Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-04-12
The Administration Dragging the Coun
try into civil War.

rhe Administration Dragging tne Couns
try into civil War;
From Che New York Herald Of ths 9Th.
c;x;l war like the sword of Damocles, hangs sus-
nended over this country as by single nar' AS We
pra5;cted the anti-slavery radicals OF our new ao-
R;;stration have gained the control of 1t and tine
aheIs and traitors of the seeded States are 70 DC
Eh;nnod into submission. The formidable military
nrenarations of Mr.. Lincoln, his mastering OF sAlPs
IF war and transports, and troops, for aeuVS OPe
rations on the and on the land remove Al az
a. to the policy which he intends to pursue 10 .ne
eYtant of his resources. his policy VIII De Ine nsh>
of the authority of the United states over
the seceded States by force OF arms.
The precise plan of operations pro1eceeu y o VI
course undisclosed to the world put We naxe re-
-oent and continued occupation Of Fort Plckens, ~
All hazards and in the face OF an lneVtaote coALr
sion with q beseging army OF the Coniederats VI
aeeeded States Of from five TO ten thousand nghs
ing men; and, secondly, the collection Oh our leu
oral revenues from the customs at or near
~. norts of the seeded States, by means OF
hIockade Several ships of war for example, are
~ Ia stationed at the outlet of Charleston haroor 70
collect tde duties upon imports at that Polnt an
other blockading squadron is TO guard tne seVerAi
mouths Of the Mississippi and so on. ouSn -
10 be the practical Interpretation resolved upon VI
Mr. Iiucoins inaugural, wherein he PROMISED 70
Mold the forts still under cur federal nag IN sne
aeceded States, and to execute IN saio oSa'es Ouh
revenue laws. s..-....d .h.,
Fort Pickens must be peaceably eVacuatso y tue
limited States or that between tker military forces
.rd those Of the seceded States there VIII De
bloody collision for the occupation OF saia iortress
We are semi-ofacally assured that it will not DC
naaceably evacuated ard therefore eloooy colLis
ion at that point seems to be Inevitable. IN shs
event Of such collision we know what VIII imme
| diately follow Virginia will lead on the pofoel
States into the Southern Confsderacy, and Al
| alliance ofansive and defensive, among all IN
Lave States will be the next act in the drama Ant
| That nextf The movement, perhaps of Southern
| army of twenty thirty or fifty thousand men upoi
Warrington largely collected from the revolutioha
| ry accession elements of Virginia and Maryland,
/ In discussing the fearful chances OF ci'h Waf
il is not necessary to go beyond Fort FicKens. Du
the revenue policy of our administration Is also
| policy of war. Has our executive government an
| Constitutional authority to blockade any Oh VI
ports of the United States, assuming WIN Mr Lll
coin that the seeded States are still IN the Union
We are not aware of the existence of any such au
thority. Has our President any legal right or egs
means for the collection on board ship IN the mar
ner nroposed of our federal duties upon lmporr
None that we are aware of. A blockade, OF lssei
r. an act of war: and the war making power belong
NOT 10 the President, but to Congress. Thus,
usurniug powers not to be found in our federal col
sttut,on Mr. Lincoln viii cease TO have any furtht
claims upou the loyalty Of the border slave State
and thew will unquestionably transfer their all
glance from Washington to Montgomery.
Our readers will thus perceive that we are stan
ing upon the threshold Of q ''house divided again
i.self' in battle AIRY; that upon the verge
civil war; in which all the slave States viii be col
{ bined against the government at Washington.