Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-02-14
From the Neao York World.

II ia remarkable bow often the cause of
the Union has been favored by what men
call good fortune in spite of the confessed
weakness of the head Of the government,
since t. eason set out in its wicked career. 1t
needs no effort of he memory to recall many
notable instances.
The discovery Of the state bond robbery,
just at the time it occurred, was great piece
Of good fortune. Treason ruled the cabinet;
the treasury had been made bankrupt; the
War department. has employed every means
to arm and siren gthen rebellion; the head OF
the IHterior department was on treason
mission to doubtful southern state; the
President, cowed and nerveless, was manag-
ed like puppet, and the venerable patriot
who occupied the first place IN his councll
resigned in dispair; ruin stared upon the
land. But suddenly, at the very darkest
hour, monster fraud, which had lain uns
known in the departments for many months,
by accident came out to the public eye; con-
fusion seized upon the conspirators, and they
fed from their posts the President awoke
to the iniqui y which had been around him !;
he resumed his manhood, and called true
men to his side; patriotic policy was set
up, and the government which had been
driven on 50 fearfully, and apparently so
helpessly, toward destruction, was saved
1t was the mere chlnce development Of some
thing quite extraneous from the peril itself
that bad this mighty effect upon il.
1t was good fortune that Major Anderson
took the resolution at the time he did. in
spite of the opposing plans of his chiefs at
Washington. 10 abandon Moutrie for 5ump-
ter good fortune that, Notwithstanding the
rigid surveillance of the Charleston rebels,
he accomplished the feat so successfully on
that clear moonlight night; and good for
tune that. after this was done, while yet his
preparations for defense were incomplete, a
storm arose and continued for days, that
kept bis enemies at bay, and allowed him
the amplest opportunity to put his rev post
in copIItion that might defy their rage
The rebels had counted upon this command>
ing fortress as surely their own and its loss
so strangely brought about and 80 entirely
unlocked for, was terrible reverse which
they will not cease to feel to the end.
1t was good fortune that the Star of the
West, when dispatched with reiDforcements
under the mistaken idea that they were nee
ded, did not persist in pushing through
Charleston Channel, but turued as she did,
since it is new known that a minute more
would have drawn from Major Anderson a
fire upon the assailants that had it occurred
must have Immediately kind!ed general civil
war.
1t was good fortune that the cannon at
Vickspurg. aimed at the A. o Tylor, did not
send forth its missiles of death, its priming
only flashing. Had that discharge taken
place, and destruction Deen scat cred thereby
among that company of peaceful Travellers
fury would have seized thousands of the We
hement spirits of the already irritated North
west. and bloody conflict would have prob
ably been the sequel.
Il was good fortune that Fort Jefferson, at
the Tortugas. and Fort Taylor. at Key West
positions whish are the keys of the Gulf of
Mexico, commanding all its commerce-were
reached just when they were by the federal
detachments sent out from Boston. Had
this been day or two later, those impreg-
nable fortresses would have been found in
the hands Of the rebel forcss, and treason
would have been strengthened immensely.
A like good fortune attended the transfer of
troops t. Fort Pickens, at Pensacola, which
proved not to have been az hour too soon to
secure that most important position from the
Georgia and Alabama troops, who had rush
ed to secure the prize.
We migbt cite other instances where for
tune has we'll served the cause of the coun-
try but there is no occasion. We have said
enough to show that the good cause bas thus
ar been signaliy favored, and that all things
are conducting TO slow, sure, and blood iess
victory. But fortune is pagan word, Its
word that ought to have no place 10 Chris
tan Speech least Of ali, when the destiny
of nation is 10 question. There Is provl-
dence in national affairs, none the less indu-
bi'able though We may not scan and fix Its
precise workings The most hardened p0li-
tcans are obliged to recognize it. With all
the resources at his commas d. and with his
almost SUI erhuman energies, Bonaparte call
ed himself a iatalet, feeling there there was
something out Of him that dealt with hn,,
controlled him, disposed Of him. The red
Republican and reckless Ledru Rallin eer-
tainly is about the last living man to be
charged with superstition and yet he was
constre med to declare in a speech. alter his
flight from Paris, F" For the last TWO years It
seems that the course Of events in the world
has, been governed by a sort of fatality, and
that all human combinations have bsen
thwarted by some mysterious hand. Z" The
gray headed Prince Czartorvski only spoke
the irresistible conviction of all the princes
and all the Democrats of Europe when be
proclaimed to his c0un'rymen, " The time Is
rife with signs which show US tha. the ruling
of the world belongs not to human hands,
but ONLY to Providence, and that Providence
alune leads us to those ends which defy our
subtest calculations" The public m nd of
the old wcrl], however strenuousiy II engag
es in the activities of the times, has long
since learned that the times VIII. after all,
work out their own destiny-or, rather, that
higher power will, through them, work out
his will, which is destiny. Both the poten-
tates an the masses are understanding bet
ter than before that they are not the control
lers of events-that though (" man proposes,
God dsposes" And cur revolusionlsts, we
believe, will find that their ends. roueh-hew
them as they may, will be shaped by a
stronger power. Machinate and muster as
they please, they will never be permitted to
break up this inheritance of our fathers. -
This magnificent republic mas a part yet to
perform on the earth which they are impo-
tent to defeat They will find to their sor-
row that the noten that history is but the
devils play bill, performed with the sublime
mechanism of depravity," is great mistake.
They will learn that the great destinies Of
the race are not left at the mercy of mems
madness or weakness-thst God is in history,
and that though we cannot clearly scan the
divine polity, there is, amid all the restless
ness of human passions, divine influence
that sets bounds to every destructive agency,
and, from the turbulence Of evil. educes good
We have an unshaken faith that this repub-