With the secession of Virginia, there is going to be enacted on
the banks of the Potomac one of the most terrible conflicts the world
has ever witnessed; and Virginia, with all her social systems, will
be doomed, and swept away.--New York Herald, April 19.
We must also admonish the people of Maryland that we of the North
have the common right of way through their State to our National
Capital. But let her join the revolutionists, and her substance will
be devoured by our Northern legions as by an Arabian cloud of
locusts, and her slave population will disappear in a single
campaign.
A Northern invasion of Virginia and of Kentucky, if necessary,
carrying along with it the Canadian line of African freedom, as it
must do from the very nature of civil war, will produce a powerful
Union reaction. The slave population of the border States will be
moved in two directions. One branch of it, without the masters, will
be moved Northward, and the other branch, with the masters, will be
moved Southward, so that, by the time the Northern army will have
penetrated to the centre of the border slave States, they will be
relieved of the substance and abstract rights of slave property for
all time to come.
Finally, the revolted States having appealed to the sword of
revolution to redress their wrongs, may soon have to choose between
submission to the Union or the bloody extinction of slavery, from
the absence of any law, any wish, any power for its protection.--
Ibid, April 20.
By land and water, if she places herself in the attitude of
rebellion, Maryland may be overrun and subdued in a single week,
including the extinction of slavery within her own borders; for war
makes its own laws.
We are less concerned about Washington than about Maryland. Loyal to
the Union, she is perfectly safe, negroes and all; disloyal to the
Union, she may be crushed, including her institution of slavery. Let
her stand by the Union, and the Union will protect and respect her--
slavery and all.--Ibid, April 21.
Virginia, next to Maryland, will be subjected to this test. She has
seceded, and hence she will probably risk the breaking of every bone
in her body. If so, we fear that every bone in her body will be
broken, including her backbone of slavery. The day is not far off
when the Union men of the revolted States will be asked to come to
the relief of their misguided brethren, for, otherwise, the war which
they have chosen to secure their institution of slavery may result in
wiping it out of existence.--Ibid, April 23.
In advance of this movement, President Lincoln should issue his
proclamation, guaranteeing the complete protection of all loyal
Union men and their property, but warning the enemies of the
Government of the dangers of confiscation, negroes included.
If Virginia resists, the contest cannot last very long,
considering her large slave population, which will either become
fugitives or take up arms against their masters.--Ibid, April 24.
That we are to have a fight, that Virginia and Maryland will form the
battle-ground, that the Northern roughs will sweep those States with
fire and sword, is beyond peradventure. They have already been
excited to the boiling point by the rich prospect of plunder held out
by some of their leaders, and will not be satisfied unless they have
a farm and a nigger each. There is no sort of exaggeration about
these statements, as the people of the border States will shortly
ascertain to their cost. The character of the coming campaign will
be vindictive, fierce, bloody, and merciless beyond parallel in
ancient or modern history.--Ibid, April 28.
The class of population which is recruiting in our large cities, the
regiments forming for service in behalf of the Union, can never be
permanently worsted. They will pour down upon the villages and
cities of Virginia and Maryland, and leave a desolate track behind
them, and inspire terror in whatever vicinity they approach.--Ibid,
April 29.
It will be idle for Tennessee and Kentucky to attempt to escape from
the issue, and to remain at peace, while the remainder of the
country is at war. Neutrality will be considered opposition, and the
result of a general frontier war will be, that slavery, as a domestic
institution of the United States; will be utterly annihilated.--Ibid,
April 30.
The rebellion must be put down by some means or another, else it will
put us down; and if nothing else will do, even to proclaim the
abolition of slavery would be legitimate. All is fair in war...Gen.
Fremont and the other Generals must act according to circumstances,
and their own judgment, unless when otherwise ordered...If he is
acting on his own responsibility, he is only carrying out the
Confiscation Act, so far as the slaves are concerned...We have no
fear of the result.--N. Y. Herald, Sept. 3.