AMERICA.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 358, 29 March 1861, Page 3

AMERICA.

DISRUPTION OF THE UNION.

( From the Rome News, January 26.)

The course of events in the United States during the past month has been of a most momentous character. South Carolina has seceded from the Union, and taken up an attitude of defiance against the Federal government. President Buchanan, apparently after much hesitation, has determined to fulfil the promise he made in his message (an abstract of which appeared in our last) and to defend the forts and property of the United States. Major Anderson, who commanded the Federal troops in South Carolina, retired into Fort Sumpter, a place capable of holding out well against a besieging force. The South Carolina envoys, who had been sent to Washington, founding themselves on some pledge from Mr. Secretary Floyd, demanded that the troops should be withdrawn altogether; and Mr. Floyd, asserting that a solemn pledge not to alter the status quo had been given, required the President's permission to comply with the demand of the envoys. It was refused and Mr. Floyd resigned. Mr. Holt, postmaster, succeeds Mr. Floyd. But the significant step which has been taken is the refusal of the President to entertain the proposals of the envoys from South Carolina, his order to the navy department to send two warsteamers to Charleston, and his declaration that he will defend the State with all the force at his command. He is sustained in this course by General Scott, the great States of New York and Pennsylvania, and the powerful communities of the northwest, Mr. Lincoln's country. But lie will have enough to do. Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, have occupied with their troops the forts of the United States. Meanwhile, moreover, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida have seceded, and like South Carolina, have constituted themselves into independent republics. The quarrel thus appears desperate enough. The Times of January 24 in a leading article, o'nserveb: —" The Middle States of the Union— Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky —are the natural mediators, and are ready, it is said to accept that function. Placed as they are * between the pass and fell incensed points of mighty opposites,' it is no baseness of choice, but a providential duty, if they do what they can to preserve th-t mutual deference of which they are themselves the best examples. Parties are divided there. Neither secession nor union is carried by an overwhelming majority. In one way, indeed, the question is working itself out. Trade has already suffered considerable interruption, people not quite knowing what to be at. The most speculative genius will hardly venture to guess the ups and downs ot cotton for the next year or two. Our own speculators have been sending out millions of gold to buy every thing that is to be bought, and the only result is, that the Americans are obtaining very high prices for everything they have to sell. Thus far they have pocketed we are afraid to say how many million dollars by the outbreak, and if the northern and southern States were to make it up to-morrow, they would be able to divide a very handsome booty at the expense of the British alarmist. But it is said the present state of things has its inconveniences at Charleston, where everybody is arming, drilling, digging, and doing everything rather than work to any useful purpose, or pay wages or debts. There is a complete suspension of trade, and Charleston without trade is an animal under an exhausted receiver. Trade is the very breath it breathes. The 120,000 stands of arms, such as they are, which, thanks to Secretary Floyd, the South Carolinians are busily practising with, afford the means of a very pretty amusement, but they will neither crush into sugar, nor coin into dollars, and while they are handled every other tool must be idle, from the pen of the cashier to the pick of the navvie. So things must be going to the bad at Charleston, and the government at Washington may find it the best course to let the seceders find out for themselves the true nature of the step they have taken." South Carolina completed the formal act of withdrawal from the Union on the 20th of December. The convention of that State unanimously passed the following ordinance :—" We, the people of the State of South Carolina, in convention assembled, do declare and ordain, and it is hereby declared and ordained, that the ordinance adopted by us in convention, on the 23rd of May, in the year of our Lord 1788, whereby the constitution of the United States of America was ratified, and also all acts and parts of acts of the General Assembly of this State ratifying amendments of the said constitution are hereby repealed, and that the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other States under the name of the United States of America, is hereby dissolved." One hundred and sixty-nine gentlemen of South Carolina voted for it, and subscribed their names to it, in the presence, as we judge from the newspapers, of a large multitude of sympathisers, who loudly cheered every prominent leader as he crossed the platform to seat himself at the table for signing. The Governor of South Carolina afterwards issued a proclamation, proclaiming to the world that South Carolina is, and has a right to be a separate, sovereign, free, and independent State, and as such has a right to levy war, conclude peace, negotiate treaties, leagues or covenants, and do all acts whatever that rightly appertain to a free and independent State. Subsequently, Fort Moultrie, Castle Pinackney. the Charleston Custom-house, Post-office, and Arsenal were occupied by troops belonging to South Carolina.

The announcement of the passage of the ordinance of secession excited great enthusiasm among the people of Charleston, and it was received with an equal amount of favor in such States as Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida. The Springfield Journal, which is represented to be the organ of the President elect, had published an article maintaining South Carolina would not dissolve the Union so long as the Federal Government endured. If South Carolina neither obstructed the collection of revenue at her ports, nor violated the Federal law, there would be no trouble. "When his term of office commences, Mr. Lincoln," it says, " will know how to do his duty. Disunion by armed force is treason, and treason must and will be put do%n, at all hazards.' Mr. Lincoln is said to have repudiated the idea of a restoration of geographical lines of division.

The New York Herald of the 3rd ot January

says:—"The President's reply to the commissioners of South Carolina has just been communicated. They demanded as a preliminary step to the initiation of negotiations that the troops be withdrawn from the forts in Charleston harbor. The President positively refuses to do this, and reiterates his views in reference to the public property as set forth in his message to Congress, and informs them that he not only intends to collett the revenue and execute the laws, but to defend the property of the United States with all the power at his command. He does not recognise the commitsioners officially, but regards them as distinguished citizens of the United States from South Carolina. The policy pursued and the understanding had with South Carolina up to the evacuation of Fort Moultrie are given, and the people* of the United States will now understand what kind of pledges existed between the President and the authorities of South Carolina, and whether South Carolina will be sustained, even by the south, in taking possession of property which does not belong to her. The position taken by the President has produced the utmost consternation among the commissioners and their friends. Instructions have been sent to the commander of the steam frigate Brooklyn, now at Norfolk, to put her in readiness and be prepared to leave at a moment's warning. The question of reinforcement has not been fully determined on, but should an attack be made on Fort Sunter, a large force will be at once despatched. The commissioners have telegraphed Governor Pickens all the contents of the Presidents letter, and also that they are satisfied that the President had determined to reinforce Major Anderson. They urge upon the Governor to put the State upon a war footing, and to concentrate all his force at once. The President sent the name of Mr. M'lntire, of Pennsylvania, to the Senate to-day as Collector of Charleston. The President could not find a southern man who would accept. He will, it is understood, be sent to Charleston in a revenue cutter, and if not allowed to land he will anchor off the harbor and there collect the revenue. From the action of the southern senators to-day, in refusing to go^into executive session to confirm the collector of Charleston, it seems that they intend to resist his confirmation.

Our latest advices do not tend to diminish our apprehensions of the gravity of the crisis. From the south we receive tidings of preparations for war, and of the secession of Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida from the Union, while from New Orleans, the capital of Louisiana, and the chief entrepot of southern commerce, we receive the news that a decided majority of its inhabitants had voted in favor of disunion candidates for the State Convention. The only division of opinion which appeared to exist in these extreme southern States had reference solely to the mode of accomplishing a separation from the Union—some being in favor of independent action, while others advocated a general convention of the slave States.

In Congress the work of compromise was being attempted, though not with much hope of success. A committee of the border States (both slave and free) had agreed upon a proposition forbidding slavery to the north of 36 degs. 30 mins., but sanctioning it to the south of that line. This scheme proposes the repeal of the Personal Liberty Acts on the part of the northern States ; but suggests that fugitive slaves shall have the benefit of trial by jury, and that the Fugitive Slave Law shall be amended so as to prevent kidnapping, and to ensure the equilisation of the commissioners' fees, which are now at the rate of 10 dollars when the slave is delivered up, and only men when he is liberated from custody. Congress, by this compromise, would be deprivad of the power to abolish the inter-state slave trade, or slavery in thft southern arsenals and dockyards and in the district of Columbia; but, we presume as a quid pro quo, it provides for the perpetual abolition of the African slave trade. Seeing that that traffic is already declared piracy by the law of the United States, one failsto perceive any concession to northern sentiment in this part of the proposal. Mr. Hale, of New Hampshire, had submitted the scheme, to a caucus of Republican representatives, but they rejected it with great unanimity. There is a movement in favor of a National Convention at Philadelphia, but that appears to be in an embryo state.