Gazette and sentinel., 1861-02-16

the Convention while in the latter they hav
y not only succeeded in electing q large majority
OF delegates, but have voted to have no con
%vention at all. Though this result wss no
altogether unexpected, it is much to be de
plored by the people Of the confederate State
OF the South. We had ardently hoped :ha
the border States, perceising Is clearly as ",
do the utter hopelessness Of ~wringing fion
the Black Republican States such concession.
as would enable them TO remain in the Unlor
consistently with their honor and safety, would
act at once and take the necessary steps to
wards uniting with the Gulf States in the for.
nation OF an independent Government; and
Virginia, the Mother Of States, was looked to
as the proper party to set IN example which
would doubtless be followed by all the other
border States in a body. Virginia ha> spoken
against immediate secession; Tennessee has
followed in her footsteps; the sam voice will
be heard from Missouri on Monday next, aud
the same, We fear, from the other States as
soon as the question shall be submitted to the
people at the polls.
Of course our sister slaveholding States on
the border have not taken this step with any
intention of submitting to the Government of
Mr.. Lincoln without further guarantees that
their constitutional rights will be protected
Still fondly clinging to the memory of the old
Union, the symbol Of SO many glorious recol
~lections Of the past, they hope that some
compromise may yet be effected, which vii
not only be acceptable to them, but which
shall satisfy the Southern States and bring
them back as equal members of the old con
federacy under the old constitution and the
old stars and stripes. How vain and die arc
their dreams, the Developments Of each sue.
ceeding day more fully and clearly demon.
strate, Congress has now almost COMPETED
It's session, yet a basis of compromise is ID.
parently as far from being adopted as when II
hrst met in December last Despairing Of
obtaining anything from Congress. the border
States, under the lead of Virginia. inaugura-
ted q Peace Conference, which is likely to adj
)ourn without even proposing anything at all;
or II it should offer q compromise which would
require the Black Republicans to yield in the
slightest their principles, Etbere is no chance
of its ever being adopted. On the contrary,
the Black Republicans have not changed in
the least their arrogant and hostile attitude
towards the Southern States. They are build.
ing war steamers, contracting for men and
money, and making the necessary preparations
to subjusate the seeding States after the in
auguration Of Mr.. Lincoln, who minated very
clearly IN Q speech the other day at Indianap-
oils on his way to Washington, that he con
It his duty to retake the forts and col
lect the revenue ia those States which bay.
declared their independence.
Mr.. Seward, the prospective Secretary of
State, Also admitted in the Senate a few days
since, that the new Administration intended
10 night this question out. All these things
to show that compromise and Cancellation
IRE not thought OF by the dominant party;
that the government is to be administered &C.
to the litter of the Chicago platform
nd that the Slave States must either submit
o seeing slavery placed, in the words of Mr..
lincoln himself, where the public mind Shall
in the belief that it is in the course of
Ultimate extinction" or they must protect
by setting up an Independent
Of their swn. And there is no
'oubt that the Black Republicans have been
and made more determined to
xecute their des gins, by the late unfortunate ,
ction Of the Border States. They now fee,
hat they have q strong party at the South, !.
rho are willing to go with them in their work =
enforcing the laws and subjugating the re. :
ellious States.
Seeing, then, that the Black Republicans :
re determined not to make any satisfactory '
oncessions, there is left TO the Border States u
he alternative either to join the seeding !.
tstes in the formation Of a powerful Slave ;
Confederacy, or to remain in Union :
! which they will be in much larger minor ;.
y than before, and 10 which they will be at V
he mercy of the non 'slaveholding majority.
We have no doubt what their decision will I
E. We have no doubt that they will all uL. f
nately join the Southern Confederacy, but
,eir procrastinating course may defer the !
nal decision Of the question to some time in =
re distant future. :
But Whatever may be the deter mination of !.
lie Border States, the duty of the seeding o
latrs is plain. If those States which sre a
Ientical with Us in interest and feeling should c
US. We should receive them with open il
ms. But il, regardless Of their own inter.