Year: 1861

From the Corinth (Miss.) Advertiser, Feb. 9.


Recent developments point with unerring d.
rectness to the greatest struggle yet ever fought
between the friends and enemies of the Amer
lean Union. Virginia, the mother Of our States
and Presidents, has, by an almost unanimous
voice, declared Tor its preservation, and today,
Tennessee will we hazard the opinion, follow
in her footsteps. Their action will control the
action of all the border States, IL the Peace
Conference at Washington shall settle upon
plan of adjustment That that body will agree
upon an adjustment, we have every reason to
believe, which will force upon the cotton States
who have seeded, the question Of reunion. In
considering their probable action, we must con-
suit their previous history on this point. Even
the Con ,ention Of this State, so unanimous in
its passage Of the ordinance Of secession, voted
down, by large majority, resolution against
reunion. 1fthe Convention, under the excite
ment of highly.wrought sensation dispatches,
would refuse to pass such a resolution, it is
certainly safe to assume that the people, who,
in many cases, were induced to vote for seces.
sion candidates under an assurance that they
we're not disunionists, would, by large majori
ty, favor reunion. Indeed, so conscious were
the dsunionists Of the opposition of the people
to secession, that they refused to refer the
question back for their approval.


But Mississippi-saving South Carolina and
Florida-is the most, of all the States now out
committed in sentiment against reconstruction
therefore, her citizens will the more readily
agree to reunion when Alabama and Louisiana
agitate for the repeal of their secession ordi.
nances. If for no other reason, interest, the
great prompter Of human actions, would force
them to acquiesce in the necessity and bow to
the Federal authority. OF one thing, at least,
we believe the intelligent looker.on is fully
convinced, viz: that civil war or reconstruc.
ton is unavoidable. Eren the first Levy for
the new Government has so erasperdted the al
ready burdened tar payers as to only require a
leader to induce then, 10 resist the collection of
the tar. That leader, ere long, will be found,
there can be no doubt, unless turn in public
affairs should take place; for many, now quiet
under the belief that the burdens of an inde-
pendent Government will be obviated by re.
construction, ,oiH become insubordinate ichen
hope is lost for reconstruction, and the border
States refuse to enter the Southern alliance.


In dispassionate review Of the whole field,
the mind is forced to the conviction that the
question in the seeded States will be reunion
or separate existence. That it will be intem.
perately discussed is as sure as the question is
the most exciting one that could be presented
to the voter, nor can it be disguised that the
minority party will be restive under defeat. If
the border States refuse to secede, as we think
they will, and the cotton States refuse to 20
back into the Union, strong prejudice will at
once be engendered between these sections,
laying the axe at the root of the tree of South.
ern progress, for none who know human nature
can doubt that retaliatory legislation will be
adopted by the cotton States to force them out
Of the Union, which will merely exasperate
them in return to like policy. elimination
and recrimination will be the order of the
counter legislation, paving the way to the sure
destruction of both.


If the border States had been consulted, and
had consented to dissolution of the Union,
would have given confidence, and insured the
obedience Of the citizen but today, by our pre-.
cipitate action, we have lost the confidence of
the other States, as well as our own citizens,
many Of whom consider the whole proceeding
illegal and revolutionary, and look with plea.
sure at the probable enforcement of the laws
of that government to which they claim to owe
supreme allegiance. That this is now ques.
tion in North Mississippi we think there is no
doubt, and it must grow into solid proportions
before the regular State election, this fall is as
clear.


No longer ago than last Saturday, we saw a
letter from the central part of the State, com.
planning of the States action and asking for
material aid from friends, stating that our fnan.
cial troubles, coupled with the failure of crops,
would force many of our best citizens to seek
protection in the non.seceding States against
what is considered onerous taxation.


Arkansas and Tennessee are now looked to
by those who abhor civil commotion, as retreat
in the last resort while many are forced as per
necessity, to stay and fight through the revolu.
ton, there being no sale of lands or other prop.
erty at half the original prices. These consid.
erations, the most potent, will surely bring a
crisis this summer, to be decided at the ballot
box or in blood. Mark the prediction.