The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-06

gcuthern Preparations for 9oing Dat OF
tEs Union, and Horthsrn Measures TO
Prevent IL.
1t is with great pleasure we refer to the &C.
ton of leading Union. men in New Jersey, who
have issued a call for mass convention to be
held on the 18th of this month. to take into consi
Iteration the present alarming condition of the
polite al affairs Of the country This Is the first
move at the North to meet the crisis and We
hope to see 1t followed up Immediately by SINH
lar calls In other States.
The danger is imminent and pressing, and
there is not moment to be lost Six Southern
States are to hold their conventions all within q
month TO decide upon going out of the Union.
South Carolina leads the way on the 18th inst,
while she il making active armed preparations
to maintain her independence, and the same is
true Of Georgia and other Southern States. The
fact of South Carolina alone going out would be
comparatively of small consequence; but when
1t Is taken into consideration that she Is
merely in the van Of secession, and that the
other States have stipulated to follow her lead
then the act of revolution on her part assumes
an Importance the magnitude of which cannot
be over estimated. 1t is like the first devoted
regiment that assaults fortress 1T has dsspe-
rate courage because it knows that other
brave battalions are advancing at Its back.
The South Carolina Convention, as we have
said, meets In twelve days; the Florida Con-
vention In fortnight after, on the Sd of Janu
ary In four days more two State Conventions
meet on the same day-Alabama and Missis
sippi-on the It'll of January; on the the next
day Convention is TO be held in Texas, on
the 9Th Of January; and on the next day after
Convention in Georgia, on the 9th of January.
Now, all these are sovereign conventions Of
the people, regularly called by the Legisls.
lures, with one exception, and possessing high.
er powers than the Legislatures themselves
There is an idea prevalent at the North that
because they are conventions they are of little
consequence. while the Legislatures do not
act. But this Is grave error. These meet.
ings are formidable just because they are meet
iDgs Of conventions and not Of Legislatures; for
in our system of government the sovereignty
resides ultimately in the people, solemnly as
sembled in convention, and in the consultation
that sovereignty is expressly reserved to the
people. 1t was by convention that the citizens
of each State, one after another. ratified the
Union. and it is now by the same forms that the
people of the Southern States are proceeding,
one by one, to apDul the acts by which they
adopted the constitution.
Nor is the movement confined to the six
States we have named. The other slave States
are preparing to follow their example On the
10th Of December the Legislature of Louisiana
is summoned to meet for the purpose of calling
convention; on the It'll Of January the Legis-
lature of Virginia will assemble for the same
10 have the Legislature called, but the Cover
nor refused to respond. What they may do in
this contingency is mo- Jet determined. In
Texas the Governor, Sam Houston-who ia
strong Union man, and whose term of Office has
year yet to run-declined to act in com pliance
with the wishes Of the people; but they took
the power into their own hands, and called
Convention, as we have already stated, for
the Sth Of January. 1t is probable that the
Governor will yield in the end to the popular
pressure. But whether he does or not, bis
action cannot affect the result The revolution
will go on with or without him. From the fact
that in that State BreclSinridge--whor received
the nomination Of the secessionists obtained a
majority of $4,000, 1t II very evident wha. the
people of Texas will do. Aud what all the
other Southern States who are about to hold
Conventions, will resolve upon was distinctly
intimated by their representatives in Congress,
after the reading Of the Presidents Message,
with the addition Of North Carolina, on whose
behalf Mr.. CliDgmap, hitherto Union man,
endorsed the course Of South Carolina, and de-
clared that in bis own State there were really
only two partiee-those who were in favor of
immediate secession and those who desired to
wait for a short time to sec whether any new
guarantees would be presented for safety. He
added that in his opinion, If something Of this
kind was not Immediately done, Congress
would see not only North Carolina, but most Of
the other Southern States "in motion at an
early day"
And wherever there IL any appearance OF the
Union sentiment at the South 1t Is of the same
conditional character as that described by Mr..
Clingnan as existipg in North Carolina. There
could not probably be found throughout the
whole extent Of the Southern States I've hun
dred men who are In favor of remaining ia the
Union at all hazards. Wherever any resolu-
lions have been passed, or speeches uttered, or
articles or letters written, at the South 10 favor
Of the Union, they have been invariably cha
racterized by demand for new guarantees
and securities for Southern protection, ia de-
fault OF which the Unions's declare they are
with the secessionists, come veal, come woe.
The only difference Of opinion, therefore, at
the South il whether the States will go out
now, or wait for a very brief time TO see what
Congress and the North will do. The people Of
six of the States appear determined not TO