American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1862-05-30
From the London Morning Herald, -Ndrea H.
Foreign Extracts.
THE MERcURIAL TEMPER AND FOOLISH AIMS
oE THE NORTH.
OF THE NORTH.

OF THE NORTH.
The shirts of the American people go
IN and down as suddenly and as unac-
countabiy as the mercury in our English
barometer. Now they are down to zero,
then again at ferver heat. Some time
ago we were told by correspondent II
New York, himself an apt type OF the
American character, that the spirit OF
the people was broken.
x
With the news of past and the pros
pect of future successes the people OF
New York are now ravipg in delirium OF
10Y. That a real fort has been taken, With
real curs, and some thousands of live
prisoners, is such joyful intelligence for
these long disappointed citizens that they
cannot contain themselves for gIee, or
give adequate expression to their intox-
icating sensation of triumph. When they
heard that Fort Donelson was taken, all
caps and wide awakes went up into the
air together, the guns fred salyos and
church bells rang merry peals, Union
flags wer sported from every win
dow, Hail Columbia. shouted from n
myriad Of tEroats. made most disc ordant
melody. every body danced with delight,
shook every body's hand. asked every
body 70 liquor. Surely it is hardly dignl
fed in a great nation, or one that pretends
to be great. to put itself out in this way
about a matter that, after all, is of sec
ondary importance. Do these Americ 4 Us
need to be reminded of the good advice
once given by an old poet to bis country
men, 10 maintain an equal mind in ad
versity, and in time of prosperity to es
chew an insolent joy" or of the vernae
ular proverb which reminds US, in more
homely language, that it is time to con-
graduate ourselves when we are out of
their difficulties Are they really a
whit nearer to the end The capture
Of fort on the Northern frontier of one
Of the Border States does not, of course,
give them the command of the South,
W hich is just as far from being conquer
ed as ever. We do not deny that the
campaign is being pushed forward with
most commendable vigor in the West.
But suppose the very most is made of
this first triumph-that Tennessee is
overrun, Mississippi invaded, Memphis
carried by storm, and the victorious army
pushed on through the swamps to New
Orleans supposing that the army of
| Beauregard coming to the rescue is de-
feated, that city after city opens its gates
to the conquarerS, and the naughty Gulf
States are left to the mercy of the NORTH
what then ? This is the question what
next? Are the Southerners likely to re-
gard the Northerner5 with more good
will for having achieved their humilia
ton What kind of an army will it re-
quire to keep up an armed occupation
throughout a country of such immense
extent? Rejecting as preposterous the
notion that the South can be forcibly re-
annexed to the Union after the manner
of a conquered country. we may ask in
what fashion is it's return to be effected
Even in consideration of its most extrav-
agant demands being granted, in return
for concessions which would be equiva-
lent to its fruits of victory, the South is
not likely to re;race its steps voluntarily
after the bitter seed of hatred has been
infused betwixt it and the North. It's
consent to reconstruction can only be
wrung from it in extreme exhaustion and
despair. Of what value is a pledge that
is given under compul>ion, and what
kind of citizens are they likely to prove
who enter into the pact with thirst for
future revenge? No one could suppose
that such union would last for day
beyond the time necessary for the re-
cruital of its worn out energies by a coun-
try which bad acquiesced SO unwillingy
in a fellowship forced on it by others.
A Federal Union of sovereign States, a
part of which has been forced into the
compact by another part, is SO trans
parent an absurdity. such contradiction
in terms even, that it can only have sug-
gested itself TO people that has become
blinded by its passions, that is bewilder-
cd IN the mazes Of most extraordinary
Ignorance. Yet this is the doctrine, in
the enforcement of which we are told
that the Government of America has al
ready expended four hundred millions
sterling