The south-western., 1861-02-20
The BORDER State Conferences.

Z UIILIII
create a new government for Union, the borde
States are holding another convention at Washington
city for the purpose of restoring, possible, the Ok
! order of things.
The convention was invited by the legislature of Viz
ginia in order, as expressed in the preamble TO thu
resolutions which contain the proposal, ito make
final effort to restore the Union and the constitution
in the spirit In which they established by the IA
theirs of the republic"
The invitation has brought saggthar representation
highly respectable in the character and public Influence
of the delegates appointed from the border slave
States and from considerable number of northern
border States, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, ant
Kentueky.are powerfully represented. Ohio and New
Jersey have sent delegations, and we believe Pennsyl
ssEnia and New York North Carolina and Tennessee
States not represented directly will doubtless be con
suited through their leading citizens whom the alarm
ing state of public affairs will have brought together
at Washington. There will be want OF outside anG
inside effort to find basis for conciliation upon which
it may be hoped that Union, including ali the
States, may be constructed
The preservation of the Union by any of the forms
Of the present constitution so plainly impossible that
the first and fundamental idea of any convention which
looks to further associations of these thirty four States
under one government, must be that the old constltu
ton is suspended in fact to six of the States, and
that its powers be renewed them but by
the result of negotiations commenced and concluded
with them ms independent States. They have taken
desired it. The dissolution of tine relation OF each
with the federal authorities has constituted each by her
own theory of right, an integer State, no longer to
take part in the deliberations OF the adherng States
on questions of change in the government she has
thrown off If they desire to make changes to meet
her views it must be done without her and whatever
they do cannot be presented for her concurrence as one
of themselves but for her acceptance us an ndepend
ent State free negotiate, and free to reject as to
accept. This is the position of all the seeded States
now seven in number. They have left themselves no
longer the capacity to vote States in the Union or
any proposition for amending the constitution. What
ever is done that way in the way of coneiiaon, must
be done without them and submitted to them after.
wards the original constitution was submitted to the
original thirteen Eaca State will be competent to ac-
cede to the amended constitution as absolutely as ii
were an intirrly instrument and as absolutely
free to decline it, and remain independent.
If it were otherwise and it be conceded by the Sc
cednp States that they vote on profered changes,
under the forms of the constitution as when they were
members Of the Union, the corresponding obligation
would follow submit to the adverse dccson OF the
tribunal to which they had censeEted To amend the
constitution, requires threefourhs of the thirty-tour
Statcs-now Kansas is admitted that is to say twenty
six States Nine States could defeat any amendment.
II follows that II the seeding States which have left
the goyermentbecause eighteen States haveprohoune-
ed against tsthem-whieh eighteen have since become
nncteen-on a tercfilifeand deathto them should
to refer the same uGSluil W
nineteen can forecose the chance against hem by re-
fusng to vote for the amendment and nine can defeat
any proposton they please it would be equivalent to
an agreement to surrender themselves to the Judgment
Of nine OF the abolition States with the pledge neces-
sarily implied to aequiesce in the verdict.
Acts Of secession have given formal notice that seven
OF the States whaye no part whateFerin proceedings
which carry their before such tribunal and which
give by implication, right to expect that they Will
submit to such verdict They out of the reach OF
being ouyoted by heabotion States and there is no
way Of dealing with them but by negotiating with them
separately or conformity as individual States, who may
perhaps be willing to confer upon fair plan for re-
constructed Union, and perhaps not
The adhering States do not however agree IN consd-
eng these seven States actually out Of the Union;
but persist in shaping their measures-as if they were
to be retained by some measure either OF compuls0n
or concession In the border State convention differ
ence of opinion on this head will be developed very
soon Some Of the States there will hold that a State
NAV rightfuv secedc; and several including all the
southern delegations Will be resolute in asserting that
there shall be attempt to assert federal supremacy
by force These differences may obsruct the action of
the convention in limne and prevent them from con
sidering any plan for eonclation at all.
But these considerations waved or overcome the real
difficulties commence.
They are manifold. They may not agree what
shall be proposed Congress may aot consentto pass
them by twothirds vote for the action of the State
legislatures Thrceourths of the State legislatures
NAV not agree to them and if they should the Seced
ing States may refuse to aeeept them satisfactory
and prefer to remain separated.
If the other form be tried, of calling convention
by the demands Of threeourths of the States to
slider the border State plan threefourths of the legs
atures may not concur general convention, is called
may fail agree or if agreeing, the plan may still be
rejected by the seeding States each of whom act
for itself
These difficulties are made insuperable by the fact
that seven of these States, which interested
while in the Unien, in amending the form of govern
ment that they could remain out Of it, and can
take part in the deliberations, no action, while
the theory Of the adherng States through the repesen
tatiyes in congress- is thatthe seven States be
counted III the determining of theresnlt In all move
mcns for amending the constitution, hirtour States
are still reckoned as parts Of the Union and for
sttutona amendments twentysix are necessary in or
der to make three-fourths
The secession of seven States leaves only twenty
seven to deliberate and act and of these nineteen
and eight slayeholding On the fed
era theory that the Union and cannot be dissolved
but BY the assent ofa general convention every propo
ston for amendment must obtain the concurrence of
twenty-six States and the whole number Of States
" hich can act being but twenty-seven it is obyious
that the vote of any two Of the twenyeven will defeat
anv proposition whatever. Kansas and Vermont can
overrue the other twenty-five and thus settle all chance
for restoration of harmony among the thirty four by
out tne possibility OI even IL SuDiISSOu Oh
for adjustment of any kind by the subsstng
even to the adhering States.
chance for settlement which depends so entirely
on the all but unanimous support throughout all its
stages of the black republican States is too
vision Of credulous hope unsubstantial fgment of
the imagination be the basis oany by the seuth
ern people either compromising their rights, their
powers and modes for protecting them.
Who has any where the signs that eighteen
black republican States will acceed to such terms as
will be satisfactory the eight adherng southern States
or tolerated by the seeding States, may have
faith in propous close of these border State propo
sition within the frame of the old constitution andhe
would have the further faith that the same converted
majority will deal with secessonism conceded fact
and submit their propositions to free negotiation That
would bette cencede at last what is denied the outset
the right of independent action. Why, thcn should
it not be Acknowledged at once aud dealt with as basis
for all atemps at conciation, that the Union is dis
solved pro anto and the adhering States should take
all steps ncedfu for their facility in acting to ne
5otiate fairly upon the grounds of renon tile terms
for separation.
If conducted in that spirit, the border conference
may result in good by presenting the ultimate of
ccSsons in regard the disputed questions on both
sides and preparing the way either for fair presenta
ton of basis for reconstruction, general aban
ionment of the effort hopeless with perfect agree
nen for each section to pursue it happiness in its own
way.
In any other point of yiew the border State conven