The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-09
tacles, and we suppose quite large number of
this class will go on to Washin yton to witness
the novel scene.



The Southern Federattve Convention and
It's Programmes.
While the miscellaneous politicians on the
irresponsible Peace Conference at Washington
are slowly celebrating their Unisn saving spe-
cities, the Federatye Convention of the seeded
Southern States at Montgomery, Alabama, ID
as deliberately engaged in the work of organic
ing Southern confederacy, as if the Northerz
States had been overwhelmed and reduced 70
an inland sea by some CONFUSION of nature.
The seeded States are simply beyond the
reach OF any Union saving compromises, be-
cause the great controlling idea of this South
ern revolution is an Independent, homogeneous
confederation, resting, politically and CONNER
cially, upon the industrial institution Of Afri-
can slavery.
This idea is not new one. These revolu-
tionary movements which are bringing it to Q
practical fulflment eccentric and spasmodic a.
they appear, are the results of deep designs,
matured by time, and methodicslly directed to
The great end in view. With the admission Of
California, in 1860, this scheme of separate
Southern confederacy BEGAN to be seriously
agtated and broadly defined. In 1861, the di-
rect issue of secession upon this provocation OF
the loss of the Southern equilibrium in Con-
gress was directly tried before the people Of
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Missis-
sippi. In that trial in each of those States,
the secessionists were so signally defeated by
the Union coalition raised against them that it
was supposed secession would not again, per-
haps, be submitted to the popular vote, even in
South Carolina, within the limits of the nine
teenth century.
But the particular shape in which the dis
union experiment was, in 1861, tried in South
Carolina, was in it's teachings to the disunionists
substantial victory. A convention was elected
in said State to decide between independent
and cooperative secession. The cooperation
lists Carried the day, upon the plea that South
Carolina, standing out alone would be power
less, and would speedily be reduced to submits
sion; whereas, by first securing the co-opera-
tiop OF the other Southern States or even half Of
them they night establish their independence.
The secession leaders, however, soon discovered
that the simultaneous secession of several
States could not DO reached, and that the only
way to break the bonds of the Union was first
to row broadcast over the South the seeds Of
dissolution and Southern confederacy, and
then, by separate State action, on the first ia
voiable occasion, "to precipitate the cotton
States into revolution South Carolina lead
ing off in the movement.
All this has been done, and all these startling
Southern revolutionary proceedings Of the last
two months could thus be clearly shown to be
The prcmeditated achievements of ten years Of
organization and systematic agitation. Thus
we can now comprehend the "true intent and
meaning" Of the repeal Of the Missouri Com
promise, solve the mystery Of those exploded
Southern commerce al conventions and Walkers
fllbusering raids. and can satisfactorily explain
the dismemberment OF the democratic party at
Charleston and Baltimore. We see it all
plainly enough now, and our only astonish-
ment is al the incredulity Of Northern anti
slavery fana.icism, through all these ten years
of systematic Southern revolutionary ap-
proaches to this grand climax of Southern
confederacy. The occasion anticipated has
come, the cotton States have been "precipi-
tated into revolution" and the immediate
question before us now is, what is the form Of
iedera,ive government projected by this Mont
gomery Convention
The programme indicated comprehends the
fund, mental basis of our federal constitution,
with such notifications as the paramount in
stiiuticn of slavery may suggest. A pro-
vi>ional government will be first proclaimed,
including President anG Vice President, and
q General in Chief over the armed forces of the
confederation. Senator Hammond Of South
Carolina, and Alexander II. Stephens, of
Georgia. have been named among the highest
probabilities for Provisional President, and the
selection Of either Of these men would be q
judicous proceeding. To Jefferson Davis, it is
generally supposed, will be assigned the con-
troll of the armed forces of the new confederacy
in tie field. The provisional government thus
put in motion will despatch it's commissioners
TO Washington, and to the great Powers Of
Europe, with view to the recognition Of its
independence, including overtures to the gov
ernment at Washington for the surrender to
the Southern confederacy of all the forts there
in, and arseDals, custom houses, and other
Uuifed States property, and for the apportion-
ment between the two confederacies Of all the
the United States.
In the next place, we expect that the
Southern ccnfederacy will establish sys-
tenn of free trade or extremely low duties
upon foreign imports, revenue export
duty upon Gotten, discriminating in favor Of
It, direct shipment from Southern ports, and
will encourage the introduction Of home manu-
featuring establishments. There are already in
operation some fifteen Aourishing cotton mills
n South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama,
chiefly engaged in the manufacture of coarse
undyed goods. 1t has been discovered, how
ever, that greatly enhanced profits to the cot
ION planter may be secured from the spinning
C Lie I'M dnd fa,r nd IL L.