Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-01-31
The Cost Of Coercion Reuly to Louisi
anian.

ekn4a4s
An intelligent gentleman from Louisiana,
under date uf January 4th, 1861 addresses
US as follows:
EDITOR OF THE CINCINNATI TIMEs-DEAR
SIR: / am not one OF those who stop paper
because an offensive editorial appears in it. |
like to compare the opinions of men in diff
ferent sections on the various important tops
les of the day. / even take and read the N.
Y. Tribune that arch f.nd of Abolitionism,
in order to watch the movements Of the ene-
my.
/ would respectfully suggest that you give
US an editorial on the probable cost Of coer-
cion. You have counted the cost of dlsun-
ion, and recommend bloody coercion. -
Every cotton State will cordially indorse the
South Carolina platform. Low much will
their coercion cost the free States in men,
money, &c.. &c.?
We like the spirit in which this letter is
written. The author, who is evidently an
intelligent man, does not discontinue news
paper because he happens to find in it ecca-
sionally an article to which be takes excep-
tous. 1t is more difficult task to edit
newspaper. and satisfy the readers, than is
generally imagined; and he who would in
form himself must consent to examine all
sides of the question. Tradition tells us of
two valiant knights Of the days of chivalry,
who, travelling in opposite directions, eneouh-
tered a splendid shield, which had been plac-
ed by the side of the road. One Instantly
pronounced it gold the other. without hesi-
tation, declared it to be silver. Each posi-
tive in his conclusions high words soon fol>
lowed, and notwithstanding TO a proper dis
tance, dashed at his adversary with his sword
and lance. While they were engaged in a
desperate struggle. seriously endangering
their lives. pious monk came along. and as-
certaing the cause of the collision. assured
Them they were both right and both wrong :
that one side ,oas god the other silcer and
remis ded them that each would have avoided
q vast amount Of trouble by looking at the
opposite side of the shield.
1t is thus in all the affairs of life /: man
gains nothing. and loses almost everything,
by wrapping himself in the garmenss Lf his
own individuality, and refusing 10 permit an
idea TO penetrate his saul which he does not
fully understand, ur which nc tinds inconsis-
tent with SINE hackneyed notions of bis
childhood, or 10 have been delared. at some
perio1 of the pas', by some chimney corner
council of literary owls, to be founde ! in herr
esy. Nothing bespsaks the gentleman. the
scholar, the man of travel. 80 quickly as a
willingness. at all times. to submit bis opin-
ions to the inspection of those from whom he
differs on all imaginable subjects If there
cannot be fund two leaves OF the forest pre-
cisely alke-if two human faces cannot be
found to correspondent there ne shade of
difference between sven two blades of grass
in :he feld-if there be not two lilies in the
valley which the delicate pencil of nature
has fashioned precisely alise--iiii even two
drops Of water will not balance in the micro-
seopic scale If. in short, contrast and not
uniformity. is the universal law of nature.
why should we erect a Procrustean BED upon
which to rack the opinions and sentiments of
mankind? We are to day what our fathers
were a few huudred years ago. They beieV.
ed the earth to be fat surface and the great
center around which the Universe was proud
to revolve; they believed it proper to destroy
even their own fataers, and moskers, and
children, when they assumed the firms of
witches and wizards, and, instigated by the
d vii, passed through key holes and toImen-
ted Their neighhors' dreams and killed their
cattle blythe me~e exercise or Will they be.
ieved, in Old Virginia. as late the mid.
die of the eventsenth'century, it wes right
to bring man to the whipping post. or take
hi4 life if be abs n ell himse rom church
We now oriticise our fathers. bur our cbil :
dren in turn will criticise us, and will laugh
as heartily at our fo.lies as we now laugh at
the foli,es Of those that have gone be.or us.
But we must reply TO the q lestian of our
correspondent: WHAT WOULD BE THE CusT
OF COERCION Z"
II IL, ~,
that by the phrase ''bloodv coercion" we did
not intend to convey the idea that we do not
deprecate as a calamity of gigantic dimen-
sions, thr necessity of resorting to armed
farce for the purpose of preserving tie Uniep.
We had fondly hoped that such necessity
would not arise. and that the g sober second
thought" Of the people would be on the side
Of law and order. We sincerely trust, even
vet that our brethren in the North and in the
South will be able to settle the questions
which distract them. and that they will, ere
long greet each other not ss enemies, but as
frends-friends linked together ty consid-
erations of interest, happiness. AID mutual
safety, altogether 'oD ex3l-ed to be sacrificed
uron the igneble alter Of personal pref udices
and partisan ranc2r. We believe. however,
as we have be ieved from the heginning thar
the laws must be erecuted that ST cassion and
NuilificatiJn, which are identical in origin,
principle and effect, must be met (ifthe dis.
ease cannot be reached by the mild argu.
ments of reason) by the ,tr ,pg arm of mill
tary power This ia precisely The view of
this question taken by Washington, Madison,
Monroe. Jefferson, Webster, Winfel Scott,
Wool Stewart and all the lead ng statesmen
and soldiers Of the past ard present age. If
we are wrong. we enjoy at least the satisfae-
tion of knowing that we are in the company
of those whom the country. from it's founda,
tion, has most delighted to honor.
But we are asked what will be the cost Of
coercion From this question, we infer that
our correspondent believes that il would re-
uuire an immense sacrifice Of men and money
to bring back the seeding States. Let Us
see 1t will not be Unnecessary, it is possible.
to transport Il single ran acrts ss the soil of
the S.uth. Mr.. Jefferson believed the true
policy in quelliog rebellion like that of
S nth Carolina to consist in the employment
of the navy, instead of the army. We are
compelled to maintain our ships of war. and
I'm view of the rapid increase Of the war ma
yies of Europe and Great BRITTANY TO contln-
ually add to their numbers. ghether any OF
the States of the Union secede or not. Has it
occurred TO our correspondent that II will
cost no more TO maintain these grim ocean
giants of tho har5ors of Charleston. Savan-
nah, Appalachieola. Mobile and Galveston.
and the mouth of the Mississippi river, than
.. ,,,;i 70 sunnnrt than i, the picinitV of TnDp