Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-01-24


compelled to run. They are surveying the ground
taking their bearings, estimating their means, but not
changing their purposes.
This pause is omnous. 1t is the clear Indication OF
serious fact-he fact that the Rubcon is to be
passed-the irrevocable step soon to be taken.
1t is folly now for anybody North or South to COM
pare the present uprising to hskey Instruction.
or such like merely local disturbances We are now IN
the vortex of revouon-on the very edge of boodshed
Shall this revolution progress, shall it not? If 1t
does progress shall it be peaceful or bloody? Whether
we claim secession to be right not, whether we
suppose its exercise will be quietly permitted or boody
sted cannot deny hat the severance ct great
Confederacy is revolution even If we assume that IL
be both legal and peaceful legal and peaceful revo-
luton then but still revolution change an over
turning.
No one NortL or South, who honestly looks this
matter fully and fairly in the face, can fail to estimate
tie Importance of the occasion. 1t is only among the
professional demagogues, whom corrupt or fanatical
party has sent to Congress- the ambitious soldiers or
sarchedup matnets of the regular army, that its ter.
rble significance is ignored. General Wool or General
Scott would like we'll enough 10 be military despots.-
Seward would trim and wheedle forgetting that soft
and forms of rhetoric heal grievances and restore
lost confidence. Small Snug Smay may talk Of .trea-
son ON his little court in New York and better
men than he elsewhere may talk about the enforcement
of the laws without any peculiar effect that we know
Of 1t be felt that these laws will give secur
ty-that they will be equal in their provisions and in
their execution-that their forms will not be pervert-
ed SO as to eopardze the rights and insult the feelings
of whole section otherwise it is folly TO talk about
their enforcement.
Yet in the midst OF this the Republicans sit quiet
as lambs with puranical shipper upon their faces
uttering and then a at the divided South
And surely there is reason for their sneerng for
is it not strange to see the whole North united iu
policy of aggression, while it appears to be impossible
to unite the South in her own defence? Without the
Republicans come forward in good faith, no settlement
can be mace Who hopes that they will
We have heard about the conservative and friendly
character Of the city OF New York-the " Commercial
Emporium" and yet we find one Chas W. Sandford
who is said to be the Major General of the first division
OF New York Militia composed Of the city, communica-
ting to Gov Morgan of that State the unanimous pas
sage by the Division Board OF Officers of the First Di-
vision New York State Militia of resolution author
izng him (Sandford to tender their services for any
duty which the present emergency may require.
Gen. Sanford goes to state that the armed, uni
formed and disciplined force of the division is upwards
of seven thousand men-Cficers, non-commissoned eff
GERS and prvates He then goes to parade the fur
Their resources of the division. He and Gov Morgan
appear dtsrous to let the world in general and the
South in particular know the imposing force with which
New York threatens coercion.
The best portion OF the New York troops will not
volunteer to come down South, though the Board
OF officers and Gen. Sandtord should promise it. They
will pause.
Another reason of the present ul is to be found in
the fact that as is shewdly surmSed General Scott
longer wieds the baleul influence Washington that
be once did aud that his control of the President has
been checked.
Georgia is out of the Union. What folly would it
be to compare this to Shays Rebellion" or anything
of that kind The difficulty is organic, and nothing
but organic remedies equal to the emergency Mel
Their repressives paliatives will do There now
pause. Even yet good might be made of the oppor
tunity-much might be done by fairness-nothng by
threats of coercion.
There now good reasons to hope that nothing will
be done likely to produce actual collision while Mr.
Buchanan occupies the PRESIDENTIAL chaIr much as en
era Scott may chafe at his failure TO set up military
despotism But how brief the respite aud how deep
is the responsibility resting upon the party into whose
hands will pass the government of what may then be
left Of the confederacy. We may truly say that they
will soon have oil the responsibility; for, as Southern
delegation after Southern delegation goes out, the
Northern abolition preponderance in the remnant CT
Congress becomes more and more overwhelming. Let
trust that with these people, better counses may
prevail. That they will offer terms upon which recon-
struction may be possible, at least bood-shed be
avoided.
One fact is beginning to be understood, and that u.s.
that European Governments will recognize any de acto
Government formed at the South. There will be no
difficulty about that although Puritanca brethren
in other sections may have hattered themselves that
such would pot be the case. A Southern Confederacy
fairly formed will be promptly recog 1zed by France
and England.
Rg~ We see little in the proceedings of Legisla-
ure on tuesday and Wednesday, beyond souabbes over