New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-11-12
TIE DOnDER STATES.

TIE BORDER STATES.
The position ol these States in the War and
their influence on il will form one Of the most
afilucnt subjects for the historian who writes oil
the Rebellion. He will record the fact that,
while every one Of them, except Delaware, was
o, the beginning practically part OF the Rebel
Coniedelacy (yet not one OF them thus by far
election of the inhabian,s), before tho close Of
the war they al returned 10 the Union
and joined in crushing the Rebellion. Tie
neutrality" they prolessed to assume was only
cloak over secession purposes, and was never
a position taken by the people in the sense III
which il was put forth as the attitude OF tie States
And there was a show Of excuse ior tie pco-
pie. If none Tor the leaders. Connect
Ell a. they were with the South by uc
OF neiehborhooi, community Of blood and
interest and having the bond Of common
possession of Slavery, tEo hesitation oi The Boz
der sta,cs Wa, natural, though mistaken. X
uc,ancc to 'aAo up arms against those they
considered poc,la.iy their brethren-doabt as
10 the night. and stronger doubt o. 20 The suc-
ce.s. OF n cocTcivc po.icy--ioar lcsi hey should
b., The victim. Of the fury Of both seetors-ali
had their influence. Hence they temporHeds
and hoped IA move the war either NonA"""
or Southwark. bur failed in both. The out-and-
ont stand Of loyalty which, if taken at tho
start. would have saved them, was MOI taAen
and they have paid very dearly for IT, where
slavery was m.lde.t aud least firmly rooted,
where the Union wa. mo. valued Of the whole
South where Secession found least favor, and
n. the greatest distance from the birthplace az
The Rebellion, jut there 1t Wa M s'enon'iy
dccrccd that The war should be T@sed' iAe
interior OF South Carolina, and Of son.'e oil tAe
Gulf s,ata ha- been q, free from the pre-. ence
OF war n this state has; while me
Border States, comparatively inrocent,
have been the battle-ground. The policy
they adopted brought on them the very fate
they trul to avert the war has swept over
them like fire. but IL has been their dcliyeiance
after all, for i, has burnt OUT ihe conprom. ing,
shuillinr, timid Union sentiment which pre-
fercd the Union, but not above all other
things. and has brought out instead the
brightest and most genuine loyalty. At tIst, /
tie Border States were positive barrier to the
prosecution OF the war, they would lot help, I
and they did hinder. They did no, with our
armies to come upon their soll their politicians
must be consulted, their wishes and prejudice
allowed full weight; and for time no measure
connected with the war could BE- proposed
without a deal OF doubt here aud there rs to
what tie Border States would think OF L.. They
were our military Mrs. Grundy. This Wa 7
especially true in respect TO tie Emancipation
Proclamation. Tie most strenuous argument
were put forth that il would ALLEVIATE forever The
Border States, and add them at once to
the Rcbcllion but 1t was issued, and did
not result 20. Those States came between
the two fires which they had dreaded; but rs
the War went on Union men were taught tho
meaning Of the Rebellion, and now II is the most
wonderful Of all fruits oil the War, that those
very States are not only heartily for the War,
but also heartily for the Proclamation. They
are fierce against Slavery, recognizing il as the
'"hnp va 'h' 'uir hhu ui' iH'b N'uiihH w biA'
point Of extcrmiuatng it root and branch, with
out waiting for the Proclamation to operate,
aud without troubling themselves about COM
pensation, if only they may thrust away their
curse. And hereafter, whatever becomes of
the institution further South, the banks of the
Ohio so fur as the Border States are concerned,
will have been brought down to the line Of the
Missouri Compromise. Missouri has taken one
step by her Emancipation ordinance, temporz-
ing though it was; Delaware will probably avail
herself Of compensated emancipation for her
eighteen hundred slaves worth less than mil.
lion and half Of dollars; West Virginia is hos
tile to the perpetuaion of Slavery; Maryland
has lately declared for emancipation; and Ken
lucky is moving in the same direction. Yet in
tho four States Of Delaware, Maryland, Ken
lucky, and Missouri, there were, in 1860, AGO.
3O3 slaves, worth not far from $l3O, goo, OOO or
nearly onc.thrd the total wealth Of those States.
With Slavery removed. there axe w States in