The Shreveport weekly news., 1861-08-26


! The London Star comments freely
on Mr.. Lincoln's message, and shows
it small favor. The Times is courte-
Gus and cautious, but nevertheless
closes its review with these signif-
cant words: when we prefer 1.
frank recognition "of Southern inae-
pendence by the North, to ''the poll
cy avowed in the Presidents mes
sage, sit is solely because we fore
see, as bystanders, ".hat this is the
issue in which, after infinite loss and
humiliation. the contest must re-
suit"
Cores Advertisers remarks are 50
pithy and pointed, as we'll as brief.
that we subjoin them
Perhaps no great battles may. be
fought, but the war will not be the
less disastrous On that account, end
the continuous blockade of the South-
ern ports will inAict a blow On the
commerce Of the world, the effects Of
which may be felt for many years to
come. The main question which
presses for our immediate considera-
is, how long can that blockade be
enforced? This, to us in LAnca-
shire, is u most momentous question.
and it would afford us not . lit
tie satisfaction, if we saw our way
clear, to say that the blockade could
not possibly be enforced beyond
the close of the present year.
Since the commencement Of this
American difficulty our editorial trum-
pet has given no uncertain sound.
Our sources Of information have sup
Piled us with early and reliable ,ns
telligence of what was passing on the
other side of the Atlantic, and we
therefore aatter ourselves that our
words will have some little weight
with the commercial community, and
especially with those who are most,
deeply interested in the prosperity
of the cotton trade, when we warn
them that dearth of cotton, such
as was never experienced in this
country in any previous period of its
history, may overtake us in the course
of the next six months, unless our
Government awaken to sense Of
the awful consequences which would
flow from such an event, and insti-
tute more active measures than any
which it has hitherto employed to in
duce the United States Government
to yield to fate and acknowledge the
independence of the Confederate
! States 1t must come at last to this
! We can see no other solution Of the
difficulty:
The Northern States have the pow
er to proleng the war indefinitely.
The Southern, if defeated in the
field, cannot be finally, subdued. The
folly of the contest thus waged is
consequently apparent to It's in En-
gland as the folly of that contest
which We waged with our American
brethren towards the close of the last
century was to some of our then
wisest statesmen. Nations, however,
are not wiser now ; the passions of
men, when once lashed into fury, are
not more easily calmcd. Now, as
then, Notwithstanding the rapid pro-
gress of civilization, Notwithstanding
the visions of universal peace indul-
ged in by some harmless enthusiasts
despite the uplifted voice Of reason
and religion; despite, too, the gene
! rally resistless pleadings of self-in.
terest-now, as then, there are periods
of national excitement, and one oi
, these is at this moment passing owe,
the North American continent, when
the pruning hook is transformed in.
to a spear, and the plowshare bea.
ten into the sword. At such a mo.
ment it is vain to hope that "the
f still small voice" of reason can hush
the storm Of passion, or that even
: religion can rein in the fiery steedi
of war.