Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-04-05
Prom The Independent
What Shall be Done.

The revolution Of the cotton states /
a fact. In all those states the Constitu
ton Of the United States and the govern
ment established by that Constitution ar
De facto abolished. No Federal court
exist in those states no collection 0
customs by Federal officers no function
Of the Federal Government except til,
slavioh one Of carrying the public mail
at the expense Of loyal people for th,
accommodation Of rcbelious peopl
eoniessedly incapable Of providing ii,
same accounted itiou for themselves
These reyolted states have formed a sep.
arate eoniederacy, and have establishe,
a federal government OF their own --
They have their congress, president
their national flag, their mint Sheir arse
uals ard forts, their army, and the begin
ming Of a navy. They have their own
tariff Of duties on imports, not excepting
imports from the United States. New
York ard Boston, Baltimore and Nor
folk are foreign ports 10 the collectors OF
customs at Charleston, at Savannah, at
Galveston, and at New Orleans. Any
foreign power might now recognize The
Confederate States Of America" as a
distinct and parate government, with
out asking leave Of us,--.just as we rec
ognized the independence Of Greece
without asking leave Of Turkey, and The
independence Of the Spanish-American
Republics without asking leave Of Spain,
and the independence of Texas without
asking leave Of Mexico. The revolution
in those states is at This moment as real
ly a fact as the French revolution Of
February, 1913, was fact three months
afterwards. The government at Mont
gomery is now a government dc facto, as
really as the government Of Louis Napo-
leon Bonaparie was three months after
the comp d'etat which laid the Preach
Republic at his feet.
Sach is the situation. How it hap
pened, Is not now the question. Say if
you VIII that such a revolution could not
have taken place, bot for The imbeciIily
Of the late administration, or the treason
able completely of Cobb and Thompson,
Floyd and Toucey--the revolution is
nevertheless a fact Ascribe the blame
n you will, to the Republican party, for
insisting that the Fedora. Constitution
does not, and the Federal Government
shall not, carry slavery into The terrific
ries-or to the Democratic party in the
free states, for persstenuy misrepresent-
ing the opinions and purposes Of their
f.liow citizens-the fact remains. What
are we to do?-is now the question.
.SlaHAe retarn IF tie seeding states
be obtained BY yteiding to tteir demands ?
1t does not appear that the leaders Of the
re rolution are willing to return on any
terms. II does not appear that they are
willing even to receive the free states
into their confederacy. On tie contra
ry, all the indications are that a complete
and permanent separation from the free
states, and the establishment Of a slave
holding and coton-raising confederacy
is what they long ago intended and that
they lave now as little thought of rotur-
ming to the Union, under any conditions
or stipu!ations, as the northern states
have Of returning to colonial depend
ence on the British monarchy. But not
to insist upon this primary difficulty, let
Us think what the result would be Of
bringing back those states by giving them
what they ask for. Shall the Federal /
Constitution be altered in some way that .
shall enable those states to control the I
government Of the Union Shall ther,
be new guarantees for the permanence Of .
slavery and The Internal traffic in slaves?
Shall we admit that the Calhoun Breck-
inridge construction Of the Constitution .
is valid, aud pledge the Federal Govern
ment 70 ;he propagation Of slavery in all .
territories now held or hereafter to be ac-
quired ? All such schemes Of recon
are prepostcrous. The op20-
sition Of The popular feeling in The free
states TO the naturalization and the ma
tionai propagandi1m Of slavery, is a fact
rs fixed as the fact OF secession and it
will make every such arrangement i'm
possible, or at most delusive and momen-
AIRY. Bot aside from this difficulty, what
Sill be the inevitable result of btyiRg the
return Of those seeding states by any
great or small No conces-
ZION can be made, in such circumstances,
without inauguraiing the principle Of Sc
,ession as the paramount force in the
Union. Thencefor,h it will be a settled
,rinciple-far n,ore defsitiyely settled
han any point in the bred Scott decision
that a state may seeede for any griey-