Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-11-02
from the Progir.ss.l
MFR. Royce,S Letter.

SBoycH Nj. BQFee SpeaksWlthS caador and bold
ness rare ii revolutionary lines From the parti-
san al ses6onaIbt hsis suddenly full grown AMER
IcAN Statesman. He is the first statesman of the
South since the war commenced, who has had the
manliness to come before the public as an Amer.
ican-as national statesman-and give utterance
to national views and national sentiments daring to
tell President Davis and . tire powers that be" the
truth and the whole truth. He was, l believe, an
original secessionist At that time his judgment
was blinded BY psrtizan zeal and sectional feelings
Time and events have sobered him, and he has re-
gained his lost equilibrium. He now takes calm 4
and dispassionate view of matters an2 sees his for
mer error, and he has the manness to give ut
terance to his convictions. Such ia. imagine, the
history of his mind. 1t is the history of many
thousands of Southern minds, who have not, like
him. the nerve, the moral courage, to brave tempo
rarily public opinion and sentiment in order to
render great service to their country. .,|
Mr.. Boyce once saw no hope of preserving iber-
ty in the South but through permanent separation
from and eternal hatred of the North He now sees
none but IN reconciliation with the North. He
gives bis reasons for bis present opinions and, in
my humble judgment, they are conclusive. The
opinions which he now entertains have been enter
tanned by me from the beginning without vari-
ableness or the shadow of turning" and for the
same reasons as we'll as some others. have been
often expressed. Mr. Boyce takes the ground that
if this continent is to be divided into two or more
separate nations they must necessity become mil
itary despotisms. This position he proves from
the history Of European countries Indeed, nothing
can be more certain than that when one of the
powers SO formed establishes standing army as
permanent institution, the others must do so like
wise or cease to exist. This condition of things
evenuates sooner or later, in the formation of as
many military despotis,ns as there are separate pow
ers. It cannot be otherwise
All the governments founded upon the ruins OF
the old Roman Empire we're, very limted-in fact
very free,-England was perhaps the least free of
any Of them. They an maintained their free Con.
stitulons until the system Of standing armies was
established on the continent Then, one aftes an
other, sney became absolute, and liberty ceased to
exist on the continent Of Europe forever, except
among the mountains Of Switzerland. England,
saved byher insular situation from ths necessity of
keeping standing army, not only retained her an
cient liberties but extended them. H'r monarchy
has become more and more limited. until since the
revolution Of 1858, the Democratic branch OF her
government the House of Commons, has become
supreme in the State. If the continent of America
should DO divided into two or more independent
powers, what guarantee have we that the same con-
dition of things will not obtain that has obtained
On the continent of Europe? None whatever | In.
deed as Mr.. Boyce says the events of the last
three years prove cenelusively that such will be
the case.
But suppose there was DO danger to liberty by
the establishment of two more powers in what
was once the United States an American states man
would do we'll to ascertain whether or not separa-
ton were practicable. At the commencement of
the secession movement most of the Southern states
men, like Mr. Boyce, were too much inhamed BY
sectional hatred to calmly investigate the matter.
Now that much of that hatred has expended itself
in war, and as consequence reason is again re-
Stunning her sway, would it not be we'll enough for
u.s. since the first fury of the storm has spent ITSELF
to cast anchor, take our latitude and ascertain
where we are?
When we take q survey of the country which
resist the conviction that nature intended it to
tain but one great nation at least that it could
never be divided in the way in which it is now be-
ing attempted. Nature certainly never intend ed
that the mighty Mississippi and its tributaries should
water or drain more than one nation. Close the
Mississippi to the Northwestern States by transfer
ring its mouth to another nation, and they become
the most completely landlocked country of any con-
siderable dimensions in the world. It is not for
moment to be supposed.that the people of that Sec
ton would ever consent under any circumstances
to any such transfer In the very act Of giving
such a consent they would be signing their own
death warrant. 1t is useless to promise them the
free navigation Of that great river. They reply,
"You can give us no stronger guarantee than q
be liable to be violated rescinded whenever the
party making it shall, of its own mere volition,
choose to do So We have not forgotten how many
wars have been produced in Europe by the violation
ofjust such treaties. And, though we may have
no particular reason to question your good faith,
yet nothing can ever induce us to place ourselves
in your power" Nor can we blame them What
ever many of us may think now, there is no doubt
that we would entertain the same opinions and the
same sentiments were we living there.
Hmy premises are correct this country can never
be divided so as to separate the Northwestern from
the Gulf States, without reversing an memorable
law Of nature. That is impossible. The North
western people wiU have an outlet and even Yam
kee ingenuity will be unable to make the great river
change its course and flow Northeast to the Allan
tic The only hope, then, of permanent separation
chat can see is to induce the Northwestern States
to join our Confederacy. We must do this or this
revolution ,oiM fail. At least that is my honest
opinion. Can we induce them to join us ? THAI
! question will be answered by the way they may
vote at the coming Presidential election. My owr
opinion is firmly that We cannot There is no grea
statesman in that country favoring such move
ment who is able to control it SO rs to insure sue
cess. Vallandlgham is man of some genius, but
without the judgment or weight of character neces
sary for such undertaking. Voorhees, is bril-
liant orator of the meteoric order-nothing more
Douglass alone possessed the weight of characte,
and the ability for such an undertaking, and he il
no more. /, therefore, conclude that we have no
thing to hope from that source. In my humble
opinion the only way in which the country coult
be divided consistently with the laws of natur,
would be for the States of New York, Pennsylvani,
and the New England States to form one govern
ment, and the remaining States another, or perhaps
two others, never separating the Northwestern and
Southwestern States.
Having nothing to hope from the Northwestern
States, what are our chances for successf agree
with Mr. Boyce that there will never be any armet
Intervention in our behalf Indeed, no sane maj
now expects it. Taking it for granted that tn
Northwestern States will remain true to the North
ern government, and what the end will be, is re
duoed to mathematical demonstration. Their vas
superiority Of numbers and resources is such as t.
enable them, if not to subagate u.s. to annihiate US
unless Providence should specially order it other
wise, and we can see no indications that He will.