The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-05-17

private letters received by business houses in this city
that the crops In England promising from
month to six weeks in advance of what they last
year at the same period
The Border Slave States-The Critical
Situation OF Old Virginia.
The border slave States proper are Della
ware, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky and Mis-
souri,; and of all these Virginia occupies the
most perilous and critical position, whether
considered in reference to her own salvation
or destruction or as determining the issue Of a
short war or bloody and protracted struggle.
Little Delaware, squeezed in between Mary
land and the sea, but with her principal city Of
Wilmington within an hour or two of Philadel-
phia has been loyal to the Union from the be-
ginning. True, she has had few plotting
secessionists among her active politicians; but
they were silenced with the first call of the
country to arms. Possessing only constantly
decreasing remnant of her old institution of
slavery (some eighteen hundred slaves), we
think it morally certain that she will come out
of this contest free State.
Maryland has passed through the fiery ordeal
of powerful, desperate and fearful con-
spiracy; but she has been saved She was
saved, in the first instance, through the firmness
of Governor Hicks, from December to March,
against all the pleadings and all the threaten
ings of the Baltimore secession league, in be-
BALI of an extra session of the State Legis-
lature. Had be yielded to these demands,
and convened the Legislature in Decem-
Der, January or February, we have every
reason to believe that the State would not only
have never hurried into the abyss of rebel
lion, but would have armed and precipitated
revolutionary mob upon Washington in the
nick of time to expel the outgoing administra-
ton of MFR. Buchanan and the incoming adj
ministration of Mr.. Lincoln. But through his
opposition to the secession scbemers, and his
seasonable information to Mr.. Buchanan and
General Scott, the credit is due to Governor
Hicks of having, in the first instance, saved
both Maryland and Washington from an armed
occupation. How, in the second
instance, Maryland has been saved from the
sansculottes of Baltimore and their barbados,
needs no repetition here. Stronger argu-
ments than the sovereign rights of rebellion
nave TestOTeU uc Otttc, Win ue iosS vi q lew
ruffians, to the sovereign rights of the Union.
kentucky, fanked by those young giant free
States of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, is not in
position to secede with any prospect of any
thing but most terrible punishment for her
folly. But STILL with a rampant secession
Governor, land Legislature with
strong infusion of secession 6re-eaters,
she has narrowly escaped From all
accounts hopeful Union reaction is now
at work all over the State, and it Is believed
thai the presence of Colonel date Major An
derson among her people, in command Of her
| Mon volunteers, will be decisive against jeff.
Davis in that quarter. We hope So On the
goth inst. border slave State Convention is to
meet at the State capital of Frankfort. from
which, as matters now stand we think there is
nothing to fear; for not one, even of the second
tier of the slave States, is in condition to
show, from its example, the superior rising
glories of the military despotsm of jeff Davis
over the benign government we inherit from
George Washington.
The border rufians OF Missouri as we know
from the horrible history Of Kansas, are a most
ferocious and reckless set Of savages. OF
course they are secessionists, every man of
them. as are all the rufians of every other
Southern State. Missouri, too, with the unfor-
tunate appendages Of a secession Governor and
secession Legislature, was in n bad way;
but with the Union city Of st. Louis, aud the
powerful free State OF Illinois on the east, and
Iowa on the north, and with the tried
and seasoned free State border ruffians
Of Kansas on the west, the Cover
nor and the Legislature OF Missouri had
sagacity enough to gee that secession through
convention was not possible, and that even a
legislative act Of secession like that Of Tonnes
see, would hardly go down. What then. This
desperate Missouri Legislature passed an act TO
arm the State and the half million of dollars
sacredly set apart for the education of her
children was seized upon and appropriated for
The purpose of arming the rebels against the
loyal Union men of the Commonwealth. Hence
that rebel camp at st. Louis, seized as prisoners
Of war by the gallant Captain Lyon, Of the
United States Army; and hence the warning
proclamation of General Hainey, declaring that
Missouri will be held to the Union, IL it shall
require the whole power of the federal govern
ment. Missouri, therefore, like Maryland let
rs hope, has passed the dead point Of danger,
and will be saved without further bloodsbed
within her borders
Virginia alone, of al the border slave States
iroper, has been plunged headlong into this
southern rebellion. Her State Convention,
with large majority Of its members e,ectedby