New-York daily tribune., 1861-05-16


that catastrophe which To most has long
seemed inevitable. When tie East lOdis Company
abolished, ite advocates Justly csimed Tor IL VIC
merit of having governed With success vast territory
teeming q ilh men for more than CENTURY; nor was
the Occ1rrauce of q gigantic Dntny allowed 70 ohh'er-
ate MI remembrance 'f the past Let only me HaWe
justce he done TO Ane lean institutions, ~ Is lnpos-
bic 10 deny that for nearly century the government
oi the Unis States conn Heated as II undoubtedly If,
has maintained its authority over heterogeneous
population recruited from every corner OF the earth,
without impairng local selfgovernment, or curhlng
that spirit of expansion which has peoed The continent
from ibe shores of the Atlantic 10 tie slopes OF Inc
Rocky Mountains. Up to the time when Mr.. Lincoln
was elected PreideDt, it would have been the merest
paradox assert hat ropnar institutions lad fail D.
Nor IL the observation lees absurd now that civil
war has broken out. TO hear people talk it would
seem az if such o crisis had never occurred under
any other form Of government. Have kin2s,
~ Popes. or Emper)B never lost any portion Of
their d0ninOnsi Did not England loae these very
States Didnot Spain lose MeXico! Didnot Ans'ria
lose Italy and Hungary And has not France eXpe-
ren ed the like disas,ersl At what period OF tue
worlds history have such disasters been deemed con-
elusive evidence against the form o that government
which sns'aiOed them? No dorbt the e0ndnot "nicn
Pre- sident Lincoln and his Cotnet adopt WI iurhih
Cogent proof of the wisdom ard energy when can DO
obtained in the American Republic. Il il iavonte
maxim with some, that the present poh'ca, syteh q
Amer ca excludes tie best men from the hShes'
Offices and the opinion Is not unsupported py
lllr>lhe reasons. Inc UFCtcDJ filriH WIZ ''.'
theory, Few will Dispute that more difficult ti'k
never was impose upon any ruler thal '%nst %
which is now imposed upon Abraham llhcoin' 10
many, pe,haps To most 1t seems nipossloe' In this
rssUect 10 oins strange contrast - the TASK wIch
was mpo.ed ON the Ministers of George Ill at me
end of tie last century or, the other day, upon ne
Government of Austili or Napls. ~ Il uhiVeIsaly
admitted that II these mOnscbs bad conducted ihsni-
eelves with ordiusry sense and lntice, ihey
might instead OF losing provinces, have long ruled
over "a coniented people There Is not a man oi re-
Election, scarcely foreign nlnIeI, VINO was hoV
ready 10 prOler advice to the beily.ted sovereign,
which if il had been followed, would have refcued
him from his difficulties. Se. there is moi statesman
in Europe who does not cOrgra uite himself tDat
he is splrcd tho responsibility OF occupy ing lLe
White House at Washington at the present time
Bat while every man Of the least poh i,ai eNpe-
ience forbcars 10 otter advice 10 the American Gov
erweut il is rema kable that since the aecehon ol
Mr.. Lincoln 10 oice plan las been "a o'ed, 10 act
has been cone by the Government OF tfc tnit STATES
which has not been dictated by UOdeaiicn and noli-
cal wisdom. Difficult as The situation has hitherto
been it has now become much more complicated. Ii
the CabiI ct at Washington succeed IN restoring har
nony 10 The country, or m terminating the contest
wi satisfaction 10 The people, they viii not only cover
themselves with glory, but viii eNalt popular ins'u-
tiODs
To some observers It appears that the commencement
of civ war has teen The first step 70 prove The lccIn.
Ie,ence of the Lin, ola Administration According 10
these critics the South cannot lie coerced, and there
FORE tie blood which must be spit VIII bespl ~ vIn'
Now, this ~ by means clear III TIE chiel CUES On
the SCnhern eahoard blOC kaded, and Charleston
is re'akep there is no need for any further hostile
operations. The South are entirely depeudett upon
foreign commerce, ana they have no outlet 4Oi tuen
cotton except by sea and the Free Sia'es- IAere
seems 10 Teas why any troops should occupy
Montgomery or Louisville, y Of The towns IN The
Interior LII, indeed, tie States north OF the ono
and The Potomac were disposed to waver 10 iheir
allegiance the Federal Government, there might be
some difficulty in enforcing the Federal policy. But
il is one of tie blessings of Free Government that
the real feolirgs OF the people perfectly under
stood. 1t is kLOwn that niIetentbs Of the slps IN
the States belong the North, aud by land the So
cr1np States aie heumed In by those earDetly heDt
upon supporting the Federal Government. Moreover,
il must he observed that each separate State is accord
iug 10 the Constitution, practically iudeFeuCont, and
that the only huaLcal assistance oeflTed by the req.
ersl Government from The States Tor the purpose OF
carrying on that Government was derived from
the customs. Ii the blockade is elective, end
tie Border States DO their duty there can
be little difficulty in extracting oonsderat le
snu out of the ships before they are allowed 10
pass into port. The contest which has Just begnn
may be obstinate and bloody but It is bard to believe
tha the South can ultimately prevail. AscoTdng 10
The last census the white population Of the Free State
/ amounted to 100000, that OF the Slave States 10
$500 900; but III The Slave States the slaves numbered
4CO0C00 Thus it appears that while the FreeiDen IN
the North are more than double those in the South,
the South are incnmbered by population Of slaves IN
tie proportion OF TO white Ii is said, iud ed,
that the matters arnDg these slaves 30 % 10 form
them into what certain enthusiasts are Leased 10 call
an army OF hei0s. To 2 slave Is easy; 70 dslrm
Linn may be dangerous problem; and il the slaves are
prepared TO fight fOr their masters il Is difficult 10 under
stand upon pIin lie these poor wretCh hes are held
under such strict suryeiliac and kept down TO the
! level Of the brute.