Newbern weekly progress., 1860-11-27
Southena ffmid1fx.I

hardly sppropriatdtor the ideas we intend wri-
ting. Yetwe canno. thnk' pf anytlih that
would better express the sispssi,ion of~ks pub
lie Southern press at this time. Thst portion
of it which is singing p@ans. .toShe Union seems
to be affected with some dy4abtic afflictioil6f
the mind and their song srnaS Is of uncettajE:.
ty in the conception of its oFifsons. and gEds
forth but a feeble sound. ThA cdnsereAtiSP
portion of Intelligent Southern men, who form
the nucleus of safety around whiS.stAe conf
ding and noble are wont to assemble. and whose
words are looked to as the watch-word Of dc
ton in a time Of peril, are undecided, and seem
to falter between two opin;ons--whether the
exigencies of the times, resulting from the cleo
! ton Of a Black Republican to the Presidency of
! the United States, together with the failure of
Black Republicans TO restore our slaves under
the Fugitive Slave Law, and the passing of laws
| by their State Legislatures locally nulldying
| that law-whether these are grievances that
would justify dissolution of the American
Union or not The public press of South Caro-
lima and part of the press Of several other
States, form an exception to this timidity
But the gravity with which their conclusions
! are jumped at, the hasty and determined man.
ner of action advised, lead us to the opinion of
want of reflection and cool, sober thought on
the consequences of dissolution. Recklessness
aided by a. selfish State pride takes the place
in too many boSoms of untirng devotion to q
government, under the administration of which
We have been prosperous and happy, and it is
an exhibition of dwarted mind and heart to
witness regard and affection for some State
or small locality, while our country grows too
voiuminous for the capacity Of our patriotism
But yet this tinlidity in the minds of the
conservative is the best index to their appre-
citation of the value of that compact under
which our laws are made and executed. They
weigh the subject we'll, admitting that South
ern honor demands re1ress--that dissolution
would entail crash in our finances; confidence
would be blasted and sufferi1gas as consequence
would be inaugurated in the palace and minds
of the rich and in the cottage of the poor-That
interference and agitation upon the subject of
slavery within f.w months has refrigerated
from a consideration Of the extension ofthe in
stitution to consideration Of existent protec-
ton. And such must ever be the case when
the majority opposes and exasperates, and the
minority becomes vindictive and exceeds its
bounds in returning the blow. Agitation is
not the friend of the institution, and yet in
those States where its prosperity Is most to be
desired we find the most rabid excitement-
Bad as are the results to which we have alluded
consequent upon dissolution we may not yet
hope to find terminus-an ultimatum at
which we will be able to say, "Our honor is
vindicated, our institutions established on a
sure basis, and our character as distinct and
separated organization known and respected
by nations"
Such is the consu1nnlation hoped for, but
what guarantee have we of the attainment of
such result ?-none. While agitation invec-
tires and hard names are the weapons with
which we fight no change will be wrought for
Southern advancement, no consummation effec-
ted in Southern enterprise and Improvement
Civil war is subject but seldom contemplated
in this connection; and though the idea of
brother with his bayonet in brothers breast
is a condition of things from which our nature
recois and the heart is sick, this nevertheless
must be thrown into the balance III contcm-
plating the course of action now to be pursued
by the conservative men of the South. But
why contemplate scenes of carnage and blood
sisters, and desolated firesides9 We ask in re-
ply-what mean those demonstrations so nu-
merous in our land ?-moaey appropriated by
the million, military organizations, formation
of bodies of Minute Mcl1." What means that
clause of the Constitution regulating a body of
Minute Men, which requires that every mem
Der shall arm himself with pistol, inusket, or
some defensive weapon? Are they to be used
as the Chinese use gongs-to scare tl1er north
ern enemies, (brethren rather,) by mighty
sound of resistance. five would construe their
meaning literally all must admit that it means
aoar to the knife But the conservative mel, of
our Southern country, while jealous of the
rights of their beloved South; are more Jealous
of the boon committed to their keeping by their
sires of the American Revolution, and while
battling peacefully for local rights, are willing
to make concessions when the great public
good of their country is impefiled and demands
it OF them
It is from this view of the existing difficulties
that conservative Southern tnen are timid-not
with the timidity that springs from cowardice,
but that feeling of reserve which fears its own
penetration into the political darkest tl,at sur
rounds us at this time: They are tmid because
they love the South-they arc timid because
they love the Union, and are pledged TO its
maintainanCc and perpetuity. The triumph of
right and justice for the suppression of error
and the preservation of our institutions is best
contded to calm and sober legislation. Let
men refiect-and act from pure motives, aided
By desire for the welfare of their aehoIe coun-
try, and State pride and State rights could be
easily compromised to the welfare, the pros
perity and ultimate aggrandizement of the
South, and her honors remain fair and unn-
peachable. This they mean to do.
REPORTER.
A WELL PLEASED MAN-If the reporters are
to be credited the Prince Of Wales must have
been the best pleased young man on this conti-
nent. Each successive incident of his trip in
the United States affords him 1.-THE highest