, 1862-03-28

IL would be Tlo1Ation Of common his
torical precedent il the Southern revolution
against the authority Of the Government
should be terminated without change,
probably violent and bloody change, Of
the rulers BIZ which it was inaugurated.
When, in the history of any people, re-
stra1nts Of authority are once thrown of,
disorder, commotion and blood, involving
the original authors Of the movement, fol-
low each other in. natural and logical Sc
quence- The records of all nations.
the most advanced in civilization
as well as the lowest Of those whose
annals are preserved for the instruction
and warning Of mankind, are full Of the
proofs Of what we say And was a knoWl-
edge Of these that impe1led Mr. Stephens Of
Georgia, the Vice President Of the man
selling Republic, to utter that solemn and
emphatic admonition in one Of his speeches
before he was swept sway BY the current
which has overborne nearly ali loyalty in
the South. We have not his speech at
hand, and cannot quote his exact words;
but we well remember the prophetic ear
nestness with which his warning Was ut
tered @Reme1nber," said he, "before you
"precipitate this thing upon us, that those
"who begin revolutions rarely complete
them! Remcmber!' The sentence,
gleaned from the studies of the clos
ct, hence foreign to the frothy
and windy defamation in which
it is the habit Of Southern orators to in
du]ge, tell without effect upon those to-
whom it was addressed It was concise
summary Of the results Of wide historical
reading; hence was not adapted to the
market in which it was offered.
But The growing discomfort in the
minds Of the masses Of the South,
with the mal~adninistration Of
their Confederate affairs discomfort
which the news Of counter revolution in
Virginia will be s11rc to .leighten and ex-
asperate,-wm call it to the recollection Of
all the thousands who. read or heard it;
and its author, though he may die the
death of a rebel, will, in his fate, clinch his
right to be named as prophet.
If the telegraph does not lie, the Grimm
ations and recriminations in which the
rebel leaders, civil and military, have in
dulged, have eliminated in armed resist
ance to the primary revolutionary
power, and secession from the sece-
ders, rebellion against the rebels
revolt against the revolted, has already be-
gun. It is what has been expected. All
careful readers knew that that was the in
evitable tendency Of events, and that they
had only to wait until defeat had shorn Da~
yis:nd his cabinet Of their prestige, OF until
thepressure oftaxation had been heavily felt,
to see this realization Of what they looked
for with al the certainty that analogy and
parallel could give Once begun, we may
not predict where this new movement
will stop. The people Of the South, nat
urs1ly sanguina1y if not brave, excited to
madness By the fate which nnpends, in
famed by old animosiGes against each
other, and BY new hates that the.war has
developed, are in the mood and condi-
ton to stop at no half measures
The first flow Of blood, if to that it comes.
will be the signal for scenes that the world.
unless We seek for precedents in the Reign
OF Terror, will not be able to parallel. We'd
not care, save that common humanity
makes us shrink from the consequences
which s1ayeholding ferocity can infiict up-
on those with whom it contends, how
soon the throat-cutting begins. 4. reyo-
luton that had in its beginning
no higher object than the unrestricted en-
joyment of the "right'' to steal, buy, sell.
whip, and brand men and women, could
have no more fitting termination than
that which is foreshadowed. Let Robes
pierre and Couthon lead HerLert and
Danton to the gui1lotlne as soon as they
please; OF, rs that humane instrument Is
not the fashion where men are tied to
the stake and burned, let the duel,
the street fight, the gouging, the way
side assassination, and other methods
Of which the enlightened chivahy boast.
be means by which the work Of extermina-
ton Will 60 On. Go it, Davisl Pitch in
Floyd The world will look on, if not with
admiration, at least with happy content!