The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-05-16

cotton may be at the moment IN .dai By the Up
per Mississippi and the lakes There 10 reason 70 believe
that hereafter American armed the Ohio river
WIN ntercepta further shipments by that r,ute but 1t
highly probable that large quantities Of cotton have been
accumulated in the southern districts Of Illinois, and
are waiting the slow and irregular movement OF the
now crowded railways. Presuming that such cotton
whether any protection to be aorded by armed british
vessels TO such cotton the voyage the Canadian
lakes 10 Montreal Upon these lakes the federal govern
large pivot guns, and under President ncon's procla
nation such cotton, no doubt the property OF British
subjects may be seized and with the Canadian yes
sells 1t may be protect such property nor
TOO late 10 speak OF our great national mpered interests
IN aroy which will lead the uP,sd Of knsmen
country al such moment the present used Nth firm
ness and yet Nth trieHdness might aot only lead a
dtsTf udr uih ourselves, from achich flesh aad blood
coils and which If entered on will fasten lasting obloquy
on those who have failed SO sgnay in the discharge OF
great public duty
From the London Herald derby organ), May4
The news from America is Of overwhelming impor
lance The secession Of Virginia the seizure Of forts 10
Norn caro- ina by the authorities Of that State and the
attack on the Massachusetts, volunteers the popuace
OF Baltimore indications of struggle almost too hor
rbe to contemplate Ncrth and South, Washington aud
Montgomery have hitherto been forced preserve
tain nacton by the wavering neutrality of the border
their forces diplomacy On either side has sought TO enlist
the sympathy Of the waverers. Had Virginia and the
other tobacco States continued to hold aoof from the
contest the struggle might not have been of long
ton for the moment the South found itself overmatched
by Its antagonist the combatants would have stepped
forward and demanded a cessation of hostites.
Bound together by the common bond Of slavery, the
fifteen Southern States Of the American republic
Of battle and s % ~ .as
u Jc tremendous for the palm Of ctOry IS the possession Of
continent If the South be triumphant the STAKEHOLDER
will quickly stalk Mexico TO the Isthmuf and the
islands in the Caribbean Sea will be coveted the
manifest destiny Of the such is the Southern
the slave ownere-a thought nsed the youthful
mind preached from the pulpit discussed on the tribune
and uLblushingly heralded to the world by the Vice
President Of the new republic
Doubtless will appear strange that should regard
the secession OF the border favorable to the North
Notwithstanding that the latter viii have to contend
against fifteen States instead Of and eight millions
Of population in the place Of three We do purpose
TO argue the result Of the conflict between the two
sections to decide to the possibility Of the seceders
being eoerced back into the Union, but think it is
obvious that the border States would never have been
favoraby disposed towards the North that If the
latter had obtained the upper hand Of the Montgomery
confederacy would ultimately have been robbed Of the
declaring itself out Of the Union compel the free
States to change their tone with regard to slavery and
sion OF the system into territory unoccuped they will
in the nature Of things, fight against the system itself
We must also expect new element in the struggle,
which might not have offered itself had the border states
remained neutral The four millions of Slaves inhe South
are morally certain to rise against their ospressors. 7Ae
only obs dce Which has hitherto pYered them dong ,vds
the rant Of arms L1t fear that Uhen their d1rs are
ko'cn to DC IN o7en revolt against the federal government the
negroes u discover chain chat ey require The
aboiitioniss OF Western Virginia would certainly not
stand In the way.
Virginia North Carolina seeded, the road to Wash
ngton open to the South We understand
threat of President Davis that broke the fight
ing would be Northern sofia statement which was
hear also Mr. Davis the secession Of Virginia would
resign the Of the condeacy into the hands
Of the Vice President place himself at the head Of the
Southern army with General Beauregard as his lieu
tenant, and make the city Of Richmond his iquarters
We may therefore look for the outbreak of hosties
virginia. but we doubt whether this will change Mr. Lin
coins plan Of campaign. However powerful the slave
States may be when on the defensive It would be sheer
the President will doubtless occupy strategca points in
Virginia. and cover Washington with overwhelming
force whilst he operates at liberty in the Gulf Of Mexico
Had Virginia remained neutral Washington would have
been In constant danger but IS she Is new declared
enemy the opportunity for defending the capital is i'm
From the London News, May4l
II Is favorite maxim with some that the present po
ltical system OF America excludes the best from
the highest ofoes and the opinion is not unsupported
by plausible The present crisis will test this
theory Few will dispute that more difficult task
posed upon Abraham Lincoln.
To some observers appears that the commencement
Of civil war has been the step to prove the incompe
critics the South cannot be coerced, and, there
fore, the blood which must be split win be split
In vain. Now this s by means clear. If the
chief cities on the Southern seaboard are blocladed
and Charleston Is raken, there IS need for any,
tier hostile operations The South entirely Deepen
dent upon foreign commerce. and they have outlet
for their cotton except by the and the free States
Montgomery Louisville any of the towns in the in
terror IT. indeed the States north OF the Ohio and the
Potomac disposed TO in their allegiance to the
federal government, there might be some difficulty in
enforcing the federal policy But is one Of the bless
ngs Of free government that the req. feelings Of the
tenths Of the ships In the States belong the North
by land the seeding States hemmed in by those
Moreover must be observed that each separate state
is, according to the constitution, practically indie
pendent and that the only financial assistance derived
for he
purpose Of carrying on that government de-
rived from the customs. II the blockade is efec-
tive and the border States do their duty, there be
little difficulty in extracting considerable sum out
Of the ships before they allowed to pass into port
bloody, but Is hard TO believe that the South uti.
mately prevail According to the last the white
population Of The free States amounted 10 ooo 900 that
slaves numbered COO 0c0 Thus II appears that while
the reemen in the North are more than double those in
the SOUTH the South are ncumbered BY population Of
slaves in the proportion OF to two white II Is
said indeed that the masters armng these slaves
as to form them into what certain enthusiasts are
easy; to dsarm him may be dangerous problem; and
IL the slaves are prepared to fight foe their masters it Is
difficult to understand upon what principle these poor
wretches held under such strict surveillance and
kept down TO the level Of the brute.
from the London Chronicle Nay41
Svmpahsng heartily as we do, with the North-with
its free press free speech free SOIL free alien
ated must be from the South stained with slavery
cannot but the North for almost Austrian
military government- is not constructed for the
cion OF any large mass OF its peopeand though the
South was wrong according TO the letter OF the law yet
the spirit Of American institutions sanctioned the
sive secessions We're it at all practicable President
Lincoln might according 10 the literal theory OF the
stitution, suppress with high hand all rebelions, and
hong all traitors but this out of the question
lie might, on the other hand without any forms
Acknowledgement OF secesson, have said Tlere certain
forts In the South possessed by the general government
for the protection of the States from foreign invasion
they built for the coercion Of the people
and at presen there is danger rotous attack
them, will withdraw all troops from them" By this
means he would take from the Of secession oil
charm Of daring he wound that aspect heroism
which arises when hot Southrons defy Northern agyes
sion. BY saying, ~ have no idea Of sending single SOL
der into the South, though st consider the States
not seeded the people in tho Confederate States would
say, Snow that all apprehension OF force gone
gained by secession Levies would have been disband
ed the fever would have subsidized, and the border
States would have remained In the Union. But by talk
ing OF coercion Mr. Lincoln kept up continual fever
the South, enabled the Montgomery government to
exercse n desnoiisu tn