East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-10-25


the North The latter will become the
exclusive guardians of the National
integrity--a class of men who have
again and again avowed their readi-
ness to sacrifice the Union to their
schemes of emancipation"
Could a prophets pen more accu-
rately foretold coming events How
completely it agrees with the action of
the party in power.
->e>
(From the Louisville Journal, October 50
George d. Prentice's Interview with
jefferson Davis--Danger Of Seces-
sion at the North--A Most Timely
Warning.
In the course Of an interview that
we had with jeff. Davis in January,
1865, the subject Of the terms of
peace was introduced. Mr.. Davis
asked us what was the chief objection
of the North to the recognition of
Southern independence. Weanswer-
cd that the North knew perfectly well
as questionably he did, that, if she
should lay down her arms and consent
to division Of the Union into two
confederacies, she herself would very
soon be dissolved: that State after State
States single and States combinedly,
would secede, and the whole North be
split up into petty powers of no pow
ers, all of them contemptiblein the
eyes of mankind, and not one of them
willing or able to contribute to the
payment Of the national debt. Mr..
Davis replied, with his character
istic calmness, that this was certainly
true, but that the same thing would
happen, and probably happen all the
sooner, if the North should continue
to prosecute the war; We thought
at the time that Mr.. Davis was great
ly mistaken, and told him so. We
still trust that we were correct III our
estimate of the character of his opin-
ion, but Just now we can indulge in
no over-confidence that we were.
The North continued to prosecute the
war, and the South, after the bravest
and most desperate resistance known
in wars annals, was conquered. But
now come the North's trials. Now
we are to see the test Of her internal
stregnth. If, out of the dreadful
war between the North and the South
a Northern civil war arises; if North
ern armies march against each other,
vengeance before them, and blood
and death and desert behind, many
Northern States will very soon weary
and sicken of the horrid work, and
will probably adopt secession as the
surest and quickest remedy, fully re-
lying upon the mighty troubles and
perils of the federal government as
perfect security against coercion.
Most likely the Northwestern States
will 60 off first; repudiating, of course
their proportion of the public debt,
and thus piling higher the monstrous
financial burden upon the shoulders
of the remaining States. These will
have neither the will nor the ability
to bear up under the crushing weight
and so others, will secede, and then
others, till the whole North shall be
divided up into such poor little, non
debt-paying, feeble, mock-national-
tiles as a citizen of one of the Mexican
States or of the South American Re-
publics or of one of the petty, miser-
able German princ;palities might look
upon with contempt and scorn. jeff.
Davis's declaration to us as TO the con-
sequences of the war to the North, if
prosecuted, will be amply indicated,
and whatever resentments, If any. he
cherishes against the North will be
abundantly satisfied. We tell the North
yn fanatics, as a iorer Of our rhoIs coun-
tyy zoe solemnly tell them, that, unless
madness has se,zed upon their hearts and
brains, they p'N not insist on pushing the
d,ssensions Jsttceen the President and Con-
gress to the fighting point. They may
rest assured that, if the fight comes,
it will be, to them, such one as they
have no account of in either history
or tradition. They will find it an in
finitely different thing from the war
of the rebellion, dreadful as that was
throughout all its annals. They will
find themselves divided people, di-
vided almost equally, divided an d mu-
tually hostile, whilst the whole popu-
lation of the South will be unit,
able to strike for their friends or to
stand afar from the fash, the crack,
and the roar Of war, as may seem
best to them. The thick cloud now
enveloping the South may be partial
ly lifted; butnight and storm surcharg-
ed with bloody rain, will close over the
North No say to the people of the
North that very large proportion Of
them have acted and are acting most
unwisely most madly. Theirs is ..the
very error of the moon" They seem
incapable of profting either by the
South's experience or their own.
They initiate and follow the South in
the most unhappy acts she ever COM
mitted. The South, in 1861, under
took to break UP and destroy the fed
eral Constitution. She rebelled
against it. She set at naught its
provisions, and attempted TO maintain
her attitude of hostility to it by force
of arms. She failed. As graciously
as she could, she recognized the result.
She bowed to the arbitrament of war,
and has been using whatever power
and influence she possessed in support
of the Constitution she strove so fierce
ly and desperately to subvert and an
initiate. But 10! the Radical party
of the North, claiming to be an over
whelmning majority of that great Sec
ton, are now violating and defying
the Constitution even as the South
violated and defied it. No sooner
does the South give nm rebellion. than