, 1861-04-08
Gbitaat>=G Gtiibutte,


MONDAY, APRIL 8, 1851
:. ArnopKR ARGUMENT.
-' The endure.And.watt party Of the North
the mtlk-sops Of our poN1ics-who will
consent to no effort to sare the best gqve
,ernrnent on earth from utter destrac-
ton, if that effort implies anything more
than the contfnuanuce Of Congressional gab-
bic, or the writing of . conci1iatory letter,
are the shallowest philosophers that this
world has lately produced. AL govern
ment has its ultimate basis in force. I'm
fortunately, the. world has not arrived at
that perfect stage in which moral senti-
Iaents or intellectual enlightenment are
exclusively capabte Of regulating its affairs,
or holding ii check the badwbo are mixed
up among the good Of its inhabitants.
Physical capability-the power to punish
1nfrac.ions Of laws as:necassa1y in this,
age as in any other that has preceded it;
and he who supposes that it can be set
aside or replaced in this national emcr-
gency BY buttered words, Is a fool, whom
it would be mercy to bore for simples.
The men who are engineering the
treason in the South to jnhilant Ter
minasion, are only men, after all. Despite
their gasconade and chivalric pretensions,
they are controlled by the same motives
th&:- animate other plotters against the
peace Of society. They are just as quick
to smell danger to person and property as
the probable consequence Of their: rebel
Ions acts, as The shrewdest Yankee who
walks on legs, As long as they are COL
vinced that they can plot with IMMUNITY
seize government vessels, fortresses, arms,
arsenals, 1nints, and munitions OF war, and
play other high pranks of pretended soyer-
'eignty, including the hanging of every man
suspected Of dissenting from their opin-
ions-they will go ahead with confidence
and daring which supposed i1upunity III
spires Let them understand, however,
that the danger and responsibilities which
ordinarily attach to treason may be visited
upon their heads, and thousands Of the
rampant bullies who are looking around
for an s*Abolitionist in whom to flesh
their swords. would become as mild as so
many sucking doves, and as loyal as Andy
johnson. 1t is this conceded impunity
with which their treason has been shielded
that has given it the alarming proper
tons it has utterly assumed. They have
no real cause Of grievance. Their woes
are imaginary aud their action is only the
prompting Of mad ambition or the agony
Of partisan hate. At any rate, they
are acting upon no settled conviction Of
patriotic duty lite that which filed the
hearts Of the men Of the Revolution. And
they need only the wholesome check which
force and fear can give to cause their halt,
II not rapid retreat They need to be
convinced That the determination to pre-
serve: this Union is earnest and that to
break it up will cost many thousands Of
lives and tens Of millions Of money, to take
aview Of their duty in the premises which
has not yet been presented. Put their
lives, their wealth, their family comfort,
their slaves, the prosperity Of their
children and their political standing
in peril by dresolution on the part Of
the Government to put down treason at all
hazards, and this thing Of sporting seces-
sion cockades, waving palmetto flags and
the like, would cease to be holiday bust
ness and become reality to be gingerly
dealt with.
There is another aspect Of this case as it
stands: The men of the Border States
who are yet loyal, need, not soft words and
Eweet-scented promises, but decisive acts.
They must be supported by arms. not
promises Of concession. They must be
warranted in saying to their neighbors that
war is approaching with all its attendant
horrors in whic, they must 60 down
before the numbers of the loyal Union
men; and that before the blow is struck
and hostil'ties are begun, they must review
their ground and see what they have to
lose by submission to the Constitution and
the laws even though administered by Re-
publlcans, and what they have to gain by
IN inglorlous and disastrous termination
Of the strife. This is an appeal which all
men can understand-an appeal which
speaks to motives that daily shape and
control human conduct, whether observed
in individuals or masses Of men. Until it
is made ii g way that leaves no doubt Of
what is impending, we need hope for No
diminntion Of the treason by which the
land is torn.