The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-04-30

1t remains for the South now TO decide what
her fate Is to be in the momentous Issue be-
fore US. meea
THE PRIvATEER WAR UPoS NORTHERN CON-
MERcE-AN ELEMENT OF DEFENCE LosT.--
When Congress, epgrossed by corrupt schemes
of legislation, withdrew tho nail subsidy from
the Collins line, we warned it that it would
one day repent that unpstriotic proceeding.
A policy which not only broke up and dis
persed a fine native line Of steamers, but which
discouraged all future enterprises of q similar
character, could not fail to bring its own punish
ment In vain it was shown that in times Of
great emergency steamers OF this Glass had
proved of the greatest service to EoglaDd and
France, notwithstanding the great extent Of
their naval resources. IL it had not been for
them the forces Of the two governments would
have been sadly crippled during the CrimeaS
war. We have different use for such vessels
at present, bat one which is not leas import AIT
and urgent prlvateers are being rapidly
fitted out at all the Southern ports for the pur-
pose OF preying on North IN commerce.; snd
although the government il about to blockade
vessels at Us comaana, including all those that
it can charter. to carry out its suryedlaocs
along the whole line of the Southern CO 4st Un-l
less this Can be done it IL obvious that Northern
commerce must suffer to an extent which hua-
Gred subsidies Ike that paid 10 the Collins line
would 'sli short of in smcunt
HAD Congress, instead of occupying itself
with huge jobs like the Pacific Railroad, tor
which 1t was ready to vote away any amount
OF the public money, devoted some OF its at
tention to the encouragement. Of great com
mercial lines OF steamers, to compete with the
foreign transatlantic lines, we would now have
at cur command powerful feet OF vessels,
which could be easily armed and conv-rteS
into an auxiliary blockading force. In this, a
in other things, we shall have to pay the pen
ally OF the political decentralization which has
country into corrupt aud Improbable chan
Dels The danger with which our commerce
is threatened will, however, teach Us one use
fnl Lesson, and that is the necessity Of augment
ing our navy TO an extent which will render vi
secure either against Southern buccaneer,ng OF
against any combination that may be attempted
against us by the maritime Powers of Europe
PROPOsED ARBITRATION OF THE Ex-PREsI
DEyTs-The proposed arbitration of the fiv,
ex Observation-Disclosures, Pierce. FILLMORE
Tyler and Van Buren-to settle the quarrel
between the North and South, is in one sens
appropriate, but in another most inappropriate.
and valueless. 1t was the imbecility and poll
teal chicanery Of some of these very men tina
brought about the present evils under which
the country is laboring. Van Buren,, in 1S4s
disappointed in not getting the nomination il
place of Gen. Cass, called out the revolutionar,
snti-slavery element, and was the first Z
embody the anti-slavery question In part.
politics, thereby dividing aud demoralizing tn
democratic party of this State. After the evil /
he wrought were partially cured in 1850 b.
the statesmanship Of Henry Clay, as demos
strsted in the compromise of that year, poo
Pierce opened the sores afresh by the intro
duction of the Kansas question, assisted b |
JEFF Davis and Mr.. Douglas, and Mr.. Buchana'
followed in the same track, through the weak /
ness and corruption of his administration
| And these are the men to whose wisdom it
proposed to submit the settlement Of the verl
difficulties they themselves have entailed upol
the country.
The questions of ani-slavery and free soilisr
have nothing to do with the present contesl
1t is struggle for the existence of the repul |
lic-for the maintenance Of the constitution o
we inherited it from the Revolutionary father |
The abolitionists of the North have declare |
that constitution a league with He'll, and Ii, +
secessionists Of the South are ia arms to abrq
gate and destroy it. The question admits
no patching mp, no mediation Of exPrssident
or any one else. II must be settled by th
people by force of arms. The law must !
maintained and peace restored by the peopl'
and not by the politicians.