Smyrna times., 1861-12-26
G5e Smgrua Gimes,
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 90, 1861.
A Year of Secession,


From the Nav York Times of Dec. 20, we
take the following: +~~ f@.*
1t is just year ago to-day since the first
State Ordinance of Secession was passed. and
South Carolina declared the National Union
forever dissolved. The day is 10 be commemo.
rated In that State, and probably in other parts
OF the South. and it is hoped to make the 2Oth
OF december in the new Republic what the 4tb
OF July has been in the old Republic-Indeper.
dence Day. So far as South Carolina is con.
cerned, the years retrospect and the anpiver.
sary must be sufficiently melancholy. 1t has
Seen for her, as for the who'd conntry, wear
OF gloom and calamity; and it now looks as
though for her it would be followed by wear
ef disaster and woe compared with which the
disastrous record OF the past is light and ,rir.
al Gould South Carolina a year ago have
toreseen this anniversary as she now sees il
even she might have paused in her deviish c..
rser, and stayed the hand that cleft the Union
IN twain, and brought upon the nation war and
''' snnumbered woes. The day nust seem to
her but the first anniversary of her ruin.
" South Carolina year ago did not antiei-
pate war as the consequence of her action-st
all events, not 10 any such shape and magni.
tude as she now sees. She was prepared and
ready for war-rsady as much as her limited
resources and population would permit. Her
araenals were filled with guns, her State mill.
tary schools had trained hundreds of offieers
and her constant and imperative system of mil.
ltary drill had brought the whole fighting elo-
ment OF the State into high coalition of eff.
cheney. But the battle was not to be on her
own soil it was not to be against consolida.
teo NORTH with such tremendous army and
navy; 1t was not to be with blOckaded ports and
bankrupt treasury. She foresaw, as the cor.
sequence of her action that day, the existins .
Government thrown into paralysis, and the
North precipitatsd into aparchy: the warlike
leglons ofthe South would soon garrison Wash.
lngton and Wall street, and hang the contu-
maclous In Boston ; and would then speedily
tnrn their victorious arms upon tho rich and in.
Vltlng fields of Mexico. The dominant race
was the title the oligarehy were then so proud
IP Haunting in the teeth of the mudsils TO their
North and their South. Bot their domination
is now dream of the past, and their highest
hope tor the future capnst reach higher thar
democratic equality.
1t will be melancholy anniversary this, fol
her disappointed, sick and disgusted citizens
for all her young men in the army of the Poto
mac fer Charleston, half in ruins; for the fs
gitives Of Beaufort end the sea coast: for tn
slavo holders, whose human property is men
aced by the march of hostile army; for tn
merchants and traders, who are BANKRUPT; 70
the poor whites, who are starving for the wo
men and children, who now begin 10 dous
whether the negroes are to be trusted as mnc
as they had always formerly thought; for tn
whole State. menaced by powerful army, an
almost utterly helpless.
But for all this South Carolina must blam
her own action of a year ago to-day. .Ayt
Tor hundred times more woes, and a thousa q
times more horrors, present and prsspectiv
: to the whole country, than this. The Ga
should be held forever infamous in the anna
OfIhe Republic"