Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-05-08
WASHINGTON AND THE REBELS.

There has evidently been some disagree.
ment among the secessionists as to the pro-
prety of an attack on Washington. The re-
bells OF the gulf states have not lately contenl-
plated holding Washington permanently.
They have talked iercely of Selling and de-
stroying the city, but not of making it the
seat OF their government. AT first, while their
maneuver, by which they meant TO set aside
the election Of Mr.. Lincoln, aud make them
selves masters of the republic in defiance of
the ballot box, their intentions may have been
different; and, if there had been no election of
president by the people, no doubt they would
have been ready to make descent upon Wash
ington, meaning 10 hold it and revolutionize the
government; and Virginia might be willing TO
see this done now f; but the gulf states, at pres
ent, have no such purpose, and South Carolina
would probably "secede' Immediately, if such
plan shonld be adopted. Here is what the
Charleston Mercury says on the subject -
"The Richmond Examiner is very urgent
in pressing the policy OF the southern states
Selling Washington.
l. In the first place, for what do the con-
federate states want Washington If the
confederate states of America are to be a slave
holding confederacy, Washington will not an
states
2 In the second place, the mixed popula.
ton of Washington will render it totally unfit
for the quiet abode of Shareholders. They
could never carry their slaves to Washington
and be free OF the moIestation of abolition
fanatics, Beng within a few hours travel of
Pennsylvania, free state, there could be no
security that their domestics would not be run
of beyond their control.
%. But, above all, no troops of the Confed-
crate States, or Of any other state, can with
propriety assail Washington before Mary land
has seeded from the Union and shall request their
aid and Intervention.
That dream Of revelutionzing the govern
merit iptrodacing military despOtism in its
place, and subjecting the north to reign Of
terror, has been given up; and now the "gulf
confederacy" intends to fix its capital further
south, quite below the latitude of Richmond,
although the Virginians will be amused and
used until the leaders of the rebellion have
fully served their purposes in regard to them.
The "Old Dominion" can never be IL leader
and ruler in that association. The men
who dream of establishing slave en-
pire around the Gulf of Mexico have
Z views which Virginia might be forced
to serve, but not allowed to control.
This matter of seizing Washington has
been SO much discussed in the south, and the
boastful menaces have been so many and so
loud, that the secession leaders may find
themselves constrained to make the attack at
any rate. They may find themselves irresist
IDLY driven on to this work, by the public sem
timent they have created, which bowls so fierce
ly in the mob behind them. Be this as it may it
isn their purpose to remain there long. That
'''Gult confederacy,' including Virginia and
some of the border states, teens with the
elements Of dissension and if it shor,,,as De al
lowed to set up for ygslI, / would very soon
u pieres!' Some Of the elements of an
hsagonism are stirred by this question of Selling
Washington, and locating a capital, as ap
pears in what we copy from the Charleston
Mercury; aud they would all become very
loudly active, if they were in such peril from
war with the federal government.