Newbern weekly progress. [volume] (Newbern, N.C.) 1858-1863, 1861-01-29
THURSDAY MORNING, JAN. "a, 1861.
Is the American Union Dissolved or
Mott


We think that it is and why do We think
so? Simply because five States have already
defed federal authority and withdrawn their re-
presentation in and their allegiance to the fede-
raj government, while several others are pre-
pairing to follow. The Government has become
powerless to enforce federal authority and
number of the forts, arsenals and fortihcations
are in the possession of the enemies of the Govern
ment. Large portions of the country are already
armed and equipped for Revolution anditis only
necessary to fire the first match to precipitate
general conflict. The States that have sece-
ded will no longer hold themselves responsible
to or be governed by central power, and by
the 4th Of March if Revolution should not al
ready be commenced at least twelve if not ff-
teen States will be out of the Union. Five be-
ing out now, we ask, have we Government 7
have we Union.
People talk of "a hope hope for what
Will Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and
South Carolina come back into the Union and
expiate the crimes they have already commit
ted against federal authority 9-or will the fed
eral government at Washington offer to these
seeded States that protection upon which alone
they will come back Neither. The South
has no concessions to make nor will the North
make any, and the whole question, In our opln-
ion must speedily bring on conflict between
the two sections upon the assumed right of the
South to sccede, and that of the fragmentary
government to coerce. We hope most sincere
ly that bloodshed may be avoided, but the old
est and ablest heads at Washington now, those
who have stood up manfully for the Union, give
up all as lost. They have no hope of saving
the old Union because the action of five States
in solemn Convention has destroyed it, and
hence their only expectation is to reconstruct
upon basis which shall enable the people of
every State to come back consistent with tn
honor and rights.
How then are we to commence the consul
tations necessary to form new Confederacy-
or so to amend the old as to make 1t acceptable
to all sections9 Clearly it seems to us by the
other ten Southern States seeding at once so
as to stop the Inauguration of Lincoln's ad-
ministration, and then the presentation of an
u1timdtqana to the North upon which the South
is willing to reconstruct. There is talk of the
mediation of the border slave States, but this
it seems to us is folly, for those States which
have seeded and those which soon will secede
will not be likely to consent to any settlement
in which they have no voice. Let the entire
South come out at once and propose that all
| war-like preparations be stayed till confer
| ence between the States can be had, and then
| the North will be compelled to respect them
and their position but as we stand at present
some out of the Union, others preparing to &c
out, and others declaring they will stay in we
spect or the union among ourselves requisite
for the accomplishment of any great purpose.
We Weld to no one in our admiration for ano
attachment to the Union as 1t was, and we ev
! er have been and still are willing to make any
sacrifice, unless it be to surrender honor ane
give up niggers, to sustain and perpetuate it
but the thing, as our fathers framed it, is de
funct We have no Union to admire no com
pact to cling to-the Constitution has beer
broken by both sections first by the Nortt
in ignoring our rights, and then by the Soutf
in defying federal authority; and hence th
country is in state of Revolution We care
not whether any blood has been shed or not, i
is none the less Revolution, and before God w
believe the most speedy way now to aver
further troubles, things having gone as far a
they have, is for united South, out OF tn
Union, to demand recognition of all thei
rights as the only terms upon which they will
come back into it.