The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-03
Hostile Movements I'm tho Border slave
States.

Hostile Movements I'm the Border slave
States.
Elsewhere we publish a Geographic despatch
from Richmond, to the effect that Governor Fl
lis, of North Carolina had despatched troops to
seize upon Fort Macon, at Beaufort, the forts at
Wilmington and the United States Arsenal al
Fayetteville. The information had come from
Wilmington, and is said to be "reiiable.v
If the news be true tits important and alarm
ing, rs such a measure would greatly compii-
cate the existing difficulties and accelerate the
already rapid wheels Of revolution. But we can
not give any credence to the despatch till 1t is
confirmed by further intelligence. The doctrine
of the secessionists is that State can only with
draw from the Union by sovereignty conven-
ton; and no such convention has yot been held
In North Carolina. The Governor of North
Carolina, therefore, could not commit an act Of
war against the United States and preoipitate
his State into revolution without the authority
Of the people.
It Is true that Governor Ellis who was for
merly conservative, came out strong tor seccs-
sion in his message, and that the revolutionary
movement has recently been gaining ground in
North Carolina; but it is scarcely credible that
be would resort to such step as this even be-
fore the Legislature has called cnnvaniinn tn
determine the question Of secession If the in
telligonce should turn ont to be correct, the
act has been prompted, we suppose, by the
course Of Major Anderson in taking possession
Of Fort Sumter, and the purpose is to antici
pate any such movement in the case Of the
forts Of North Carolina.
Not only In North Carolina, but in Virginia,
is revolution rapidly spreading, as may be
seen from an account which We publish in
another column Of the military preparations In
the different counties Of the Old Dominion. The
design Is to have in readiness large armed force
to cooperate with the rcvolutionists in adjoining
States, and take military possession of Wash
ington, to prevent the Inauguration Of Mr.. Lin
coin on the 4th Of March. To this step the
people have been urged by the organ of Wise
at Richmond; and 1t is no doubt in the recol-
lection Of our readers that Wise, four or five
years ago, threatened to march upon the fede-
raj capital in the event Of tho election Of FIRE.
mont in order to defeat his Inauguration. Per-
haps he will carry out his threat now; for 1t
has been stated that, 80 far from having
changed his opinion as TO the propriety of such
course, he thinks there il greater reason for
it in the election of Lincoln than there would
have been IL Fremont had been successful
But . measure which we lately indicated
viii battle this design We stated on Tuesday
that sixty thousand troops could easily DO OBJ
tanned from the militia Of the three border free
and three border slave States-ten thousand
from each, viz,-virginia, kentucky and Mary
land, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York We
might, indeed increase the number TO 100000
If necessary. The President has full power to
call out the militia Of those States to sustain
the constitution and to suppress insurrec-
tion." and there can be no doubt that plenty
OF conservative troops can be found among
the militia Of the border States on either side
Of Mason and Dixon's line TO respond to the call
Of Mr. Buchanan, and to maintain law and or
der ut Washington.
If the revolutionists could even succeed in
preventing the Inauguration at the Capitol,
II would not affect the legal status Of tn
President elect, for the ceremony might take
place at New York, where Washington was in
augurated, or take place at Philadelphia, or
Springfield, the residence Of Mr.. Lincoln, and
be would be a. much the dc j,vo President OF
the United States as If the celebration were
solemnized on the banks Of the Potomac or in
| the city Of Charleston itself. But in the eye
| Of foreign nations failure to inaugurate the
| President elect at Washington, where 1t has
been so long customary to perform the ceremo-
| ny, might be regarded rs an evidence that he
was not de facto President, the capital being In
the hands Of Tho revolutionists. AS Washing.
| ton lies between the two slave States Mary
land and Virginia, great efforts are being
made to induce the population Of those States