Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-05-16

Nature, or something that stands in
its stead, is still strong in the Amer
cans. They fight "wiliing, but with un-
willing minds" They lift the hand to
strike, they wing the instrument OF
death, but q mysterious power averts
the stroke, or blunts the edge, or dead
ems the blow. Are they in esrnett, or
are they playing at war, or dreaming
that they strike, and still strike not
1t sounds more like y dangerous game
than . sad reality. Seven batteries
preached and bombarded Fort Sumter
for forty hours, burnt down its barracks,
blew up several magazines, threw sheIls
into it innumerablc, and did vast show
of destruction. The fort replied with
like spirit. AT length it surrendered,
the garrison marched out prisoners OF
war, AMI it wa then found that not q
man was killed or an officer wounded
on either side. Many difficulty" At
bar has cost more bloodshed. =
What next? An attempt to recap
ture Fort SumterY A contest at Fort
Pickensa A struggle for the capitol
A diversion in Texasl A renewal OF
negotiation? No one knows, and, what
is worse, no one credits President Lin
coin for any plan. We can only com
pare the two sides and strike balance.
In the North there is an army, and a
navy, aud money, and more numerous
white population, without, too, the incu-
bus OF slavery. There is also the ira
dit;on Of the Union, the capitol, and the
successor of Washington. Modern war
fare cannot go on without money, and
the Northern States can more easily
raise aud spend hundred millions OF
dollars q year than the Southern Can
raise ten millions. All that il outside
and material is in favor Of the North.
1t has the preponderance Of every thing
that can be counted, measured and
weighed /; that can be bought and sold !;
that can be entered in ledgers and put
on balance sheet.
1t has the manufactures, the building
yards, the dock-ysrds the whole ap-
parstus Of national wealth and strength.
1t has the money market, and it Dor
rows more easily than the South, where,
however, political Zeal susts'ns fictic-
ious credit. So in the North We read OF
numerous gatherings of State forces !;
Of many steamers chartered, stripped OF
their finery, filled with soldiers, food
and ammunition, and steaming south
ward. So much for the North. In the
South, on the contrary, there is little or
nothing but that which often becomes
tho counterbalance to everything else.
There are the men of action, who can
combine, oonspire, keep the secret, have
. plan, and carry it ont without waver-
ing or finching. The politicians at
Warrington have been vacillating be-
tween peace and war, between compro-
mise and resistance. In the South there
has been one steady, uninterrupted pro-
gress toward secession ard war. To
the very last, President Lincoln has
been behindband. His ships sent to Fl.
Sumter only arrived in time to be dis.
tsnt spectators OF the scene they came,
in fact, but to contribute to the glory Of
the captors, and to bring shame and
distrust on themselves and their cause.
It this is to be an omen Of tho result,
the rich and unready North will be no
match for the fiery forwardness Of the
South.
1t was but the other day
that al eyes were fixed on the capital Of
the Old World - the single object Of
interest, and the expected Scene Of the
great events that we're to mark the lat
ter years Of this century. Rome occu-
pied the attention Of oil men. A hum
dred questions we're asked, but al were
Of Rome. Will Rome Be still capital
Will il be the head OF confederation,
or the throne of king, or the seat Of |
foreign viceroy, Or the see Of universal
bishop, or the senate of national re-
publici Before these questions could
be answered, aud while they are still |
asked, the capital Of the new world
come. to the foreground, and il the oh
Ject OF much the same inquiries. The
two cities Of Rome ana Washington
are not 70 differently situated It this mo-
ment' nor are their prospects % differ
ent, ~ might be. For the present. in |
oeed, We shall Ill thiuk moro Of Wash |
isgton than d Rome,