The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-04-08
BALTIMORE.
MONDAY, APRIL 8, 1861.


sound of the first hostile cannon will preciptate
npon us all, it is well that we should survey the
fold calmly, while yet we may. The moment of
excitement is not the season to which we should
rostrone our deliberations and resolves.
W. rrosrn,c there is no candid and sensible man
,r,o,,,r rs who seriously doubts--however he may
have hoped and wished the contrary-that the
Sonthern Confederacy represents the will of the
vast majority of the people of the Confederate
States. Mems prejudices and desires will GER
toinly induce them to believe almost anything,
but there are some things which are beyond the
persuasion of even hope and passion. Examples
are of course frequent in history, of revolutions
which have overpowered the wishes and feelings
Of the masses, but they have been military revo-
lutions always, made successful by armies and
arms The idea of a minority, in each of seven
States of this UNIoN--and small minority too, as
is preended-having been able to overawe the
will and ouvote the votes of the majority, so as
to take possession of all the powers of Govern
ment; break off from UNION TO which the mass
of the people were fervenuy and resolutely at
tached; construct new Confederacy; levy taxes,
pass laws, organize an army, send out Ambassa-
doris; assume, in fine, the position of separate
and independent people among the nations of the
earth, without battle fought, riot, tumult, or
even blow strickland this, too in defiance of the
popular sentiment, which at any given moment
had only to manifest itself in order 10 overwhem
the whole proceeding-such an idea we insist,
can be seriously and honestly entertained by none
but simpetons or children. To call such revo-
luton the work of politicians is TO trife with the
public intelligence, and fool with fearful issue.
Wherever the majority lies, there will politicians
be also For every one who desires to overcome
the will of the majority, there will be ten to flat
ter and execute and represent it. To talk Of
"a reign of terror" by which the popular voice
in seven States has been stifed for nearly six
months, is 10 set up what every rational man
knows is an impossibilty under the institutions OF
every State which has seeded A standing army,
under the control of the alleged minority, could
never have forced such result, unless its numbers
bad been fearfully prepondcrant and even them its
triumph could only. have been secured on the bat
tlc-feld. The men who write and repeat such so-
ries do not believe them. 1t is but part and par
eel of the wretched and fatal system of persuadng
us to ignore facts and turn our faces away from
ment of the Republic. If a Charleston journal
WERE deliberately, to assert upon the faith of let
tiers received from Massachusetts and Maine, that
the secession feeling was in fact the feeling of the
masses in those States; that its expression
had been thus far only restrained and
awed by the devices and terrors of n Republican
minority, and that the Confederate States had
only to perseyere patiently, in order to secure an
ultimate and complete reaction in favor ofsecession
in New England-the ridicule with which such
absurdities would be received, would fairly repre-
sent the Judgment that ought to be passed at this
d. moment by all thinking men, upon their equally
ridiculous counterpart.
We assume then, that the movement in the
now Confederated States represents the will of the
people of those States. If it does, it amounts to
the resolute declaration. thOir part, tnot they
will no longer be ruled by the government of the
UNITED STATES. They will havea government of
their own. They have established it, are CONSOLE
dating it, and will support and defend it with
their lives and fortunes. Any attempt to sup
press or interfere with it, they will treat as an act
of war. All questions of property-al matters
growing out of their former federal relations
they will adjust equitably and amicaby, by peace
full negotiation, but any effort to enforce the laws
or assert the jurisdiction of the UNITED STATES
within their borders Or upon their coasts, they
will resist by force of arms, as independent ma
tons are wont to repel SUCH 1t is not worth
while to consider-they do not ask us to deliber-
ate-whether they have assumed this position in
accordance with the spirit of the Constitution of
the UNITED STATES, or in opposition to it. The
fact is that they have assumed it, and mean 10
maintain it by every resource at their command.
They think they are right and would desire us
to think so and act accordingly--but no matter
what we think, they intend to act upon their own
convictions. This leaves to US only the choice be-
tween recognizing attempting to subjugate
them. We must do the one thing or the other.
There is no halfway aboutit. To collect revenue
from their commerce, is as much of an interference
with their jurisdiction, as an invasion of their
soil. They will treat it in the same way, let us
draw what distinctions we please.
How stands the case then? Three millions of
white men, our brethren and co-hers of a COM
mon birthright of freedom, having become dissat-
isfed with the government under which we and
they have heretofore lived together, have deter
mined peacefully to change it and establish an
other of their own framing. They do rot believe
that the fraternal feeling and good faith upon |
which our UNION was based, exist any longer, in
their regard, among large portion of their for
mer political associates and they are salts
fed that their rights and institutions are no
longer safe in the old and once cherished relation
They have therefore resolved peacefully to sever it,
They have deliberately determined that we shall |
have no part in governing them hereafter, but |
that, on the contrary, they will govern them
selves That is their position. Unless we acqui-
esce in it, we have no alternative but TO take pre-
cisely the opposite ground, and to insist that they
shall not govern themselves at ALL except as we
wish that they be governed If they take up
arms TO rsist the imposition of an authority by
which they are no longer willing to be ruled we
must take up arms to impose such authority
upon them. They stand upon the fundamental
American principle of fgovernment-we shall
stand upon the despotic principle of government
of force. There is no blinking the question or es-
Gaping the conclusion. five attempt, directly or in
directly-in any shape or under any name
to force the people of the South to remain in the
UNION, back to it, after they have resolved
to live out Of tive may call it reinforcing the
laws" or collecting the revenue" or Cup
Holding the Constitution" or whatever else we
please, but we are writing, in letters of blood, the
proposition, that three millions of intel
gent, peaceful, free-born Americans, assembled I
n organized communities, and with all the re- {
sources and appliances of political independence, t
may of right be compelled by force of arms, to be
governed against their will We shall assert, in
such case, the right to invade their soil and SUBJ
ugate their people, in order to impose upon them {
our opinions and laws at the point of the bav
onet 1t amounts to nothing, to say that orr t
avs and opinions are right and theirs are wrong
because they repel our opinions and will resist our
avs, to the death. 1t proves nothing to dwell f
upon the gories and blessings of the UNION, be-
cause they willing 10 sacrifice all these, for
what they esteem greater good, and they insist
upon judging, for themselves, whether that good he {
worth the sacrifice. Shall we stand by any Gov t
which calls on us to shed the blood of t
Dur kindred and pour out our own, to maintain +
It's side OF such IN issue7 That Is the lestior i
which the people of Maryland may, at any mo- @
uent, be called on TO determine, and upon which t
hey had as well make up their minds q, on,o q
Unless we mistake them sadly, it is a one.,;o,, =
upon which they will not deliberate long a
Public attention has been already called to the I
distress prevailing among the unemployed me-
,hancs of this city, and the aid of the more pros
Loc l.