
At the recent skirmish at Fairfax Court House, ( 
when Lieut. Tompkins charged through that village, 
he killed the Captain of the rebel company who op- , 
posed him. A placard is now posted in the streets t 
of the village offering a reward of $1,600 for Lieut. 
Tompkins’ head, 
u 
Gov. Harris, of Tennessee, lias proclaimed the 1 
vote of that State on the ordinance of secession. Jt e 
will be seen that East Tennessee gave a majority of I 
over seventeen thousand against secession: t 
! canvass. Mr. F. says that if a few Federal regiments 
i were stationed in North Carolina, one in each Con¬ 
gressional District, to protect the Union men there, 
there would be a full delegation of unconditional 
Union members elected to Congress from that State 
on the first Thursday in August next. He also says 
that a brigade of loyal North Carolinians might be 
easily raised to co-operate with the Federal forces in 
putting down the treasonable usurpation of Governor 
Ellis, and others in bis Rtate. 
The Special Election for members of Congress 
(House) in Kentucky resulted as follows: 
1st District—Henry O. Burnet, re-elected. 
2 d District—.las. S. Jackson, vice Ram’l O. Peyton. 
3d District—Henry Grider, vice Francis M. Bristow. 
4th District—A. Harding, vice Win. C. Anderson. 
6 th District—Chan. A. Wickli(To, vice J. Y. Brown. 
Gth District—Geo. W. Dunlap, vice Green Adams. 
7th District—Robert Mallory, re-elected. 
8 th District—J. J. Crittenden, viCoWm. E. Simms. 
!)th District—W. H. Wadsworth, vice L. T. Moore. 
10th District—.!. W. Menzier, vice J. W. Stevenson. 
We suppose that all may be set down as Union 
men; because none others than those who recognize 
the Union would accept representative office under 
it. All are probably for compromise and peace. 
It is ascertained from an official source that about 
200,000 stand of arms have already been issued, leav¬ 
ing one-half that number still on hand, with others 
being manufactured; these arms arc additional to 
those furnished by the State authorities. None have 
been ordered from abroad through the ordnance 
bureau; hence the recent importations must be on 
State or private accoant. Dealers are daily offering 
t.o supply the Government, which, however prefers 
its own patterns of uniformity. There is no lack of 
facilities, it will thtiB be seen, forarmingall the troops 
that may be called into the field. 'There is abundance 
of ordnance and ordnance stores, and other enginery 
of warfare. 
The following are the military regulations concern¬ 
ing passports just issued, dated 
Headquarters or Washington Armv, ; 
July 1, iKlil. ( 
The General-in-Chief, by permission of Executive, 
announces to all concerned, that hereafter no pass¬ 
ports, by whomsoever signed or countersigned, will 
entitle any person to pass the lines of the United 
States Army, unless the same be also countersigned 
by the commander of the military geographical 
department. This regulation will continue in force 
until further notice. 
[signed,] Winfield Bcott. 
E. D. Townsend, Ash’T Adj. Gen. 
The above is confirmed. 
[Signed,] W. H. Seward. 
In the “ Department of the East,” a movement of 
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE. 
Fellow-Citizens of the Senate and House of Represen¬ 
tatives 
Having been convened on an extraordinary 
occasion, as authorized by the Constitutisn, vonr 
iitlorifw.n !n _ . A « 11 . A , i ■ _ . 
sasstetar? rszts? ~ w 
up their Government, and thus practically putan end r .f proper witUin the recGw 0 ** 1 ° f tb ° S8 
to free government unon the earth , , U l,n the rp 5 '“ ns where apparently 
It forces us to 3W.TL2ft a., republics this 1E.TSS* S *•» a 
attention is noi eaiied^toanyo snbje^ * * W T' '”*V that T’ lacft « »e °°nteol of thVGove^S 
legislntion. At the beginning^ the presSPres?. * l***' $<00,000°® 
dential term, four months age. the functions of the op their Government and thus nracticallv i.iittu/fn/i 1 i ,Bt nmber of “ en !® about one-tenth of those 
Pe oral Government were found to he generally sue- to free government upon the earth ' of proper ages withjo the regions wlu-re apparently 
pended within the several States of South Carolina It forces us to ask •• i« there in all „vite» «.• ‘ ,11 are to »«d the sum is b-s 9 than l 
Georgia,Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida, inherent and fatal ’weakness?” “MuetV ROTera* men *1 *5® ™ one / v *}"* owned by the 
excepting only Uiose of the Post Office Department: meet, of necessity, be too Xu* for the libeK of TLno nnn non ? to . devote the ^ole. A debt 
Mithm these States all the forts, arsenals, dock the people, or too ^ to mafntote Ite own exirt P« head than w»g 
yards curtom houses and the like, including the encc?” So viewing the issue, noThoic?waI^eft hm \ he w ben we came out of that 
moveable and stationary property in and about them, to call out the war power of the Government and . ,trn?rc,e ' and tb ® mon *y val . ue in thp country now, 
had been wized and were held in open hostility to ho to resist force, employed for ito d«SKi S 18a, ‘ 9 , even a greater proportion to what it was then, 
this Government, excepting only Forte Pickens, Tay- force, for its preservation.* 1 3 than docs the population. Surely each man has as 
s>rt t 1 ’it , The “f w, tr de ' 8 "" •*- r " p ° n,e « o, . e «»»w ss“&* toSsss.ssr”* aseach 
.. . in unariesion narr>or. h. (... the was most gratifying—surpassing in unanimity and » -a-v*_n A ... . 
forts thus seized bad been put in Improved condi- spirit the most sanguine expectation 
Don. New ones had been built, armed forces had Yet none of the States, common! 
. I ici, uuut: ui me States, commonly called Slave 
* wrre i:,r ^ an, 7 -inff, avowedly States, except Delaware, gave a regiment through 
■SiterTT J,e ?' 3 T m ‘ regular State organization. A few regiments have 
ts n rnfuninpt in tho of the Fedora] been otcyftriizeri wit,hi n srimr nth pm nflhnao sJtat.va 
i ue ions remaining in t he pompon of the Federal 
Government in and tear those States were either 
beseiged or menared by warlike preparations, and 
especially Fort Sumter was nearly surrounded by well 
protected hostile batteries, with guns eqnal in qual¬ 
ity to the best of its own, and outnumbering the latter 
*•* perhaps ten to one. A disproportionate share of 
the Federal miteket* and rifles hau somehow found 
t.helr way Into these States, and had been seized to 
he used against the Government. The accumulations 
of the public revenue lying within them had been 
seized f<n- the same object. The Nav/ was scattered 
in distant seas, leaving but a very small part of it 
within Ihe immediate reach of the Government, Offi¬ 
cers of the Federal army and navy had resigned in great 
numbers, and of those resigning a large proportion 
had taken up anus against the Government. Simul¬ 
taneously and in connection with all this, the pur¬ 
pose to sever the Federal Union was openly avowed. 
In accordance with this purpose, an ordinance had 
bo.en adopted in each of the States, decJaHngthe States 
respectively to be separated from the National Union. 
A formula for instituting a combined government 
of these States hud been promulgated, and this ille 
gal organization, in the character of 11 Confederate 
States,” was already invoking recognition, aid and 
Intervention from foreign powers. 
Finding this condition of tilings, and believing it to 
be an imperative duty of the incoming Executive to 
prevent, if possible, the consummation of sneli an at¬ 
tempt. to destroy the Federal Union, a choice of means 
to that end became indispensable. This choice was 
made and was declared in the Inaugural Address. 
The policy chosen looked to the exhaustion of ail 
peaceful measures before a resort 1 ,o any stronger 
ouch. It sought only to hold the public places and 
property not already wrested from t he government, and 
to collect the revenue, relying for the rest on time, 
discussion and the ballot lmx. It promised a contin 
nance of the mails at the Government expense to the 
very people who were resisting Ihe Government, and 
it gave repeated pledges against any disturbance to 
any Of the people or of any of their rights. Of nil 
regular State organization. A few regiments have 
been organized within some others of i hose States 
by individual enterprise, and received into the 
Government service. Of course the seceded States, 
so-called, and to which Texas had been joined about 
the time of the inauguration, gave no troops to the 
Anne/. T'.t _ rr* 4 rv . -1 .Ji . . . _ II v 
twenty-third part of the money value owned by the 
men who seem ready to devote the whole. A‘debt 
of $600,000,000 non is a less sura per head than wa^ 
the debt, of onr revolution when we came out of that 
struggle : and the money value in the country now 
bears even a greater proportion to what it was then’ 
than does the population. Surely each man has as 
strong a motive now to preserve our liberties, as each 
had then to establish them. 
A right result at this time will be worth more to 
the world than ten times the men and ten times the 
money. The evidence reaching ns from the country 
leaves no doubt that the material for the work is 
abundant, and that, it needs only the hand of legisla¬ 
tion to give it legal sanction, and the hand of the Ex¬ 
ecutive to give it practical shape and efficiency. One 
of the greatest perplexities of the Government is to 
avoid receiving troops faster than it can provide for 
tlic-m. In a word, the people will save their Govern- 
canse of the Union. The Border States, BO-called, were Ztit. if the Government teelf wiRdnlm 
not uniform in their action, some of them being almost indifferently well do its pait only 
for ihe Union; While in others, as in Virginia, North n might seem at first thought to be of little differ 
Caiolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas, the Union senti- rnr e whether the present movement i, 
s&Evr't rc,,re 7 f a “" d T iMc i- ,? he »•"' 
the md”, TmSrtrat ”“ l reml>rt * Me ' P™h*P» well nrnler.tood the -iiireretc*. They kne»- at tire 
i - nirzSv 0r t \ ^ v /i , beginning that, they could never raise their treason 
A convention elected by the people of that State, to t o anv rc«nectabte mao-nite/te iVn,,, , 
consider thia very question of disrupting the Federal VjL * 8 £S \nS llFuZ tS people 
wben FoTHumJr te.l n t L- poL-scd as much of moral sense, as much of dell 
when fort Sumter fell. To this body the people bad ti nn to law and order and • , 
chosen a large majority of professed Union men. reverence for Die history and tmvermn^n^nf^N^ 
jj&z a »“4 
£3, n, t ,M„ 8 “ th “ If o.ncrtriLL foifo.3 
considerable military importance has been made that which a I'resident might, constitutionally and 
No. Sep. 
bast lennessee.14,780 32,923 
Middle Tennessee.68,2(if> 8,198 
West Tennessee.29,127 6,117 
Military Camps. 2.741 
104,913 47,238 
Majority for Secession. 67,676 
The following is an extract from the letter of Ool. 
Cook, 2d cavalry, U. R. A., a Virginian, who refuses 
to desert the Stars and Stripes:—“At, H years of age, 
I was severed from Virginia; the National Govern¬ 
ment adopted me as its pupa <*uO future defender; 
i i, gave me education and a profession; and i then 
made a solemn oath to bear true allegiance to the 
United States of America, and to ‘serve them hon¬ 
estly and faithfully against all their enemies or op- 
posers whatsoever . 1 This oath and honor alike for¬ 
bid me to abandon their standard at the first hour 
of danger.” 
Summary of News for the Week. 
The space occupied by the President’s Message 
precludes the publication of anything save a brief 
summary of the more important transactions of the 
week. 
Congress convened at the date appointed in the 
call of the President. The House elected Galusha A. 
Grow, of Pennsylvania, Speaker; Emerson Ethridge, 
of Tennessee, Clerk; and Edward Ball, of Ohio, Ser- 
goant-at-Arms. But little has yet been brought be¬ 
fore Congress, and the matters thus far presented 
relate directly to our National difficulties. The most 
important bills are those introduced by Mr. Van 
Wyek, as follows:—Increasing the pay of soldiers to 
$16 a month, commencing from May I, 1861; also, a 
bill reducing the expenses of the Government. The 
last bill provides that all officers, excepting Post- 
Masters and Consuls, having no stated salary, shall 
pay all fees collected by them into the treasury; that 
the salaries of all officers—civil, military and naval— 
shall be reduced as follows: Over $10,000, 30 per 
cent.; over $8,500, 26 per cent.; over $5,000, 20 per 
cent.; over $3,000, 15 per cent-.: over $2,000, 6 per 
cent. Also, repealing all laws granting mileage to 
M. C.’s, restricting the franking privilege to one 
ounce in weight, and repealing all lawB aud resold- , 
tions appropriating money for newspapers and sta¬ 
tionery for Members of Congress. 
North Carolina will have at least one Represen- i 
tative on the floor of Congress during the Extra ; 
Session. Colonel C. II. Foster announces himself ] 
as unconditional candidate for Congress in the t 
First District, of that State. Having made his t 
appointments, he will soon take the stump and pros- t 
ecute a vigorous canvass. The Washington corres¬ 
pondent of the Tribune says Mr. F. has recently ar- t 
rived there from his State, where he boldly defended ( 
aud approved of the course of the Administration, in ( 
strong Union speeches made by him at large public i 
during the week—the rout of the rebels, under Gen. 
JoliUBton, at Martinsburg, Va., by tbe Federal troops 
under Gen. Patterson. The following are the par¬ 
ti culars: 
'Tbe proper fords having been ascertained, the 
advance took place before daylight, the posts of 
honor being assigned to Capt. McMullen’s Independ¬ 
ent Rangers, 1 st Wisconsin, and 11 th Pennsylvania 
Regiments. The advancing column consisted of the 
brigades of Abercrombie, Thomas and Wynkoop. 
justiftedly do in such a case, everything was forborne 
without which it was believed possible to keep the 
Governmenton foot. 
On the 6 th of March, the present incumbent’s first 
full day in office, a letter from Major Anderson, com¬ 
manding at Sumter, written on the 28th of February, 
and received at the War Department on (lie 4th of 
March, was by that Department placed in his hands. 
This letter expressed tin-.professional opinion of the 
writer that reinforcements could not he thrown Into 
that fort within tbe time for his relief rendered neces¬ 
sary by the limited supply of provisions, and with a 
view of holding possession of the same, with a force 
assault, is not definitely known. 
Although they submitted tbe ordinance for ratifica¬ 
tion to a vote of the people, to be taken on a day 
then somewhat in ore than a month distant,the Conven¬ 
tion and the Legislature, which was also in session at 
the same time and place, with leading men of the 
State not memhersof either, immediately commenced 
acting as if the State were already out <if the Union. 
They pushed military preparation vigorously forward 
ail over tbe State. They seized the U. 8 . Armory at 
Harper’s Ferry, and the Navy Yard at Gosport, near 
Norfolk. They received—perhaps invited—into their 
State! large bodies of troops, with their warlike ap¬ 
pointments, from the so-called seceded States. They 
formally entered into a treaty of temporary alliance 
with the so-called Confederate States, and sent mem¬ 
bers to their Congress at. Montgomery, and finally 
they permitted the insurrectionary government, to be 
transferred to their capital at. Richmond. 
The people of Virginia have thus allowed this 
giant insurrection to make its nest within her borders, 
and tin's Government has no choice left but to deal 
with it where it finds it; and it baa the less to regret, 
as the loyal citizens have in due form claimed its 
protection. Those loyal citizens this Government is 
bound to recognize, and protect as being Virginia. 
In the border States, BO-callcd-in fact the middle 
States—there are those who favor a policy which they 
call armed neutrality.—that Is, an arming of those 
Slates, to prevent, the Union forces passing one way, 
and the disunion the other, over their soil. This 
uvuuuvuiug ui iuB jjuuiiu miriu. rney invented an 
ingenlona sophism, which, if conceded, was followed 
by perfectly logical steps through all the incidents 
of the complete destruction of the Union. The 
sophism itself is that any State of the Union may 
consistently with the national Constitution, and 
therefore lawfully and peacefully, withdraw from the 
Union without the consent of the Union, or of any 
other State. The little disguise that the supposed 
right is to he exercised only for just cause, themselves 
to be the sole judges of its justice, is too thin to 
merit any notice. 
With rebellion thus sugar-coated, they have been 
drugging the public mind of their Section for more 
than thirty years, until at length they have brought 
many empd men to a willingness to take up arms 
asrainst the Government, the day al ter some assemblage 
of men have enacted the fnreial pretence of taking their 
State out of the Union, who could have been brought 
to no such thing the. day before. 
This sophism derives much, perhaps the whole, of 
Sts currency, from the assumption that there la some 
omnipotent, and sacred supremacy pertaining to a 
State—to each State of our Federal Union. Our 
States have neither more nor less power than that re¬ 
served to them in the Union by the Constitution—no 
one of them ever having been a State out of the 
Union. The original ones passed into the Union 
even before they cast, off their British colonial de¬ 
pendence; and the new ones came into the Union 
diredly from a condition of dependence, excepting 
Texas; and even Texas, in its temporary independence, 
was never designated a State. The new ones only 
Abercrombie’s brigade led the advance, and the eas- of leas than 20,000 good and well disciplined men. 
unities of the conflict were almost exclusively on the °l , * n ' on "'its concurred in by all the officers of 
■u -4 , ,,,, ,, , . . , hla command, and their memoranda on the subject 
1 st tsconsin and 11 th Pennsylvania regiments were made enclosures of Major Anderaon’sletter. The 
Col. Jarnet.t and Lieut.-Col. Coulter led the akir- whole was immediately laid hi lore Lient.-Gen, Scott, 
mishera, opening upon the rebels at 40 yards. The who at once concurred with Major Anderson in opin’- 
wb».e or rebel force « M.rtioW, eoeel^g 
nary by Hie limited supply of provisions, and with a would be disunion completed Ficurativelv sneak- 1 , ‘/b.. ■ . - y 
view of holding possession Of the sarne, with a force ing it would be the bnUdimr of atf imnassiiblp^wall »?°- k tllp designation ol State* on coming into the 
of less than 20,000 good and well disciplined men. alone ^ tet r am!., 1dk ’ d ’ w,u,e l " at r,ame WftS #«t adopted for the 
This opinion was Concurred in by all tbe officers of pass aide one; for under the poise of neufalitv it 2 , 1 ' 3 ’ n ar ‘ (1 !f I,ec !» rat, “ n of Independence, 
his command, and their memoranda on the subject would tie the hands of the Uniim nmiindtreelv nass Therein ti.e United Colonic* were declared free and 
were made enclosures of Major Anderson'* letter. The supplies from amon! Mien l , « independent Mates; but even then the object plainly 
immftRiotnin lai.i v...iv..-,. i _ 4 , _ l- ... . ’. 7. r 01 llK ,n 10 1,1 '• inSUrmlionistB , was not to declare their lii/tenendenee of one another 
/> #. . , , ., .r} — - - .. .... ,,, „„ v /tinn uuu III 
of four regiments ol inlantry and one regiment, of the Navy, and at the -rid of fom-day* came reluctantly 
horse, were engaged in the action. They had with- but decidedly to tbe vame conclusion us before, nor) 
drawn four pieces of artillery, part rifled cannon. 
The casualties on our aide are three killed and sev- 
nt tbe same time he also stated that no sufficient force 
was at the control of the Government, Or could be 
raised nnd brought, to tip* within the time 
cral -wounded. Several of the dead and wounded of when the provisions in the Fort would be exhausted. 
the rebel troops were left on the field in their hasty 
retreat. The loss of life on their side was said to be 
very heavy. 
The official report reads thus: 
Black Rtver, near Martinsburg. 
To Col. E. D. Townsend, Assistant Adjutant General: 
, 1 lelt Williamsport at. <>i this morning for this 
place, and drove out the rebels, who were about 
2,000 strong, and who had four guns. I now occupy 
their camp, with the loss, 1 regret to say, of three 
killed and ten wounded. R. Patterson, 
M a j o r • Ge n oral C o m m a n d in g. 
The rebel convention at Richmond has formally 
expelled the members who were elected from West¬ 
ern Virginia, and has provided for an election for 
President, and Vice President of the Southern Con¬ 
federacy in November next. 
Bom Houses of the Virginia Legislature organized 
In a purely military point of view, this reduced 
tbe duty of the Administration in Die rase to a mere 
matter of get ting the garrison safely out of the Fort. 
It was believed, however, that to* so abandon that, 
position tinder the clrciimstances would be utterly 
rolnotm—that the necessity under which it was to la- 
done would not be fully understood—that by ninny it 
would be construed na a part, of a voluntary policy— 
that at homo it would discourage the friends of the 
Union, embolden its adversaries, and go far to en¬ 
sure to tbe latter a recognition abroad; that in fact 
it. would bp. our National destruction consummated. 
ThiB could not bo allowed. Starvation was not yet 
upon the garrison, and ere it would be reached, Fort 
Pickens might be re inforced. This last would be a 
clear indication of policy, and would better enable 
tbe country to accept the evacuation of Fort Sumter 
as a military necessity. 
An order was at once directed to be sent for the land¬ 
ing of the troops from the steamship Brooklyn into 
Fort Pickens. This order could not go by land. Vmt 
must be taken the longer aud slower route by sea. The 
which It. could not do as an open enemy. At a stroke 
it would take all the trouble off the hands of seces¬ 
sion, except only what proceeds from the external 
blockade. Tt would do for the disunionists that 
which of all thing* they most desire—feed them well 
and give them disunion without a struggle of their 
own. It recognizes no fidelity to the Constitution, 
no obligati'-''- t- mslnwiv me union; and whjjp 
very manv who have favored it arc doubtless loyal 
citizens, It Is nevertheless very injurious iti effect. 
Recurring to the action of the Government, it may 
be stated that at first a cull was made for 76,000 mili- 
was not to declare their Independence of one another 
or of the Union, but directly the contrary, as their 
mutual pledge and their mutual action, before, at the 
time, and afterward, abundantly show. The express 
plighting of faith by each and all of the original 
thirteen, in the Articles of Confederation, two years 
later, Dial, ilia XTnlon shall 4* j-*~e -su*l. 1 .....ret oou 
ndneivo. Having never been States, I'ither in sub- 
stance oHtotcte the tmniD, whence this magi¬ 
cal omnipotence of State rights, assert ing a claim of 
power to lawfnlly destroy tbe Union itself? 
Mach is said about’ the sovereignty of States, 
i>n« tiu word, even, is vr -'‘ J — 1 
, ■ . wv vuv i.viui ^»■.»*, in uw, ,ii ia,tj National 
tm; and rapidly following this a proclamation was Constitution, nor, as is believed, in any of the State 
issued for Closing the ports of the insurrectionary Constitutions. Wbat is a sovereignty, in the politi- 
districte by proceedings in tbe nature of blockade. t . al 8t . nse flf the term? Would it be far wrong to de- 
feo ter all was believed to be strictly legal. At this fl ne it “A political community without a political 
point the insurrectionists announced their purpose verier?” Tested bv this, no hue of „„rS.La «v. 
at Wheeliug on the 3d inst. Lieut. Gen. Paisley took first return news from the order was received just one 
the chair in the Senate, and Daniel Frost, of Jackson, 
was elected Speaker of the House. Gov. Pierpont’s 
Message was sent to both bodies last night, together 
with a document from Washington, officially recog¬ 
nizing the new government. The message is a v -ry 
able document and gives unusual satisfaction. It is 
a succinct review of secession in Virginia, and of the 
causes leading to the formation of the present gov¬ 
ernment, and recommends an energetic co-operation 
with the United States Government. Specie belong¬ 
ing to the States, to the amount of $27,000, was seized 
and brought to Wheeling by «refer of the Governor, 
from the Exchange Bank of Weston, It was sup¬ 
posed that Ex-Governor Wise was heading for Weston 
to get this money. 
In the “Department of the West,” we learn by the 
St. Louis Democrat, scouts from the Southern Border 
of Missouri report 5,200 Secession troops at Yelville, 
Arkansas, well armed, and having ten pieces of flying 
artillery. This force consists of 1,000 Tennessee, 
2,200 from Arkansas, 600 Kentuckians and 1,500 from 
Missouri. They expect 4,000 from Gov. Jackson’s 
troops, and large reinforcements are promised from 
the C. S. Army, and in one month they expect to have 
an active army of 15,000 or 20,000. 
Reliable information from Springfield, Mo., says 
the 3d regiment, Colonel Siegle, and part of the Sth, 
Colonel Solomon, inarched there on Sunday week. 
Col. Brown's regiment, 4threserve corps and a battnl- 
lion of the 5th, would arrive the next day. Colonel 
week before the fall of Fort Sumter. The news itself 
was that, tho officer commanding the Sabine, to which 
vessel tlie troop* had been transferred from the 
Brooklyn, acting upon some quasi armistice of Du- 
late administration, and the existence of which the 
preaeat administration, up to Die time the order 
to enter upon the practice of privateering. Other 
calls were made for volunteers to serve three years, 
unless sooner discharged, and also large additions to 
tlm regular army and navy. 
Those jui asures, whether strictly legal or not, were 
ventured upon, under what appeared to be a popular 
demand and a public necessity; trusting, then, as 
now. that Congreae would readily ratify them. It is 
believed that noth!ng lias been done beyond the con¬ 
stitutional competency of Congress. 
Soon after tbe first call for militia, it was considered 
a duty to authorize the Commanding General, in proper 
eases, according to his discretion, to suspend the priv¬ 
ilege of the writ of habeas corpus; nr, in oilier words, 
to arrest and detain, without resort to ordinary pro¬ 
cesses and form* of law, such individuals as he might 
deem dangerous to the public safety. This author¬ 
ity has purposely been exercised but very sparingly. 
Nevertheless, the legality and propriety of what has 
been done under it, are questioned, and the axtentiou 
of the country has been called to the proposition that 
one who is sworn to take care that the laws be laith- 
was dispatched, had only top vague and uncertain fully executed, should not himself violate them. Of 
meetings, which were got up by the Disunionists for fiiegle’s regiment has guard of all the outlets fri 
the express pm pose of denouncing Mr. F., and, if Missouri on the border of Kansas and Indian Terri- 
possible, drive him out of the State. At all ol these tory, which, with Col. Siegle’s outposts here from 
meetings Mi. I . appeared in person, and met the Springfield, will entirely hem Jackson in, and doubt- 
traitors face to face, and told them to their teeth less result in the capture of his whole force. J. B. 
what they might expect if they continued in this un- Knott, Attorney General of Missouri, is now a prisoner 
holy rebellion against the Union. Mr. Foster is a j n the Arsenal. 
man of iron will, undaunted courage, brilliant talent, The Democrat’s correspondent says the Union 
with a veiy effective and brilliant style of oratory. Home Guard at tbe battle of Cold Camp, on the 19th 
lie will be remembered as the popular editor of the of June, had about 20 killed and wounded and 23 
Norfolk (Ya.) Day-Book, lie was also considered taken prisoners. The prisoners were taken to War- 
one of the ablest political writers in the South. He sa w, and liberated on taking oath not to bear arms 
has always been a prominent Democrat, and has held against the Southern Confederacy. The Union force 
many prominent positions. He was chosen by ac- was 600 men, and that of the Secessionists 1,000 
mounted men and 200 infantry. The loss of the 
rumors to fix attention, had refused to laud the 
troops. To now reinforce Fort. Pickens, before a 
crisis would be reached at Fort Sumter, was impossi¬ 
ble, rendered so by the near exhaustion of provisions 
in tho latter named fort. In precaution arainst such 
a conjuncture, the Government find a few days before 
commenced preparing an expedition us well adapted 
as might be to relieve Fort Sumter, which expedition 
was intended to be ultimately used or not, according 
to circumstances, 
The strongest- anticipated case for using it was now 
presented, and it was resolved to send it forward. As 
had been intended in tins contingency, it was also 
resolved to notify the Governor of South Carolina 
that he might expect an attempt would be made to 
provision the fort, and that if the attempt should not 
be resisted there would tie no effort to throw in 
men, arms or ammunition without lurtlipr notice or 
in ease of an attack upon the fort. This notice was 
accordingly given; whereupon the fort whs attacked 
aud bombarded to its fall, w ithout even awaiting the 
arrival of the provisioning expedition. 
It is thus seen lhat the assault upon and reduction 
of Fort Sumter was iu no sense a matter of self- 
defence on the part of the assailants. They well 
knew that the garrison in the fort could by no possi¬ 
bility commit aggression upon them. They knew— 
they were expressly notified—that the giving of bread 
to tbe few brave and hungry men of the garrison was 
all which would, t n that occasion,be attempted,unless 
themselves, by resisting so much, should provoke 
more. They know that this Government desired, to 
keep the garrison in the fort, not to assail them, but 
merely to maintain visible possession, and thus to 
preserve the Uuiou from actual and immediate disso¬ 
lution,trusting. as hereinbefore stated, to time,discus¬ 
sion, and the ballot box for final adjustment; and 
cal sense of the term? Would it be far wrong to de¬ 
fine it “A political community without a political 
superior?” Tested by this, do one of onr States, ex¬ 
cept Texas, ever was a sovereignty ; aud even Texas 
gave up the character on comlug’into the Union, by 
which act she nckoowledged the Constitution of the 
United States, and laws and treaties of the United 
States, made in pnrsnanoe of the Constitution, to be 
fur her Die supreme law of the land. 
The States have their status in the Union, and they 
have no other legal status. If they break from this, 
they can only dosoagainstlawand by revolution. The 
Union, and not themselves separately, procured their 
independence and their liberty. By conquest, or pur¬ 
chase, the Union gave each of them whatever of 
independence and liberty it. has. Tbe Union Is older 
than any of the States, and in fact it created them as 
States. Originally, some dependent colonies made 
the Union, and in turn the Uniou threw oil' their old 
dependence for them, and made them States, such 
as they are. Not one of them ever had a State Con¬ 
stitution independent of the Union. Of course it is 
not forgotten that all the new States framed their Con¬ 
stitution before they entered the UuioD. nevertheless 
dependeht upon and preparatory to coming into the 
Union. 
cour-'P, suriie con.siiJerauon was K'ven to tfie questions Unquestionably tbe States have the powers and 
of puwei and propriety, before tins matter was acted rights reserved to them by the National Constitution, 
u fe!^;, . . . ., . , , . , , x , but among these surely are not included all con- 
c “ , uWS wbicb were required to be ceivahle powers however mischievons or destructive; 
fai lilully executed, were being resisted and telling but at most such only as were known in the- world at 
Dl feYI'D Itti^fl ))■ lliiur o mm 1 in-J e i 4 bn Lfatnr. \l » . . * 
The whole of the laws which were required to be 
faithfully executed, were being resisted and failing 
of execution in nearly oue-lliird of the States. Hurt 
they he allowed to finally fail of execution, even had 
it been perfectly clear that by the use of the means 
necessary to their execution, some single law, made 
in such extreme tenderness of the citizens’ liberty, 
that practically it relieves more of the guilty than 
the innocent, should, to a very limited extent, be 
violated ? 
To state the question more directly, are all the laws 
but one to go nnexecuted, and the Government itself 
to go to pieceB, lest that one be violated ? Even in 
tbe time as governmental powers; and certainly a 
power to destroy the Government itself had never been 
known as a governmental—as a merely administrative— 
power. This relative matter of National power and 
State rights as a principle, is no oilier than a princi¬ 
ple of generality and locality. Whatever concerns 
the whole should be confided to the whole—to the 
general government; while whatever concerns only the 
State should be left exclusively to the State. 
This Ts all there is of tbe original principle about it. 
Whether the National Constitution, in defining the 
p . ie08B ' if 11 ..,, 0 ... . V101ate “ 1 Even in Whether the National Constitution, in defining the 
fu /i ft <:aw * " ccldI not the official oath be broken it boundaries between the two, has apr lied the principle 
the Government should be overthrown when it was with exact accuracy, is not to be questioned; we are 
believed that disregarding tbe single law would tend 
to preserve it ? But it was not believed that this 
question was presented. It was not believed that any 
law was violated. The provision of the Constitution 
that “ the privilege of the writ of habeas Corpus shall 
not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or 
invasion the public safety may require it,” is equiva¬ 
lent to a provision— is a provision — that such privi¬ 
lege may bo suspended when, in case of rebellion or 
invasion, the public safety does require it. It was 
decided that We have a case of rebellion, and that the 
public safety does require the qualified suspension 
of the privilege of the writ which was authorized to 
be made. 
Now it is insisted that Congress; and not tbe Execu¬ 
tive, is vested with the power. But the Constitution 
itself is silent a* to which or who is to exercise tbe 
with exact accuracy, is not to be questioned; we are 
all bouud by that defining without question. What 
is now.combatted is the position that secession is 
consistent with tbe Constitution—islawfutand peace¬ 
ful. It iB not contended that there is any express 
law for it, and nothing should ever fie implied as law 
which leads to unjust and absurd consequences. 
The Nation purchased with money the countries out 
of which several of these States were formed. Is it 
just that they shall gooff without leave or without 
refunding? The Nation paid very large sums—In the 
aggregate, I believe, nearly $ 100 , 000 , 000 , to relieve 
Florida from the aboriginal tribes. Is it just that she 
shall dow go off without consent, or without any 
return? The Nation is now iu debt for money ap¬ 
plied for the benefit ul these so-called seceded States, 
in common with the rest. Is it just either that credit¬ 
ors shall go unpaid, or the remaining States pay the 
whole? A part of the present National debt was con- 
Rion an 1 ^ ttekJi u» Ha I 1 - V me " i iscU 8 - power: and as the provision was plainly made for a whole? A part of the present National debt was eon- 
Siou, and the ballot box for final adjustment; and dangerous emergency, it cannot be believed that the traded to pay the old debt of Texas. Is it just that 
“ssailed ami reduced the lort tor precisely the framers of tbe instrument intended that in every case she shall leave, aud pay no part of ibis herself? 
thRuLim^ ? f ll , )G s !"‘ uld run its cour8e anU1 Guugress Again, if one State may Recede, so mav another; 
di° tnftno L in on, and thus force it to immediate should be called together; the very assembling of and when all shall have seceded, none is'left to pay 
mr,o 4 4 ferc.‘^,. D .., which might be prevented, as was intended in this the debts. Is this quite just to creditors? Did we 
That this was their object,the Executive well under- case by the rebellion. No more extended argument notify them of this 
stood; and having said to them, m the Inaugural is now offered, as au opinion at some length will rowed their money ? 
Address • ton can have ao conflict without being probably be presented bv the Attorney General. If we now reco’cni 
l-milRuhjaa 1 JA Jlmn-UDCJIK ' 4r.„b- » ... n.l.. 11.I it .1 . * , .. . 
and when all shall have seceded, none is’lett to pay 
the debts. Is this quite just to creditors? Did we 
notify them of this sage view of ours when we bor- 
clamation to represent his District in the Charleston mounted men and 2 U 0 infantry. The 
National Convention, am ' was among the ablest sup- Secessionists is reported to have been 32. 
porters of Mr. Breckenridge in the last campaign. Nine men, Hi kegs of powder and a small quantity 
e was also the first to take the stnmp fur tlm Union of arms were captured bv a company of Federal 
at the openiug of this great rebellion. He has a large troops at Chfllicothe on the Hannibal and St. Joseph 
interest in slave property, and is thoroughly identified R a Bri> ai L on the 29th nit. The men meditated a 
interest of his Stow. He ^ no^Si 
Biomstto meet him in joint discussion during the as prisoners. 
yourselves the aggressors,” he took pains not only to 
keep this declaration good, but also to keep the case 
so free from ingenious sophistry that the world should 
not be able to misauderstati'd it. By the affair at 
Fort Sumter and its surrounding circumstances, 
that point was reached. Then and thereby the as¬ 
sailants of the Government began the conflict of 
arms without a gun iu sight or expectancy to re¬ 
turn their fire, save only the few in the fort, sent to 
that harbor years before for their own protection, 
and still ready to give that protection in whatever 
was lawful. 
Jn this act, discarding all else, they have forced 
upon the country the distinct issue: “ Immediate dis¬ 
solution or blood.” And this issue embraces mqre than 
the fate of these United States. It presents to the 
probably be presented by the Attorney General. If we now recognize this doctrine, by allowing the 
Whether there shall be any legislation on the subject, secederH to go in peace, it is difficult to see what we 
and if any, what, is submitted to the better judgment can do if others choose to go or to extort terms upon 
of ( ongress. which they will promise to remain. 
The forbearance of this Government has been so The seceders insist that our Constitution admits of 
extraordinary aud so loug continued, as to lead some secession. They have assumed to make a National 
foreigD nations to shape their actions as If they sup- Constitution of’ their own, in which, of necessity, 
posed the early destruction ot our National Laion they have either discarded or retained the right of 
was probable. Vi bile this, on discovery, gave the secession, as they insist it exists iu ours. If ihev 
Executive some concern, be i 6 now happy to say have discarded it, they thereby admit that, oil 
that the sovereignty and rights of the United StateB 
are now every where practically respected by foreign 
powers, and a general sympathy with the country is 
manifested throughout the world. 
The reports of the Secretaries of the Treasury. 
War and Navy will give the information in detail 
deemed necessary and convenient for your delibera- 
priociple, it ought not to be in ours. If they 
have retained it by their own construction of ours, 
they show that to be consistent they must secede 
from one another, when they shall find it the easiest 
way of settling their debts, or effecting any other 
selfish or unjust object. 
The principle itself is one of disintegration, and on 
