New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-01-25
THE SOUTHERN DRsPor.

Our direct adyices from Charleston confirm I
pretty general impression that the force which
created aud has sustained the Secession move
ment, whether it was the fever Of On angry OF.
ctelnent or an attempt to compel the North b
concession and humility by loud and viOlsu.
threats, is gradually subsding. 1t is very Get
tain thut the natural tendency Of the present pe
sition VI affairs is to produce such result. Il
is not in the nature OF things that treasonsbk
revolt against constituted authority should staM
still. Born in the elimination Of passion, it dies
of good sense and soberness If the Insurgents
stop to think. Even revolution springing froa
good motives, and aiming at righteous ends, mua
have large share of that power whch couS
from the strength Of passion; aud how musi
more must this be true Of mere rebellion coe
ceiyed in iniquity and brought forth In madness
1t is not truer Of woman than of this most
ment in the Southern States, a" that she who
- hesitates is lost" Any one of them, eveu
the arbitrator herself, South Carolina, may st
down in her gates, clothe herself with negro
cloth. and strew ashes over her venerable head
because her sons have returned to their senses,
and put on the garb of soberness and sanity, d
she stops to reflect. Thinking will be her raH
if she yentures to indulge 10 it, Even whisky
will lot save her if she falls into meditatre
mood in her drink.
1t is precisely this condition that she seems 10
have fallen into. The stars and stripes floating
over Fort Sumter are suggestive Of very sober
reflections, for which there Is likely to be ample
leisure now that the trenches are dug, the en-
baubnepts made, and the batteries In order.
From the frowning guns of Fort Sumter the con-
templative eye will naturally wander over The
bay and barber of Charleston, will rest upon tho
SPOT where sunken vessels obstruct almost al
navigation, and will turn to the deserted docks,
tie silent quays, the warehouses too full Of cot
ton, and the coal-yards too empty OF coal. II is
u very desperate madness indeed that will not be
checked by such sights as these.
TIL sight of the cotton alone will work mar
ve .hanQe in the South Carolina mind if
they Will look at il long enough to take in ts full
lit aning. Cotton is more than King in Charles.
ton, at this moment, and is getting to be 50 In
all the Cotton States--he is a terrible despot
that rides them as the Old Man OF the Sea did
Snbad the Sailor. lie will neither give them to
eat nor to drink; be will neither permit them to
stop for q moment Of rest; nor will he get OF
and leave them 10 tuke care of themselves. La
short, they can do nothing without Cotton, and
having got it, they can, under present circum-
stances, do nothing with it, Unless the crop
moves, Secession stands still; unless the crop
moves there are not even slaves ratious Of allotted
corn and bacon; much less are there, unless the
crop moves, munitions Of war, COlumbiads,
Minnie rihes, marching armies, swift men-of-wsr,
commissarat, and all the rest that 60 to tho
armiDg of great revolution. In the mean tins
while contemplating this state Of things aud look
ing for remedy the thought will be born IN
many brain, sobered by mere rest-what 10 al
this for Does it pay Hadn't We better give
it upl And when TREY get to the point OF ask
ing this latter question, they are also very near
its correct solution.
In the mean time We of the North need NOT
talk of Compromise. We may safely leave ths
matter to Cotton, for as long as three millions
of that precious material remains immoVable In
Southern store-houses We arc sure that tne
South has master that will keep her in check
and bring her to her senses. The North has
ONLY TO keep as immoyable as the King.