The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-04-08

L
arms large and small; tools, sandbsgs spades
and other siege tools; stalls for borses boats.
| boat howitzers for landing, and "all the cir
cumstance of wal" cleared from this port with
sealed orders, for parts unknown. The city was
like camp, and the excitement was intense
Some Of the officers of the army, knowing the
bloody mission on which the Powhatan and
Atlantic are sent, resigned rather than mngle
in the fratricidal conflict. The ships which
have sailed are but the van; others are pre-
pairing to follow them, not only from this port,
but from the Navy Yard Of Charlestown, Mas
sachusetts, where there is the same warlike ac-
tivity as at Brooklyn and New York.
1t is thus evident that bloody civil war is
resolved upon by Mr. Lincoln and his Cabinet
After iocg hesitation, the President has
screwed lis courage TO the fighting point. At
VT at precise spot be intends to commence hos
tili,ies or to provoke tnem-whether a. Charles
ton, Pensacola, the mouths of the Mississippi
or in Texas, where there is an evident design
10 excite domestic ipsurrection," or at all of
these places togetber-does not yet appear;
but few days will unfold the mystery.
To Mr.. Lincoln, his Cabinet and the leaders
of the republican party three courses are
open-first to yield to the Confederate States and
to all the slaveholding communities their just
rights as coequal partners in the Union, which
would have had the effect of healing the breach
and reuniting the sections second, to permit a
peaceable and bloodless separation, either in
the hope of reunion at future day, or at least
of friendly alliance for mutual defence against
foreign foes, and for the establishment Of COM
mercial relations, which, if not specially favor
ing the North would at least not discriminate
against her and third, to wage a war of sub
jugati0n against seven sovereign States, which
will be ultimately extended to fifteen, to COM
pei them to submit to the authority of the gov
eminent at Washington, and to pay tribute to
it, whether they are represented in its Congress
or not, in contravention to the great principle
for which the colonies fought and conquered
the mother country in the Revolution of I776-
the principle that without representation there
can be no taxation"
The first Of the three courses was the best,
and would have been that of statesman. The
second Is the next best course, because the
most successful war could only lead to the
same result after inficting an amount of suffer
ing and calamity upon the country at which
the Imagination is appalled, AS for now re.
storing the revolted States to the Union by
war, that is the widest chimera that ever en-
tered the brain of man. But it is probable
that even if the Northern section should
succeed in subduing the South flor
that is the naked aspect of the war
when stripped of all its disguise), the same "a
vorsble terms would not be obtained, certainly
not the same entente cordidle so necessary to the
future peace and prosperity of both sections, as
could be secured by the peaceful arts of diplo-
macy and craftsmanship, which seem to have
been completely ignored at Washington. The
third course has been adopted, and that ia ur-
qucsiiunnbly the worst of all If II TAILS, auu
that is very possible, it will be destructive to
the prestige and to the interests OF the North,
to FAY nothing Of the overwhelming expense
and debt which it will entail upon the country,
the many hearths it will leave desolate and the
feelings Of bitter eternal enmity which 1t will
have epgendered between two geographical
sections separated by an imperceptlble line.
The pretence of carrying out the laws of this
Union in the confederate States, enforcing the
federal authority and collecting the revenue, is
too transparent to deceive any person. 1t has
been clearly demonstrated that it is impo ssible
10 accomplish these objects without civil war OF
the most ferocious kind. To make the attem OF,
fa dol, hura nj To
whose end the present generation may not
live to zee, and whose disastrous effects will
be such as to annihilate the accumulated
wealth Of the country at blow, and throw
back its progress half century. The real
object OF the war is not to collect revenue,
nor to assert the authority of the federal
government, nor to protect its property. 1t is a
war of propagandism-a war against the social
institutions Of fifteen States-a war to ex-
tirpste negro slavery, If not to exterminate
Shareholders. 1t is the irrepressible conflict
predicted by Mr.. Seward and Mr.. Lincoln, ana
for which Garrison, Giddings and the blood
thirsty abolitionists Of their fanatical party
have Heen laboring for the last thirty years.
1t is revival Of the struggle which took place
two centuries ago in England between the
Puritan Roundheads and the rest Of the nation.
The vast majority of the people were against
them, but by the military genius and iron will
| of Cromwell the fanatics were rendered sue
cessful for time, after putting theif king to
death and deluging their native land with seas
of blood But when their cheftain died, their
cause died with him, showing that it had
| no root in the affections Of the people, and
that it was equally opposed to human nature
and the freedom of man. Hence, when Charles
H., who had nothing personally to recommend
him, was restored, he was proclaimed with a
| pomp never before known" A feet conveyed
him from Holland to the coast Of Kent; for
that republic had no sympathy with the fauati-
cism Of the Puritan republic of England. Whea