Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-11-22
The Drift of the Current,

The general drift of Southern sentiment. so
far as We can Judge from the latest advices, il
towards convention Of all the Slave holding
States. South Carolina seems obstnately on.
posed to such a course, but every other South.
ern State apparantly favors IT, Fn Virginia
aud other Border States particularly, the feel.
ing is very strong, that if anything is to be
done in this matter, it must be done by the
united action Of all the aggrieved parties. The
most ardent DisunionstS in Virginia, a,-eyen
the Richmond Examiner the scheme
of allowing the Cotton States, or any one Of
them, to decide this issue for themselves
They claim right to participate in all such
counsels, and will not readily consent to be
excluded.
Indeed there is O strong feeling Of Jealousy
growing up among the SlaVeholding States
themselves. Their interests as among them.
selves are by no means iden,ical, although
they have a common interest as against the
North. This last leads them to unite ia favor
of secession,-but the former will render it
impossible for them to agree upon the ways
and means of effectiIg it. A Southern Con
yention will be Indispensable to any action.
Virginia and Kentucky will resist the separate
secession of South Carolina as a direct blow
aimed at them and South Carolina will be
compelled to go into a general Convention,
whether she desires it or not. Indeed as the
question is one of common interest to all the
Southern States, it is not easy to assign any
reason why they should not thus take counsel
together as to the proper course to be pursu.
ed
Now we regard Southern Convention as
70 go tho
Iu such body the whole subject will be dis
cusSed on its merits and such discussion
can have only one result. We are perfectly
willing 10 intrust the fate of the Union to a
Convention oS intelligent delegates from oil
Slaveholding States.
One point cannot have escaped attention in
the action OF the seeding States. MOI a sin.
gle instance Of resiStc0oe 10 The laps of III,
Tnited States has yet been committed. Amidst
all the excitement. and turmoil which are said
to pervade the South, the Federal law has
been closely and fastidiously obeyed Special
pains are taken to lain all thought oi Viola
NJ the laws of the UnOn What does this .
mean? l. it prudence,--or Difference to the
distinction winch Mr. BUCH NAN is utde.
oOd 20 draw between secession and nulicfa.
tIOn
1t viii he noted, too, that nothing whategef
has been done even by South Carolina to pre-
pare for that eventual qualification which alone
can make secession a reality. The Legisls
ture adjourned sine die without having taken
single step in this direction. No money was
raised, no tax ordered, no loan authorized, 10
army provided. Nothing whatever was done
hnt to call a Convention. This commits the
State to notbing-tecid' 9 nothing aud prppare,
for nothing. The same thing is true of the
other Stat 5. Governors Messages, LpgiSIa
tive resolutions, aud public speeches, make up
the whole of the ), ceSSon movement thus far
These are all negative indications; but they
are not without thelT value in forming 40
estimate OF the tendency of events Ut the
South.