The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-12-24
BALTIMORE.
MONDAY, DECEMBER "a, 1860

rto ,,oople of the North fell into an error ut the
.t,,t in REGARD TO the character of the agitation
,r,, pervades the South, and they are as far now
from, conn rohendng its real spirit and its proba-
bio consequences IS they were six weeks ago
They were very confident when the secession
,ooyfpfut was first set on foot, that it was an at
tmrt 10 iptmidate tire North, or scheme to
c,yer he retreat Of defeated party in the South,
and they predicted that itwould soon die ont amid
tho deris;ve laughter Of one section and the indig-
reDt hootings of the other. Overlooking alto
Gather Tie substantial issues it presented, they
cor,ented themselves with exposing the weakness
or the arguments adduced, or the recklessness of
some Of the measures proposed by the advocates of
Gisunion The Northern press teemed with articles
denying the right ola State TO secede and pointing
ont the dangers of such a course, and dwelling
with peculiar emphasis on every foolish speech
and urvisa act that WAS said Or done in the South
Those Journals could not or would not reaize 'he
f,c, that they were dealing, not with party, but
with . peope 1pe for revolution they have been
watching the light foam tossing upon the surface
.ca and have not noted the rapid flow Of
,ho irresistible tide beneath Events have moved
fr,yard but the legislators and journalists OF the
North are still where they were. Even now 'hey
are discussing the validity of the secession ordi-
nance IS a legal document and are making merry
,o. ,ro crnde theories and laundering proceedings
or ,hc South Carolina Convention. Suppose our
vo~,haro coutomporarcs are right upon these
,o;,., admit that the act which has just
i., -,,ssea in Charleston would be pro-
ocnrcc5 void if it came before the SUI
preme Court conccde that the men VINO
aloatei it have since displayed manifest
want of foresight and capacity, and we would
then ask whether the settlement OF these lueshonS
in any way disposes Of or even touches the a'ln-
entities of the case ? Will that sort OF logic nauce
Gontb Carolina TO reccde from her position, or
r,rorant the Cotton States from making common
c,rso with her? These are in cur Judgment the
vital considerations to which the North should
o5dress itself # the South is IN downright
a,u,os+ j., th7 matter. and has the physical power
.. ot,cn,,t with any show Of success the expert
want Of secession, it will not relinquish its purpose
because of the unconstitu tonality Of its course,
the mistakes of its leaders, or the magnitude of
fine dangers in its path. These, we repeat, are
tbo only questions with which the people should
NOW, concern themselves. If the South is strong
and determined, and we are fully convinced it is
both. then the issue it tenders must be met by
Cancellation or by war, or else the dissolution Of
the Union must be acquiesced in. There is nc
escape from this conclusion. 3 vast proportion
Of the Southern people are either playing game
which kuayes and fools and madmen could scarce
" be expected to engage in, or they are thorough
Iy bent upon making enormous sacrifices to OBJ
tain some of the concessions they demand. 1
the latter view is, as believe it to be, the one
that all men will be compelled soon to accept, il
Is evident, that the longer the Republican party
obors under any deluson upon the subject, thu
more desperate will the chances of any compro
mise become The North must recognize the i'm
porance of the political CONFUSION which agi
tates the South and it must give 10 the complaint
of the people of the Slave States an honest anl
candid consideration, before the hope of a recon
citation can be reasonably INDUCED in. The dis
pute between the hostile sections has reached
crisis with which it is fearfuly unsafe to trle.-
The most insignificant occurrence might suffice a
this jancture to sundar the Union forever, and t
precipitate 4 civil war between its dissevere
States Let the Northern press and people, there
fore, forego their taunts aud sneers ut the iaept
tuds Of Southern legislators; and let them paua
while studying the letter of the Constitution an
give heed 10 the living fact that a revolution
advancing which threatens to abrogate that ii
strumeDt and destroy the Republic Of which it
The charter