Newbern weekly progress., 1861-02-19
THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY.

The Southern Confederacy," now a fixed
fact, has been already announced in our col
umns. The telegraphic sensation dispatches,
which have been flooding the country for Seve-
raj days, with reference to the proclamation of
free trade with all the world, and other re-
ports intended to irritate the border States,
have all been exploded by the authentic intel
igence of the proceedings of the Convention
We have already said that we never heard as
many falsehoods circulated in thirty years, as
there have been within the last three months
about tn action of the Gulf States The six
teen dollar tax on negroes in SoIth Carolina,
the forced loans, the misery and starvation in
Charleston, the conspiracy to revive the slave
trade, and lastly this baiderdash about free
trade, are but few ont of a thousand slanders,
manufactured out of the whole cloth for politi-
cal purposes. 1t seems as if the Father of
Lies had taken the field in person, as Field
Marshal of the crusade against the Southern
States. The very first action of the Southern
Confederacy spikes the principal guns aimed
at the new Republic. The slave trade is the
FIST thing prohibited. The Committee on Fl
nance has been instructed to report promptly
a tariff for raising revenue for the support of
the Government. The committee will un-
doubtedly report measure of moderate du-
ties for revenue, levied on imports, and then
the delightful buSbear, raised by those inven-
tive geniuses who have been trying to scare
the South into the idea of two separate sets of
tax collectors, both levying directly from the
pockets of the people, for the support of the
Government, will be entirely dissipated. We
have been especially gratified with the manly
and noble action of the Convention, as embOd-
led in Art. 6. clause 2 of the Constitution: "The
Government hereby instituted shall take imme-
date steps for the settlement of all the matters
between the State forming, and their other late
confederates of the United States, in relation
to the public property and public debts at the
timeof their withdrawal from them, these States
hereby declaring it to be their will and earnest
desire to adjust everything pertaining to the
common property, common liabilities, and
common obligations of that Union upon princi
pies of right, justice, equity and good faith. -
Let the General Government meet this just
and honorable proposition in the same spirit
and an equitable adjustment can be peaceably
made, and the horrid alternative Of civil war
be avoided.
The gentlemen chosen to preside over the
new Government will command for 1t univer-
sal respect and confidence. Gen. jeff Davis
in iron will and military genius, is nearer An
drew jackson than any other man on the stage
of public affairs, whilst in sagaclous statesman
ship and culture of mind he is probably supe-
ror to that most popular of modern Presidents
"A L. CtCpICIlS, ClC lNS L 4CoiuS'iI lS oiiS vi
the most eminent and incorruptible of the pub
lie men of the present day. His name will be
a tower of strength to the new Republic. This
Confederacy, composed of six States, the chic
cotton-producing States of the world, to which
Texas and Arkansas will soon be added will
in conformity with precedent and from the ne
cesity of the case, be at once recognized by
England, France, and the other European Pow
ers We shall then begin to realize the deplO
rabe loss which the Union has sustained in a
magnificent Republic, containing the mostval
liable elements of commerce which this coun
try possesses, and enjoying the most unparal-
leled advantages of climate, soil and produc
ton of any spot of equal extent on the whole
surface of the earth, gone, gone by the selfish
ambition of such political knaves as Seward
and the Puritan fanatlclSm which he has USED
as the convenient engine of undermining the
rights of the South, and which has compelled
the Gulf States at last to obelieve-honestly, we
doubt not-that until the politicians, dema
gogues and fanatics are all dead buried, anC
damned, and until the principles of selfish am
biton and of fanatlcism are eradicated from hu
man nature, there can be no safety for the
Gulf States where slavery is vital necessity
except in separation and independence. 1t re
quires more philosophy than we can command
to contemplate with composure the folly anc
the wickedness of those pestilent abolition
politicians and fanatics who have at last sue
ceeded in casting g a pearl away richer thar
all their tribe.-R5ch Dispatch.