Year: 1861

ASPECTS OF THE DAY.


The plunge of the Virginia Convention into
revolution, commencing with acts of aggres-
sive war against the United States, is likely to
find imitators in some Of the other border slave
States, which have, until now, resisted the epi
demic Of secession. But it is oonsoing to
know that uncertainties on this head cannot
be of long continuance, and that we shall soon
know what are to be the ultimate limits Of the
mischief


The duty of the Government is plain. The
national authority must be everywhere assert.
ed, and the friends of the Union in the re-
gions revolutionized by surprise, violence, and
terror, must be made to understand by acts,
| the signiGcancy Of which cannot be mistaken,
that this national authority is never, in any ex-
tremity or contingency, to be given up. This
policy, firmly persevered in, will save the
country.


The danger we have to confront is really
great, but by no means overwhelming in its
proportions. 1t is disorder of the extrem.
ties, rather than of the vital parts of the body
polite. Directly, it is nothing more than q
local anarchy, growing out of social character
istics which result from q domestic institution,
which, although extended in its range, is still
sectional, and not general. The mass of the
nation is sound and unaffected, although it
must suffer in its industrial and commercial
interests, from this exceptional disorder. Bot
the national authority, under our form of gov.
ernment, has so little necessary connection
with the internal affairs of the States, that we
a condition of anarchy, without suffering the
supreme national power to be lost. 1t is not
absolutely essential that mails should be car.
ried, or that Federal courts should be held.
Nothing is absolutely essential, except the col
lection of the customs revenue, and that, in
the actual condition of things, the South hav.
ing no naval power, may be collected without
the danger Of serious collisions. OF course
it will be necessary to repel attacks, if the
conspirators shall venture upon aggressive war,
but beyond that not very formidable proba.
bility, there seems to be no difficulty in main.
tanning the power of the Republic upon the
exterior line of the seeded region, and quietly
leaving the faction which agitates the interior,
to wear itself out by its own violence.


For instance, it seems probable that Virginia
will undertake this modern antic of secession.
But what then? Our command OF Chesa peake
bay is absolutely perfect, and we can collect
the revenue in spite of all the orators and dem.
agogues in Eastern Virginia. Their rage will
be great but it will be inpotent There is no
poin; where they can strike US, except at this
capt. Il, and that will be put in condition of
defence which will defy and overawe all their
attempts. And in truth, they dare not invade
US, as they know well that that would be an.
swered by an invasion, of which the first con.
sequence would be the Liberation of the slaves,
the possession Of whom constitutes their only
wealth.


In this condition of things, in what sense will
Virginia be any more out of the Union than
she has been for the last six months, or for the
last ten years?


Undoubtedly, she will be in q condition of
anarchy, bat that is principally her concern,
not ours and if the citizens Of the free States
are treated as alien enemies within her limits,
it is no new or unaccustomed thing Indeed,
If practical recognition of the Constitution
OF the United States is a necessary ingredient
in the condition of State within the Union,
the seeded States generally are no more out of
it to-day than they have been for twenty years
past 1t has never been safe for citizens of the
free States either to live in them, or to travel in
them. But, for all that, it has been the para
mount interest of the North, and is so still, to
maintain federal connection with them.


Calmness; patience; determination to main.
tain the Union, really inaexble, and so mani.
tested that the Union men of the South will
rely upon it; adequate preparation to resist any
attack which the madness and desperation OF
y the conspirators may induce them to make ;
= the collection of the revenue at all points; and
- the retention or recapture of all positions essen
tal to our national power; will probably re-
e store order in no long time, and at any rate,
. will confne what is really local anarchy to its
own proper local limits, to be dealt with by