The national Republican., 1861-04-13
THE PRESENT CONDITION OF AF.
FAIRS

AIRS.
Those who speculate upon the division OF
this Republic iuto two Confederacies, and ex.
press the desire to witness the peaceful accom-
plishment Of such result, ale amusing them
selves with an idle fancy.
If the slave States, assembled for consulta
ton, had determined to propose a separation
from the free States. it would have presented
case for consideration. But no such consuta.
ton has ever been had, and for the reason that
certainly majority of the slave States have
union. Deliberation and decision by the en-
tire South have been precisely the things which
the Gulf politicians have prevented, and for the
best of all reasons, that such deliberation and
decision would have been fatal to their schemes.
They have precipitated the cotton States into
revolution, and have relied upon the coercion
Of circumstances, to drag the border slave
States after them.
The theoretical possibility of peaceful di.
vision of the Republic, (tbe consent Of all par
ties being, of course an indispensable condi.
ton Of such DIVISION may be admitted; but
it has no pertinency to the actual matter with
which the country has now to deal.
A few bold and bad men on the Gulf, taking
advantage of the treacherous completely Of Mr..
Buchanan's Administration, have initiated and
carried on revolutionary enterprise, equally
fatal to the existence of the National Govern.
ment and to the liberties of the States in which
they have usurped authority.
| A Government which can be ousted Of its
jurisdiction in any State, without its own con.
sent, is no Government, and the sooner the
farce Of maintaining such an institution is
abandoned, the better. The withdrawal Of one
State, or of many States, as a matter Of mutual
agreement, may be conceived to be possible,
although it will be time enough to entertain
propositions Of that character, when they are
made. But such disruption as we have wit.
messed on the Gull, with its attendant circum-
stances of seizing forts arsenals, and nints,
cannot be tolerated without giving up the Gov.
ernment altogether. If such things are per-
mitted with impunity today, they will be re-
peated tomorrow, and next day, until no two
States are left in political connection.
Fortunately, the work of restoring order in
the region of disorder does not appear to threat.
en- difficulties at all formidable, in comparison
with the magnitude of the object to be accom-.
plished, which is nothing less than the preserva.
ton Of the very existence of that national Gov.
ernment, which is the support and security OF
all our political blessings. The revolutionists
confess their own belief that they are only a
minority in the communities which they over
awe with the knife, the pistol and the bludgeon'
They confess it by refusing to submit their pre-.
tended acts of secession and of government to
the arbtrament of popular votes. Aud corrob-
Grating that confession, is mass Of conclusive
testimony that it was by surprise, by terror, and
by the completely of Mr.. Buchanan, that the
consprators were enabled to seize the little TEN.
porary power which they have enjoyed.
This power, which grew up in night, will
perish in a day. 1t has been overrated from
the first. A minority faction in States having
altogether white population less than that o
Pennsylvania, whatever advantage it may have
obtained by the connivance Of the Administra
ton which lately afflicted US, will be easily pu
down by the resources of the strongest Govern
ment in the world.