Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-02-14
ID Es Tsw woCRAT ~
The Southern Das not.

Our direct adyices from Charleston confirm
pretty general impression that the force
which created and has sustained the Sevess
sion movement whether 1t was the fever of
an angry excitement or an attempt to COM
pei the North to concession and humility by
loud and violent threats, is gradually subsi~
ding. 1t is very certain that the natural
tendency of the present postiol OF affairs Is
to produce such result Ii ls not IN the
nature Of things that reasonable revolt
against constituted authority should stand
still. Born in the elimination OF passion, 1t
dies of good sense and sobefness, If the IN
surgents stop to think. Even revolution
springing from good motives, and aiming at
righteous ends, must have large share OF
that power which comes from the strength OF
passion; and how much more must this be
true of mere rebellion conceived in iniqul>
ty and brought forth in madness. 1t ls not
truer of a woman than of this movement in
the Southern States, that she who hesitates
is lost" Any one of them, even the arch
traitor herself, South Carolina, may Sit down
in her gates, clothe herself with negro-cloth,
anj strew ashes over her venerable head, bes
cause her soLs have returned to their senses,
and put on the garb of soberness and sanity,
if she stops to reflect. Thinking will be her
ruin if she ventures to indulge in it. Even
whisky will not save her if she falls into a
meditative mood in her drink.
1t is precisely this condition that she
seems TO have fallen into. The stare and
stripes floating over Fert Sum :er are sugges-
tive Of very sober reflections, for which there
is likely TO be ample leisure now that the
| trenches are dug the embankm made,
and the batteries in order. From the frown-
| ing guns of Fort Sumptsr the contemplatve
eye will naturally wander over the bay and
haIbor OF Charleston, will rest upon the spot
where sunke1 vessels obstIuct almost all nav
! igatiop, and will turn to the deserted docks,
the silent quays, the warehouses too full OF
cotton, and the coal-yards too empty of coal.
| 1t is very desperate madness indeed that
will not be checked by such sights as these.
] The sight Of the cotton alonew will work q
marvellous change in the South Carolina
mind if they will lock at it long enough to
take in its full meaning. Cotton is more
! than King in Charleston, at this moment,
and is getting to be so in all the Cotton
! States-he is terrible despot, that rides
them as the Old Man of the Sea did Sinkad
the Sailor. lie will neither give them TO ca,
nor to drink; ho will neither permit them t.
stop for a moment cf rest; nor will he get off
and leave them to take care of themselves.
In short they can do nothing without Cot-
ton, and having got it, they can, under pres
ent circumstances, do nothing with it. Un-
less the crop moves, Secession stands still !;
unless the crop moves there are net even
slaves rations of allotted corn and bacon !;
much less are there. unless the crop moves,
munitions of war, Columbiads, Minnie rifles,
marching armies, swift men-of-war, commits
sariat, and all the rest that go to the arming
of great revolution. la tie mean time
while contemplating this state of things and
looking for remedy, the thought will be
born in many brain, sobered BY mere rest,
what is all this for? Does it pay? hadn't
we better give it up? And when they get
to the point Of asking this latter question,
they are also very near its correct solution.
In the mean time we Of the North need
not talk of Compromise. We may safely
| leave the matter 70 Cotton, for as long as
three millions OF that precious INST rial re-
mains immovabe in South Carolina store
houses, we are sure that the South has
master that will keep her in check, and
! bring her to her senses. The North has en-
| ly to keep as immovable as the King.