New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-12-01

element eools she may think better of this but do
not confidently expect that abe will. She has iong
been medtaiing recession And she does taSe socn
measures, either must suffer her 70 secede, or we
mutt make mp our minds TO coercion. Here we reach
tie practical question, which desire briefly TO con-
slider.
In the contingency referred to- shall we resort 70
coercon The Consultation has provision for seces
son Secession implies State control over the larln
laws A combination by armed force, 70 overpower
dry appointed United States revenue ohcers ana 70
nnliiy duly enacted United states Jaws, Is 1Ig h
Ing. We have the legal night, hen to coerce put all
things 1--WE are told the highest authority winch are
| lawful for MS are not therefore exPedlent. go = =,
Our fellow.citizens now the inhabitants OF the Sontn,
had nothing to do with the introduction, within us
boundaries of Slavery. If we had been born 70 the
| same circumstances as they we should prooa1y nav
thought and felt in regard TO Slavery ss tney ao'
equally unchrstian and unphilosophical IN us 70 de
nounce them as criminals because they are siavehoid
er In 20 doing we are neither fair IN principle nor
guilless of having famed the fame OF sectional haired
that RACES around us now Every greVous worIi s:u,
ring ND anger is grave ofeDse, both against rehgoh
and against Justice Christianity and prudence aliKe
| call upon MS TO refrain.
In the olden time before Jesus taught the prevail
ing spiit was that Of reprisal An eye for an eye,
| and tooth for TOOTH The Author OF our religion
substituted for this another more cyzng principle OF
action, HI reminded that there are cases IN which
we should resist not evil He bid us Judge not tnal
we be not Judged His teachings were OF that charity
which sufiereth long and is kind; which oearetn an
| things; which endureth all things Violence breeds
| violence. We may determine in advance, when we
are commencing that il shall only go to certain point,
and further. But the dogs OF war, once let sup,
escape beyond our control. We may call them oacA
in vain. Ths is the general view but let NJ come TO
| particulars. n
By coercion what do we propose to ourselvesi TO
| convinced The sword never conylnces; 1t subjects.
Ii it purpose TO subject, we cannot convince, our
fellow citizens OF South Carolina But il is utterly al
variance with the spirit Of Government 70 nave III
our midst sui ecs kept loyal by force And II II were
not South Carolina if she lack judgment, has spirit
and couragei too much spirit and TOO mnch courage 10
submit to the degradation. political creed cannot,
any more than religious one, be thrust upon brave
men by force. ,..,
But there is another point Of view in which it be-
| hOoves to regard this matter.
In certain numbers suffice 10 confer considera
| ton. When numbers combine for an unlawful object,
the ofense charges its character. That which, IN sx
men, il robbery, becomes warfare IN oo,Ou. Inc dii-
ference between rebellion and revolution lies chiefly III
| numbers Had Washington struck for liberty and In,
dependence at the head OF % followers ony ana mao
he and his men been captured, they might without out
raging civilization have been hanged as rebels. put
with Washington at the head of $1,000 the British
Government felt constrained TO regard their Colonial
prisoners as any other captves taken in war; and TO
allow them the mercy which, in such cases. the law OF
| nations prescrlbes.
thority of the United States If be by handful OF
men, we NAV coerce them; it il fitting that we should
But what properly do In the case OF thirty or
three hundred may assume the aspect OF tyranny we
have to deal with three hundred thousand, provided
thew are united in sentiment and acting with unan-
imty The allegation that they 10 remains, how
| ever 10 be proved That large portion OF the IN
habtans are in favor of secession cannot reasonably be
doubted And the question is not whether they have
sufficient cause for secession but whether in point OF
| fact they are united in the resolution 10 secede.
This IL the chief feature in the present case This
care and that which occurred In President jackson
time are often cited parallel But there Is little real
similarity between them. Then II was a sudden eb0ul
lition which proclamation and tariff revision sui
1 feed TO auell Now if South Carolina acts unitedly
and persists it will be the result Of deliberate and set
| tied policy.
among those whom at this juncture, are committed
the destinies Of country, let them suffer lew
earnest words of caution. These are the times when IT
il easyatally easytO take irrevoeabe steps, to adj
vance to point whence, except through fields OF sui
cdsl warfare there If return. IL evils before us
there be- these are the times when 1t Is easy By one
false move, multiply them hundred fold. Sister
States discovered grave misfortune but sister states
| bel ieerent would be deadly cure.
The baptism Of blood confers national enmities a
errble perpetuity. Light quarels, thus embtteied,
turn to envenomed euds 70 desc nd an inheritance OF
evil from father 10 son, II Z be for generations.
Tie blood shed the grass plat of Lexington yet
cries from the ground. The heartburnngs created by
the last war still nouIshes irritation against the mother
country The lapse of centuries often proves unavai-
Il
Scotsman still beats with indignation against portion
of the island he inhabts when he passes the field Of
Fodden; still burns within him when he reads OF the
noble deeds and the traitors death OF Wallace Long
NAV il be ere dark memories ike these shall among
us brood over the gull of sectional separation, over
coudng the glory Of national future, and stirring
the brothers heart Of American IN hatred against
another
| What, then is TO he done Shall we employ To-
| ward South Carolina urgency and entreaty There
is neither dignity in entreaty beyond certain
! point What remains Let us act toward her IN that
spirit which il gentle and easy TO be entreaed but II
\ we cannot convince her, let us bid her go in
| peace" >,
Thus going, she may some day, as did one of old,
return 10 the paernal home. In any event, we shall
4 gain an ally il we lose a sister.
| Such a course win conciliate while coercion would
| exasperate other Southern States, wavering In
their allegiance. Kindness, the Christian principle IL
stronger than severity, the Heather one The genial
! sun induced the traveller TO discard hs protecting
| cloak, while the clustering wind but caused him to
hug il more closely around him.
Ii il be said that this is virtually to sanction dis5o-
luton OF the Union the reply is, that the Union Is not
dissolved because il may have TO exist without South
Carolina; no, yet if two or three oil her Sisters
should Join her in secession. Ii s the same nag still,
| when three or four stars are added; why not the
same, it, by misfortune 10 be amented, three or four
We shall still preserve unimpared identity, our
national existence our rank and weight among the
Great Powers of the Earth. On the other hand, they
who depart i'll learn by experience how little eonsld-
GRAFTON in the councils Of the world petty State can
command. Happy, IT, in their isolation, they retain
influence sufficient foreign lands, to protect their
| own citizens from injury and wrong.
l ' '"' ''N' ROBERT DALE owrs'
p Sit IL aside from my proeent purpose 10 inquire
/ by what means, III what clTcumhtaneeui anu u.ueI
what conditions the right 10 secede, not existing
can be- or ought TO be- conceded TO the formal apphc-
| don Of dsafiected State. r. d. o.