The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-08-26

war not for the enforcement of the popular sove-
reignty doctrine of the Kansas-Nebraska bill
against horde Of lawless marauders, bat war
for the establishment Of slavery in Kansas, Or its
expulsion from Kansas by force of arms.
Read our telegraphc reports elsewhere in these
columns. The belligerents are arrayed against
each other, fight each other and treat for the ex-
change of prisoners according to the usages of a
regular war; as, for example, between the Allies
and the Russians.
On the one side are the free State settlers, who,
upon the strength of late colonial achievements,
have thought it expedient to assume the Often
sive in attacking and dismantling certain block
house Notifications of the pro-slavery party. The
plea for this course Of action is that the border
ufians have been essablishinga Gordon Of mill
tary posts and depots round about and through
the Territory with Missouri as their base Of ope-
ratons; and that all these preparations have been
made in view of a Simultaneous assault for the
determination or expulsion Of the free State set
tiers at single well directed blow. In this
view, in strictly military examination Of the
case it must be admitted that the course adopted
by the free State party was the only course con-
sstent with safety. To hesitate was to court
destruction while to break the lines of the
enemy, and 10 throw their plans into confusion,
was a process by which at least time could be
gained for more regular and systematic opera
tons of defence.
Thus then stands the case. The pro-slaVery
Kansas party have been anticipated and attack
ed and defeated at several Of their military
positions before they were ready to strike all
together. They have fallen back, accordingly,
upon their base of operations in Missouri, and
are actively employed in collecting reinforce
ments and supplies for more formidable inva-
sion Of the disputed battle-ground When we
next hear of their taking the field it viii most
probably be with the intelligence Of q movement
of well appointed army Of tour or five thousand
men. In the meantime it is no. likely that the
other side win be idle but they, too, viii be re-
inforced by perhaps several thousand men from
the North and Northwest, so that when these
hostile forces again come together in the field,
the chvalry, the feelings, ard the State pride OF
half dozen or more Northern States. and Of rs
many Southern States, will be involved in the
collision.
A battle, or several battles, thus organized and
thus fought, however decisive the immediate is
sue. will be but the signal for more extended
operations ON 10th sides The contagion of the
war Will be carried like an epidemic,
and more rapidly, into the neighboring
States, North ard South; and IL not arrested
by some healing compromise, the flames of
civil strife viii spread from Kansas across
the Mississippi asa across the Alleghanies TO the
Atlantic coast, until the two sections stand in
the AIMED ard deadly array against each other
Of the cut-throat houses of York and Lancaster.
And herein, visibly and palpably before us, lies
the danger 70 the Union.
Mr. Fillmore. Mr. Buchanan and Mr.. Toombs
would have US believe that peril to the confcde-
raey is from the spontaneous popular Northern
Fremont movements and they fatty tell us that
the election Of Fremont "will and ought to be
the end Of the Unon.' The Buchanan organs
too, from the Washington trumpetcr and Charles
ton Hactgy, down TO the smallest provincial
piper, play the same music. " Fremont "black
repuhlcanism,' " abolition aggressions on
Southern rights" - sectional administration"
and such things, are 10 bring about the dissolu-
ton Of the republic. and the. experiment OF
Southern confederacy. One of our Southern
correspondents has informed Us that there are
some ultra secessouists in Alabama, who really
desire the election Of Fremont. because they wish
to see this Union broken up. and great Southern
miIlchium established, with The Inauguration ofa
southern confcdcracy; and because they think,
with Mr. Fillmore, Mr. Buchanan and Mr.. Toombs,
that the election Of Fremont WI and ought to
he the end Of the Union"
All this Is stuff rubbish and humbug. The
holy horror Of Mr.. Fillmore of The consequences
Of Tremonts election Is sheer hypocrisy the
pious alarm OF Mr.. buchanan i but the mean and
dirty r.ckery Of desperate Forncy politician, and
the bois,erous Mr. Toombs is bat bag Of wind
We arc aware, however that there are many
honest but deluded, men In the South and some
few old nervous grannies and party hacks in the
North. who fear the worst Of consequences from
the success of Fremont and the republican party,
and there II another impression which is pretty
general throughout tie country to-wit that II
the Union should explode. it wiz be from the in
tolerabe pressure of Northern aggressions upon
Southern institutions, and the scccssionisss.
through the government at Washington.
Vow, IN reply to al tbs, While we concede
that Inc destruction Of this Union by suicide IL
not an snpossiblc thing, We begin to think that
our croakers and alarmis,s arc looking in the
wrong direction Tor the fatal blow. II hos very
often happened In The history OF nations, that
there has been q public prcsenGment Of great
impending national calamity but the calamity
Itself has just as frequently taken the prophets by
surprise in IT. unexpected shape. and from the
uncaIculatcd circumstances through which IL
had fallen upon them. Thus the people OF
France and al Europe apprchendcd revolution
with the death Of Louis Philippe; but Il came
mon thftn al tho very time II waz grIpnosc1 that