Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-05-09
The Approach OF War.


news from America. We are anxious to
speak with caution on this subject. and not
cause alarm which may possibly prove to
have been unnecessary. Therefore we would
rather let the telegraphic summary from
Queenstown speak for itself. The steamer
left New York on the 9th, and on the day
previous the signs of an approaching conflict
which had been visible for some weeks before,
became SO marked that panic took place
in Wall street. In what may be called the
two cities of the rival federations the belief
that war was at hand prevailed equally. In
New York there was. as we have said, pam
ic on the Stock Exchange, while from Charles
ton the telegraph announced that the dreaded
moment had arrived, and rupture would at
once take Place. 1t was even feared that
military operations had begun on the part of
the southerners. No news had been received
from Fort Pickens for several days, and this
had led to the belief that the communication
had been cut off by the southern troops.
From Charleston it was announced tia Major
Anderson mad been called upon to evacuate
ort Sumter within tGrty-eight hours, the
alternative being that the place would be
bombarded. The belief at Washington was
that the government there was as deter
mined as that of the secessonists. Every
man had been ordered on duty; frigate
with two first-class merchant steamers, would
sail at once with sealed orders, but we learn
from private source that there were still
doubts as to whether they were Intended to
relieve Fort Pickens or to proceed to st. Do
mingo. ~. r.
Such is the momentous intelligence which
we publish today. We may here, however,
repeat the hope so often expressed on this
side the ocean, that if the two sections of the
late Union be destined to separation, the
change may be accomplished without the
spilling of blood. 1t may. perhaps. be too
late to indulge in such wishes, yet we will
not give up all hope that even at the last
hour moderate counsels may have prevailed,
and that this fratricidal war has been check
ed in the outset. But, supposing that the
worst has happened, and, either through the
naval operations of the United States or an
attack on the Federal forts by their rivals,
hostilities have begun, it is plain that con-
fiict of no common kind must follow. The
Confederate States. though without a navy,
and consequently forced for the most part to
remain on the defensive, will be an enemy
not easy to deal with. True they are not SO
powerful in men or resources as they anti
cipated some months ago. The fidelity of the
border States to the Union has been great
disappointment to the Montgomery politi-
clans and their ambitious president The
border States, particularly Kentucky and
Tennessee, contain a population which for
military purposes surpasses, perhaps, any in
the Union. The fine race which inhabits
these regions would prove formidable enc
mics TO the government at Washington, if
they had resolved on seeding. Then there
would have been the accession of
large white population without any great
admiXture of negroes, and furthermore con-
siderable wealth, which in the present state
of the southern exchequer would have been
very acceptable. But, though, for the pres
ent at least, the border states stand fast by
the Union, yet the South shows bold 'front.'
The seven seeding states, being in earnest :,
fighting for their independence, have raised
an army which the other twenty-seven have
not yet succeeded in matching. According
to all accounts, the southern levies are large,
we'll disciplined, and in high spirits. For
weeks it has been difficult to keep the Charles
ton regiments from attacking Fort Sumter
and at Pensacola we find that Fort Pickens
was hard pressed by a considerable force
The iron foundries in Virginia were turning
out guns to be used against the government
which owns the allegiance of Virginia itself
Troops, provisions, and ammunition were
flowing in to the confederate army" was the
intelligence received a few days since. 1t
seems clear that, if peace is preserved, it
will not be by any yielding on the part of
the secessionists. ~
1t would be q great political error, not to
say crime, if the Republican President
should plunge the new world into war in or
der to show his attachment to his party, or
bis consistency with his former principles.
When Mr.. Buchanan published his unhappy
message document to which it is probably
owing that South Carolina was fol-
lowed into secession by six other
states = the Republican party, and in
deed opinion generally throughout the
North, was SO much iDflamed against the
President that Mr.. Lincoln found or fancied
il necessary to repudiate these sentiments.
Incautiously giving utterance to his own
opinions wherever he came on his journey
from the West, he arrived at Washington
pledged not only to keep but to retake the
forts belonging to the Union in the seeded
States, and to refuse any recognition of
southern independence. The collection of
the duties at the southern ports was also
made a part of the new Presidents pro-
gramme. How difficult it has been found to
carry ont all this is evident from the long
delay which has taken place. Before Mr..
Buchanan left Office Major Anderson was in
extreme danger; no time was to be lost in
relieving Fort Pickens, and the Confederate
States themselves were lowering their tariff
and letting in the productions of Europe at
q rate which would make every idler in the
border states talk to smuggling at once
1t was thought that the moment Mr.. Lincoln
was installed resolution would be taken.
But this was not to be. For full month the
President and his cabinet have been debating
what is to be done, and only on the 9Th of
April Is it announced that the policy of CO
ercion has triumphed.
The delay seems all the more to be regret
ted since confidence among men of business
had been almost restored. There was up to
nearly the last day Of March feeling that
the worst was over, and that, however lamen-
table might be the disruption Of the Repub-
lie, there would not be added TO this misfor-
tune the still greater calamity OF civil war
The absorbing interest in military and POI