The register. (Monroe, La.) 185?-1861, 1860-01-19
The Machine Nerve.

Val tllu DanViilc huIlFoau COuIpaily passeu
the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the
Richmond land Danville Railroad Company
will hereafter abstain from procuring supplies
for the use Of the Railroad Company from the
North. or non-slave-holding States, in all cases
where they can be procured elsewhere, of
suitable character and at reasonable rates of
charge.
The Cincinnati Gazette. a Fremont journal,
copies this resolution and sadds.the. following
comment, which speaks for itself:
This is the beginning of the "non-inter-
course" at which thu. Firc-Eatersi 'ares flaming
We confess our ignorance of the importance
and thei location Of the Richmond and Dam
vile Railroad, but re fear this action o. the Drcc-
torsmay sh,a up our Norths,n machine shops.
The italics are our own. eve fear = it
may shut up our Northern machine shops"
Hereis key that the South may turn, if she
please, that will emascuFate abolition, and
bring peace to the country. We have but to
iouch this great machine nerve, and it will in
stantly contract, causing, as if by magic, a
thousand workshops to become silent, the music
Of thousands Of hammerssto cease, multitude
of people to rue the day when they gave coun-
tenance directly or indirectly to the fanatical
war which has already resulted in bloodshed,
and has almost brought the two sections of
country to an open rupture. Every one--must
be convinced that multitudes in the North and
West Lave tacitly acqueisced in agitation from
mere sentiment, without any definite know
ledge Or ideas as to the results of it. They
never for an instant have supposed that it.ls.to
have any practical bearings of any moment,
least Of all have they supposed that it could
by any possibility effect their pecuniary inter
ests, their business, hid as it were, far away
in the inland cities and towns of the North
and West. The very instant they perceive
this, or rather feel it, through the great flnan-
cial machine nerve, they will be quick to fright
about face" and to give vent to their indigna-
tion against the demagogues who have reduced
agitation to trade and have been triling
with the hottest interests of their country
The nerves that traverse the human eye and
cause the acutest pain the instant the least
violence is done to them are not more scnsi-
tive or pervasive than these great machine
nerves that extend from the South to the North,
travcrsing the country in all directions, seal
ing the sides of hills and mountains, descending
into deep ravines, penetrating the wilderness
even, and stretching away almost illimtably
across the praires to the very horizon where
heaven and earth seem to touch and kiss each
other. There is absolutely no class, no inter
est throughout either the extreme Northeast or
Northwest which these delicate yet powerful
fldments of finance and machinery do moi
reach and effect; andl the veryT first agitation
Of this question in reference to their penetra
tion and influence shows il. There is danger
that the machine shops of Cincinnati will be
shut up, says Il journal that persists in keeping
up sectional organization for no other pur
pose than to forward the interests of political
aspirants. Our Cincinnati contemporary is
right. There is danger that the workshops no
only Of Cincinnati but. of Pittsburg and {
score of other cities that have but lent too
willing car to the voice of dctraction and
given but too much aid aud comfort to forays
against the South will be shut up.
Unless new leaf is turned over on the par
of these cities and the people Of the States il
which they exist, the millions of dollars sen
annually TO them by the South for their usrlu
productions will be withdrawn. The South
1nl t p.le Il 10, 4 !
There is actuaii,- no other recourse left. W,
indulge in no threats, leaving all such matters
to those whose taste it suits, bGt he must b'
blind as IL bat who does not believe that the
South will be driven inevitably to this alterna
tive by the course of events if the sectional
antagonism is still to be kept up. The North
cru sectionalists can treat it rs a Joke if they
choose. They can affect to be witty over it
and continue to assure their followers that the
sectional war can still be wagcd with undated
fury, and that no harm to them will or can
come of it. If they really think so, as we dc
not doubt that many Of them do, they are de.
cciving themselves and they may find it ou
when ii is too late to rctrace their steps. In
cipient action in the South upon this question
of machinery add supplies of manufactured
products is already perceptible in various quar-
tiers. 1t is now engaging the earnest attention
Of thinkers, and from the thinkers it will pass
to the actors. 4 meeting of merchants il,
Richmond has been held, and in all probability
promising always that agitation is to go on
meetings will follow of merchants and citi
zens in all Of the cities and important towns
of The South. The agents Of Northern found
ries, factories and houses will meet with n re.
ception whose warmth will every day diminish
till the trade-mercury falls far below the freeze
ing point-down, down, down till the shirt OF
patriotism itself, Us it now exists shall be con
gealcd.
We know very well that the South is afllic.
ted with the genus demagoguc as the North is
and that the cry of wolf. wolf, from the Bonn
bastes Furiosos of the South has caused many
in the North to believe that nothing that may
be said or done here ought to be regarded as
beirg said or done in earnest. But il the,
take the feeling now prevalent in the South fol
this ordinary buucum of Southern political u
traists, they will be led into profound, if moi
fatal delusiop. The feeling we speak of ha.
taken possession Of a different class of minds
The most conservative men in the South rccog
nize the necessity for defensive action thai
shall be felt rather than heard. The strongest
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