, 1861-01-12
TIE THREE ALTERNATIVES.
Thc seventpnn i1F-diror*e1 shots firn3 al

Charleston harbor have already rcycrbe-
rated through the nation. Millions Of men
have felt their blood boil with indignation
at the outrage offered to the national flag
By ayowed traitors. 4 war spirit las been
kindled from Eastport to the Rio Grande,
from the Atlantic to the Missouri. But VIC
are to hare no civil conflict Tor long time
to come. Before. the Northern States will
be allowed to send their. militia or their
volunteers 10 the field Of battle there will
undoubtedly have been an actual invasion
OF those States made, or attempted to be
made, on the part Of the South. This may
appear wholly out Of the range Of proba-
bIlit;es, but we proceed to show that this
policy is one Of the three alternatives
which will be presented to the seeding
States, and that it is the ono most likely to
be adopted. 81. .
Major Andersen signified to GOV. Pick
ems that ii the t1agrant act OF hostility On
Morris Island were not d;sclaiued, he
should at once blockade the port Although
his determination to do so has been tempo
rariy suspended, there can be 20 doubt
that The President will direct him 10 put
the threat into prompt execution. Ii Fort
Sumter. is unequal to the task, q man-of-
Wat must be sent to mid in executing the
mandate Once elEectually blockadcd, tie
starving process begins. Cotton is q good
thing to mike sterling exchange with; it
was found convenient by Gen. jackson to
make breastwor1ss Of; but it cannot tc
eaten. Gen. Wade Hampton once killed a
number Of siaves trying to make them cat
cotton seed, but neither he nor any ether
ever dreamed of making meal Of the Sta
pie itself. The South, never producing
surplus OF bseadstutfs, bat always relying
on other States for 4 portion Of its supply
Of the staff Of life, is now peculiarly dcsti-
tute Of the first requisite Of existence.
True, the granaries Of the Northwest arc
ovcrnowing, and trade between the two
sections is comparatively free, but It takes
money to buy corn, now, just as it did
when The sons Of Jacob journcycd to
Egypt in the sore fanlinc of those days,
but if cotton cannot be exported the plant
ers can get no money War and tie
cotton trade Go not thrive well
together. The first hostile shot sends cot
ton down and wheat up, even when fred
on the other side Of the Atlantic. Added
to the great cost Of land transportation,
under state Of blockade, is the disastrous
rupture Of cotton credits, destroying tho
cash value Of bills Of lading and annihila-
ting the system Of "adTances on the crop"
which has hitherto been the universal
method Of carrying the staple to market.
Indeed, both these facilities of Southern
commerce are already Withdrawn, without
the closing Of single seaport. Obviously
then, q blockade means, starvation.
Whether Immediate or remote it is not
necessary to inquire. This is one Of the
alternatives, and it is ono which is not
likely 10 be adopted by tie blockaded
faction.
There arc just two ways to raise block
ade OF th1s SORT. One Is to abandon the
treason and return to the ancient fidelity to
the Constitution. The other is to invade
and conquer the loyal States. Which plan
is most likely to be pursued? 1fthc mad
ness Of the South had not been 60 round;y
proclaimed within the past sixty days, ell
would agree that the former method Of cx-
trication would he adopted. But We have
little hope in that direction. We look to
see the madness culninatc in an actual i'll
rasion of the North, beginning With m at
tack on Washington city. With what en-
crgy such an invasion would bo -rcpclled-
with what fury the invaders would be
hurled from the soil Of every free State
we leave each citizen to define by his own
feelings Of patriotism. And who shall fix
limit to the retaliation inspired by such
an act