Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-01-31
No Civil War.

not Withheld from is lawfnl owner and Uni
TED States authority be ret eorrested in the
Territories. and elsewhere within It's juris-
aiclian. The United States own forts and
srssnals at various points GA the coast. As
Sbey buugh: tho sites, and erected the forti-
icasions. i: would seem to admit of no dpubt
that they belong to them. and to febody else.
II they be seized, and attempts ba made 10
hid them, no one can be presumed to sap
pose that the United States ought not to Ie-
take thca, In doing this, they make NJ wUr
on anybody, they simply recover their prop.
erty. ln expeiliug lbose who have taken
ana attempt 70 retain it, they exercise an un'
questioned right for which nobody can 6nd
pretense OF blaming them. II var is to be
avoided. let those who have seized the forts
and arsenals simply surrender chem on the
demand Of their riehtiui owners. The Uni
ted States will not invade any State Or at
tacK its people. They carnot do this. They
will have no occasion. unless invited to put
down rebellion or insurrection.
How Of tho Territories! Of course the
United States will retain and protect their
Territories, as they shcu.d. They bought
shem, aud have paid for them. and own
them. They have always governed tksm
end granted them protection. Why should
they not continue TO do so? It is plain
duty. But the seeding States will claim to
= 4her
yill, and the claim viii DC cheerfuliy rscog
nizad. Every other Safe viii claim the
came right and have it accorded to them
But what is that right? Simply the right to
go in peaeenbly and occupy the land, by
paying therefor. AZ will have that privi-
lego. Seeding States, loyal States, or the
people thereof white and black, native and
foreign, will all erjoy equal privileges. AS
TO carrying slaves there, the Congress of the
United States will regulate that, as they al
ways Lave done.
Blu. the seeding States will send in an
army and try to conquer the Territories, or
a portion Of tLem, and establish Slavery
tbersln by force of arms? Ifthey should do
this, that would bring on war 10 the Terrific
riea. But it would not last long, as the ex-
perience Of Kansas shows And it would
net take much of an army to keep Slavery
ont. Slavery cannot he extended at the
: peint of tLe bayonet against froe people
{. who ctject earnestly to it's spread. And any
war on this coatnent, or at least this por-
sion oft. for such a purpose, woul1 be very
brief. The struggle would soon be over al d
peace. restored. We cannot have much of
civil war therefore IN the Territories.
lfany attempt should be made to obstruc'
the navigation Of the Mississippi RIVER, 1t
would create difficulty, and might readily
lead to war. Bat the seeding States them
selves say they have nbt the slightest inten-
ton of doing anything of the sort.
The only danger of collision, then, would
appear to he on the sea. in the effort to drive
away the Coast Squadron, which may be
sert to enforce tho laws. TIE seaports of the
seeding States would object to being shut
mp. They would aim to remove the blockade
that must be inpo, G, 1t those pnr's refuse to
pay Federal duties. They would thus have
20 attack the naval force used in the block
Ade, and drive it of, or defeat and destroy it,
if they could The war would thus become
a naval war, and the stron gest party would
succeed. But. considering that one side has
navy and the other has none. the contest
would be very unequal, and its results hard
" admit of dCubt. The Slave States would
submit.
What then The seceding States would
have no war in any other way than in the
modes suggested, unless they raise an army
and invade the loyal States. If they should
do this, they might very easily bring on
general civil war. But they nevsr yet have
contemplated this ne,hod of proceeding and
II is difficult to perceive what advan,age they
would gain By it. The interior and border
Slave States would be slow to do this, inas>
much as the retaiiatory blow would first fall
upon them. Besides, such an attack would
unto the North, and greatly cxasaerate the
people The inevitable rasalt would be de-
feat to the weaker party. Which that is can
easily be told beforehand, by examining the
census tables. The raising of armies in the
seceding States 10 invade the loyal States
does not, therefore. seem at all probable.
We do not see then in what wav general
civil war is going to be brought about. The
war, if we have any, must be localized and
specific 1t must be in the Territories. 1t
Uus, be on the Mississippi River. Or, what
tsems to be moro prsb5Hla than all, it must
ne war Of the seceding States on the block
aie &c uadron. To be sure, il Maryland
should secede, tbs ,cflible Mr.. Toclcbs "ay
march nor.hward, sword in hand, as be -
tinatsd he shall, and attempt to take Wash
ington. Or same other contest may be ini-
,is,ed for the same object.
% the whole, therefore. we are obliged to
confess that we do net see just how we are
going 10 have an o]d-fashioned civil war
The war, is there is to be any, must inevita.
kiy lie one Of the sections; and, for the rea-
sons glyen, We conclude it will not be of
much importance Even before it begins,
everybody will want peace. and struggle tor
peace, and they will do this more and more
u