The southern aegis. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1857-1862, 1861-04-13
w AR.

III is SAID that coming events cast their sha-
dows before" and from the chartering of trans
ports concentration of troops, and the vast
amount of military material which is now being
collected at different points of embarkation il is
but reasonable to suppose that the government
at Washington has at length determined upon
some decisive line of policy, and that the final
conclusion has been to either attempt to collect
The revenue, blockade the ports or endeayor to
reinforce forts Sumter or Pickens--ether of which
acts will and must be considered an attempt to
coerce the Confederated States, and therefore an
act of war.
If civil war with all lis horrors is to he precJ-
itated upon the country by the insane rawlings of
the fanatical hordes Of the North forcing those in
power who now represent them TO inauguratc it,
what then is to be the position of MARYLAND p
Shall her people wait the tardy action of vir-
GINA, or any other State? We say no. Let our
good old commonwealth say to Virginia. if she
still lags, we have waited long enough, we have
deferred to you until longer delay would be dis
honor, and we now, in the spirit of sovereign
ty which knows and dares maintain its indepen-
has been made upon our brethren of the South
we now make common cause with them, and are
no longer connected, politically or otherwise,
with those who have attacked them.
If civil war is to be the end of the political diff
fcultics which have been for some time past con-
vulsing the country and paralysing its every in
terest, the Border Slave States are deeply respon-
sible for that unhappy result. Instead of being
united, and acting together in concord and har-
mony, presenting an undivided front to the COM
mon enemy, demanding of it q rcnurciation of
the DOCTRINES which if attempted to be carried into
practical effect would subvert the government,
and at the same time declaring to their Southern
brethren that unless these demands were granted,
(but in the mean time to pause before final dis
severance was consumnated,) that they would
unite with them and form a Contedcracy of the
entire Slaveholding States. If the Border States
had SO acted, doubtless the sober second thought
would have prevailed on both sides of them, and
we would now have been q happy, united and
prosperous people. But other counses prevailed,
and we now see the effect. Is it any wonder that
they have lost caste with both North and South
How tie Black Republican leaders at Washing
ton must laugh in their sleeves when they see the
Convention of the great and powerful State of
Virginia actually hating in its deliberations, and
instead of at once pronouncing in spirit of lofty
patriotism and honor its ultimatnm, actually
sending delegation to Lincoln to know schat he
intends to do? And again, it appears from no.
tices in the public prints that selfconsttuted del
cgation after delegation from Virginia have wait
ed upon Lincoln, imploring him to adopt q peace
policy, as if Black Republicansm in the flush of
victory was to be coaxed. In this connection
we will observe that it is reported that Seward
has daily communication with certain members
of the Virginia Convention.
If the worst comes to the worst, let us be united
as Marylanders. Laying aside all quarreling, oil
prejudices of party, and all bitterness of every
kind, let lis declare that as those to whom we are
allied by all the ties of kindred and political and
social fellowship, saying nothing Of common in
terests have been attacked by the power of GO
vernment directed by most destructive fanati-
cism, we will be with them in the contest, and
with them stand or fall.