Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-04-26
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.

ed our mind with greater force, a. well on account
of s patriotic spirit as for lis enlarged views Of ihe
ma,e of which its treats, and Of It's ,erse and point
ed ssyle, than the following, which is bu, one Of
number Of able articles on public affairs which We
have of late observed in the columns OF the paper
frcm which we copy il:
FROM THE sIw ORLEANS rIcArrsE o. asML W.
THE UNrcS.-The tone Of levity and indi&er- |
rnce with which certain dsunion papers are sccus-
toming themselves 10 speak Of the gravest matters
of international arrangement; the unccocern ihey
nrofess to feel in the conduct Of negoushens be- I
tween the United States aud foreign Powers, OF the
deepest interest 20 many Of the members OF the
Confederacy, might be pardoned 10 the excessive
zeal of sudden conversion or TO the navcte OF IN
experienced journalism. Bet in the old horn blow
ers of sedition il. betokeRs neither resolutions ~
themselves nor Conscience in their cause. Vixen,
for example, the Charleston Mercury prates sf q
ccrrespondeace between Mr.. Webster and the
British Secretary Of Foreign Affairs, upon the sub
rect offrcenegro sailors entering the ports OF South,
ssrn States as matter sn which Sogth CWolina
has only the concern OF WdifereEt spectator, IL
inspires little respect for its sincerity and icss Tor
,the organization of which " Is the mouthpiece.
We should be lsth to believe that the people Of
South Carolina could regard, with such absolute
wantof interest a controversy Between this and
any other country, wore that Staten reality sever
ed from the Union. There are memories and as
socia,iens which might keep alive something like
partiality for tle remaining Sta.es il one should
happen 10 swing from It's orbit. But II 'they have
already begun to regard us as foreigners, and 70
look upon monarchical Governments with equal
favor as upon their own, ,h ey will have no reason
to complain OF the other S,sates il they oppose
dissolution Of the Union tegun and set on foo,
.sk~,, IL. andssn
they would employ in res listing an A:iempt upon
the Confederacy from abroad.
But such Language is mere bravado on the part
of the dsunionsts. il frIds no response in public
sympathy, nor even an cho in the hearts OF those
who use it. Itis much in the spiri! of Mr. Acres
appeal TO Sir Lucius'O' 1'Ggger. I'VE shan't run,
Sir Lucius," auoth that redoubtable gentleman, by
way Of assuring himself that he was about to do
something which he had no heart for. And just 50
do certain public organs speak OF the dissolution OF
the Union with affected sang froid, or as thing
achieved, by way Of avoiding the grim and ghaslly
spectacle which intervenes between the conception
and It's consummation. This Union, however de-
nounced BY abotonists on one .hand or sedtion
mongers on the other, is yet of tina: dignity which
challenges the concern OF those who seek its over
throw: and whosoever assumes ito consider il
trife, neither conceals Rer strengthens his nervous
condition.
This habit Of light remark respecting the Union
has grown out Of an. equally iHcoRsdtrate mode of
speech, ,.theugh peThaPs more generally used. tits
quite the custom Of ,olscans TO lake it for granted
that the first dr0pof blood shed in civil strife will
be the -kne of the Union, This supposition is
based upon, or can only be supported the hypo-
thesis that the Cons,itesion is in such an enfeebled
and exhausted .state, ahat it cannot spare blood
enough ,orredueebad hamors or aalay unnatural or
dangerous excitement. Public men, who have been
wise in other respects, have ceaRsenaEiced this de-
lusion ; and cabaIs, predtng by what better men
have uttered wtasut exactly apPreciad ng the value
of their wsrds, press forward thsir vaccinations
under an immunity fancisd from the id.,a that they
cannot be touched ayithoat the certain destruction
Of the Government If siis be true, the whole
strllcture-oftthe Reeublic is at the Of every
paltry club Of dsunaOnsts and treason ploers that
may chvvo5 array ilsek against the irnmar and
sovereignty of the Confederacy. And III this con-
nexion Northern fanatics quite asforl nidable to
the safety of ihe State as Southern tactic, lists.
But whence comes the idea that the o. My fabric
of free government or earth Is to disappear with
the smoke ofthe FIRST gun fired in its defeilce? Or
whereis the warrant for supposing that the wkole
structure ofAmencaR liberty is to fade into nothing
ness, peaceably and quietly and ignemirlioasiy
For this result is argued eorolary from the sup
position that the Union be saved by visiting
lay itin ashes The eonspirator is taught to hed
himself beyond the reach of punishment because
the means necessary TO enforce his respon sibahty
to law according to these wise teachers, the
annihilation of..he sovereignty whose law is out
ragged According TO this school of ethics, treason
is alone a thriving vocation in the land; for what
sanction have good and true citizens if the turbu
lent CEN bring confusion and iismay hpon them
because they cannot be qHelled without quelling the
Government with them. This species Of argument
may keep .disorganizers ia heart till they.commit
some overt act against the State. We apPrehend
that, from that moment, thay will End liule COM
fort in sheir logic as they will security in theo-
reical impunty. a-' a'aon ~ .aI
But SO resume the inqniry: whence, do sfey de-
rive the fancy for 1t is merely such, dhat this Union
is to dissolve like mist? that it is to die cut of
inani.ions X these any example An ancient or
modern times of a powerful and prosperous people
losing their nationality without struggle! Mas
any independent State ever .succumbsd 70 foreign
force or,iRsernal Vaccinations without first straW-
ing the land with deaahl There is no example of
even bad Governments suffering themselves 70 be
.extingushed like candle, or sponged from the
family of nations like bad sum from a school
boy slate. The most barbarous as the most civil
'lized States have only submitted to dismember-
men after thorough exhaustion. The progress Of
time dossed With the graye-stones Of dead nations;
but wherever sovereignty has been laid in the
DUST there the sword and the braRd have been
busiest with the lives and the habitatiens of men,
Even now the fires auepcbed in blood break forth