The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-04-16
BALTIMORE.
TUESDAY, APRIL l6, 1861.

By whatever phrase of customary circumlocu-
ton the Manifesto of Mr.. LINCOLN may be called,
II is but declaration of war; to the hilt against
the States of the Southern Confederacy. Seventy
FIVE thousand of our people summoned from
,he pursuits of happiness and peace, to take up
arms against their brethren. Under the stale and
raItry pretence of causing "the laws to be duly
ssexccuted," in seven States which have soemnly
renounced obedience to those laws, and es ablshed
IN independent government of their own, the
army thus assembled, is to invade the Southern
territory and slaughter the Southern people
tsTo redress wrongs already long enough en-
sidnred' by the people of the North, it is to
r,ort in the Southern soil, with blood and tears.
the seeds of hatred, which shall rankle and ran
lilo n the latest of generations. Humanity stands
ocbast at the picture-and if the people of the
To,b themselves in the midst of their bitterest
f,rotirism. are not thrown back, with shudder,
b fine horrors which are before US all, unless the
devilish policy of the Administration be throtted
in ifs cradle-our civilization is an infamous
rocEerv, and our claim to be Christian people is
IN invitation to Gods wrath. No man who is
willing to understand, can be deceived by the weak
devices with which the malignant purposes of the
proclamation are sought to be covered up. What
q puerile and silly trick, to affect to call three
millions of men 'the persons comprising the COM
s'bnations aforesaid" and command" them
ITO dispense and retire peaceaby TO their rcspec-
give abodes within twenty days!'' What farce
and falsehood to suggest that rapine and muir
der are not meant by war of invasion-but that
on the contrary, 'the utmost care will be OBJ
"servcd to avoid any destruction of or interior
'ence with property, or any disturbance of peace
''ul citizens!" Who. does not know, that if the
Administration will but halt in its crusade of des-
peration, peace and hope and happiness will re-
appear with the first spread of the tidings? Who
that is honest and candid can fail to acknowl-
edge, that the people of the South are
fighting for their freedom and fresides-sta nd-
ing by their ''abodes, " in defence of their rights
and misunderstanding only to be let alone-to
be permitted 10 govern themselves? Is the verieSt
and most besoted ha'er slavery and Shareholders
fool enough to think that one inch of Southern
soil is to be won without battle the red stain
of which will be shame upon our annals forever
and forever? Surely the men at Washington are
mised by no such folly. They know the length
and the breadth of the wickedness whose curses
they are about to spread over the land, and they
deliberately inaugurate the policy of blood, with
their eyes open, their minds awake, their execra-
BILE purposes premeditated and distinct. The re-
sponsibility and the retrbuton be upon their
heads But let them be candid as well as wicked
Let them begin their crusade by giving it its right
name. 1t is war-civil WARMTH all It's horrors
and hates. Let them, then, call it so. They
mean it-let them avow it. They hope to profit
by it-let them take the burden of its iniauity.
Let them cast loose from the useless hypocrisy of
pretending that they desire TO avoid boodshed.
Let them forego all petty cavilling over the
first blow They sent provisions to Fort Sum-
ter, and announced their determination to
land "peaceably, if possible, otherwise by
force" Let them cease the miserable preteuce Of
saying that the force which they threatened was
peace, while the force that countervaied it was
war. Such devices can deceive no one. They
only add contempt TO execration. If the Admin
istration has faith in the policy and confidence in
the justice ola war of subjugaton, let it no lon
ger affect to hide its hand. Let it give US the
truth for once so that the American people-the
people of the North and the people of the border
States-may understand it and act accordingly
If the expedition is to be missionary as well
as murderous; iii is to extrpate the sin of slave
ry as well as the sin Of resisting the collection of
whites but to liberate the blacks; in Heavens name
lei US know it. and let "the friends of the Union
help to speed the blessing!