Year: 1861

| Bdr6arlsnl of the SlGUe POuer- Why Mt


Rebellion should be crushed.


From Fraser's Magazine for August.


1t must be remembered that the proph-


cts who p: ophecy that the American Un-


ion must split up from the mere effects Of


its excessive size, are not content with the


division of North and South. They see


the possibility of FIVE or more great states


in North America. The Western States


might, it is supposed, form one new nation,


and the States of the Pacific seaboard an


other. This vision is viewed with great


complacency in England, where the pros


peet of America divided into a multitude


Of discordant and comparatively small


States is not unwelcome. But in Ameri-
ca this comes as the death-blow to all the
dreams of great empire, and to all the


pride and satisi action which citizen
ship in one of the great nations of
the world inspires. This is a pow
erful and legitimate feeling. Every Eng
lishman would think it ridiculous if for
eigner tried to persuade him that he would
5e just as happy If England held in the
world the same rank as Sweden and Den
mark.


But this is not all. It is not merely
that if this secession takes effect the North
forsees that it will be only one of n1m-
Der of Rival States. 1t fears the effect on
itself Of the neighbors which secession
will place along its border. Mr. Russelps
letters have made clear to all the Europe
an world, what persons acquainted with
the country had long ago stated, that the
South had no elements of Free State in
it. There are no Republicans in that Re-
public. The governing class lives in the
midst of two enormous and very dangerous
subject classes, the blacks and the mean
whites, These must be kept in order, or
simple anarchy and the most frightful an
arcy will follow. The easiest way to main
tain order will be to erect despotism
and this despotisrn will not be dsspotsm
of the type known in Europe. It will be a
despotism that, to exist, must Iahder to
the worst passions of the governed. The
numerical strength Of the mean whites is
too great to permit their wishes to be dis
regarded, There are two things they pine
for-excitement, and money got without
work. The despotism that governs them
will be asked to furnish them with plenty
of wars, plenty of plumber and plenty Of
slaves. The despotism that will line the
borders of the free States for thousands of
miles viii be a despotism OF slaveholding
What more dreadful neigh
bors csuld there be? Nor is it merely
that marauding aespotism would be q
source Of annoyance and danger,
but it would be most pernicious example
close at hand. If we could imagine the
Northern Union one Of five States; if its
nearest neighhor was enabled to carry on
war and to domineer and bully by the con-
of forces which deSpotism, for
a time at least, ensures and if it had been
conceded, in one great and critical in
stance, that there is in repubicanism an
Inherent weakness which prevents its be-
ing able to carry out o great policy, or to
keep together great empire the frmness
with which the North at present clings to
free institutions, might give way, and New
York might be the capital of fifth rart
of North America, with an Emperor in-
stead of President at It's head. No one
can deny that this is not improbable re-
suit of the secession of the Southern
States, and no one can wonder that il iS
result from which the North recoils in hor-
ror and diSmay.