Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1860-12-13
The Coming COMPROMISE.


gentleman on the contrary, he spent much
OF his time in ale- houses in the company of
his old associates. Once when he and they
had thus spent day, and become unusually
dozy, boon~comranion addressed him after
this fashion "John, dare do what you
daren't." "No," responded John, 81 defy
you |" Yes, dare-I dare spend my last
sixpence."
Success crowns the efforts not so often of
the strongest as of the most determined
That party has great advantage in any con-
troversy who dares spend his last sixpcnce.
The South understands this, and acts ac-
cordingly. 1t has just staked its last six-
pence threat of dissolving the Union. The
North, in the full flush of victory, covers be-
fore tive mean its politicians do. And of
course this weakness is pres umed upon. Re
cent dispatches from Washington are of this
| tenor
Kentucky and Tennessee Senators and
Representatives announce that the Union is
held by thread, and both States ready to
fly with their Southern brethren if the North
refuses satisfaction.
Senators Salisbury, Of Delaware; Pow
ell. of Kentucky; Nicholson of Tennessee ;
Brown of Mississippi; Wigfall of Texas, and
many others, express these opinions.
The opinion is now almost universal
here that. unless these non-slaveholding
States consent to give the Constitutional
guarantees demanded all the slaveholding
| States will certainly secede.
GA National Convention is growing in ia.
vor."
This is the old story Sis," says o
young one of four years, just sharpening his
wisdom-teeth on the eyer-whirling stone of
experience, edo you want piece of pie ?'-
"Yes." Well. you cry and mother'll give
you piece" Advice showing good ealcu>
lation on the young ones part, but shock
ing bad one on that of the mother.
Suppose the North had, in the agony of
the Lecompton struggle, when every honora-
BILE mind revolted at the monstrous iniquity
of forcing fraudulent Constitution on pros
testing. struggling people-a bill that Sena-
tor Hammond (who voted for it throughout)
has since said ought to be kicked out of Con-
gress-declared that if that bill be put
through, she would secede from the Union
does not everybody know that the threat
would have been hailed with horse-laugh
of derision from the unanimous South? Why
should it always be hers to threaten ours to
concede?
The North has just won signal victory.
She made her issues fairly, presented them
clearly, went before the whole People upon
them, and. after a canvass of unparalleled ear.
nestness and assiduity, elected her candi-
dates. The division Of her adversaries doubts
less aided to produce thi result; but that is
not our business. We did not distract them
they distracted themselves. They fully un
derstood that their divisions gave ne the
election unless they healed them, and they
refused to heal them. They practically con-
| spired to let us win; and now they propose
to break up the Union because we did win.
| For Lincoln's election is the immediate i'm
pulse to the threats of secession. The clam
or about Personal Liberty acts does not de-
ceive one of those who raise it. Those acts
have existed for years, and have amounted
practically to no more than so much waste
paper. The South has said little and cared
! less about them. But Lincoln is chosen
| President, and all at once the cry is raised,
Repeal your Personal Liberty acts, or we
will break up the Ucion."
| VainIy do We urge that these acts, if un>
constitutional, can, at any moment, be upset
and dissipatsd by the Supreme Court, over
which the South has absolute control; while,
if they be constitutional, the demand that
they be repealed is utterly unwarranted.-
The object is not so much to have them re-
pealed, as to laise an issue on which the
North can be made to humiliate herself in
the eyes of the world.
We are opposed to any such back down.
We share Falstaf's repugnance to rendering
even reasons on compusion, and we have
even more dislike to making concessions un-
der duress. If the South desires any change
in the laws of Northern States, and will re-
quest the same in the spirit that sent Mr..
Hoar from Massachusetts to Charleston to
test in her own Courts and those of the Union
such laws of South Carolina as bear hardly
on citizens of Massachusetts. we shall be very
glad to meet her in that spirit, and have all
laws, whether North or South. that contra
vene Justice and the Federal Constitution,
simultaneously repealed. We would do
whateyer is right, but little sooner and
more graciousiy in the absence of threats
than in their irritating presence.
We do not believe that any humiliations to
which the North may stoop will placate the
Secessionists. They tell us frankly that
Lincoln's election is not their Indictment, but
their opportunity. The Personal Liberty
acts are but a make-weight, is the relative
prosperity, growth and wealth of the Free
States, and especially Of their cities. We
say this is owing to Slavery they will not
see this, and are thus forced to lay all the
blame on the Union. But the Union, they
think Charleston and Mobile would be as
large as Boston and Pittsburg; the great
exporting States also; instead of being ter,
ribly in debt and destitute. the South would
owe nothing and have every body in debt to
her, selling her cotton at her prices and ma
king the whole civilized world tributary to
her growth and glory, with mexico, Central
America, Cuba, and perhaps Hayti, success
sively adding to her empire. All this may
be very foolish or very mad but it is this
that is now rolling en- the ball of Secession,
and all attempts to stop it by Northern pros.
trations will prove fruitless. The Fire
Eaters have firmly resolved to desert US; let
us not compel them, in addition, to dispise
US.
Sc But Stocks will droop, and Money will
be scarce, and Business be dull if we do not
have compromise" Very likely. No
great reform was ever yet. effected-no adj
vance made in Government of Morals-that
did not cost something pecuniarily. As Car
lyle forcibly says:
"Pity," exclaimes Sauerteig once " that a
nation cannot inform itself, as the English
are now trying to do, by what their news
papers call Tremendous cheers" Alas ! it
cannot be done. Reform is not joyous,
but grievous. no single man can reform him
self without stern suffering and working /;
how much less can a nation of men The