unable
to forget that, by the act of the South, without reason or pretext, the
glorious unity of the nation has been broken; that the star-spangled
banner has been rent in twain; that the commercial prosperity of America
has been shaken at the same time with its greatness. Let one of those
incidents then occur, that are constantly arising, a Southern slave ship
stopped on the high seas by the North, a negotiation of the South
threatening to introduce Europe into the affairs of the New World, and
directly hostilities will break out.

What they will be in the end, I scarcely dare imagine. If the planters
are forced, at present, to mount guard day and night, to prevent the
insurrectionary movements that are constantly ready to break out on
their estates; if many families are already sending their women and
children into safer countries; what will it be when the arrival of the
forces of the North shall announce to the slaves that the hour of
deliverance has sounded? It will be in vain to deny it; their arrival
will always signify this in the sight of the South. There are certain
facts, the popular interpretation of which ends by being the true
interpretation. I have no doubt that the generals of the United States,
before attacking the Southern Confederacy, will recommend to the
negroes to remain at peace, and will disavow and condemn acts of
violence; but what is a manifesto against the reality of things and the
necessity of situations? There is a word that I see written in large
letters everywhere in the projects of the South--yes, the word
_catastrophe_ is to be read there in every line. The first successes of
the South are a catastrophe; the greatness of the South will be a
catastrophe; and, if the South ever realize in part the iniquitous hopes
towards which it is rushing, the catastrophe will acquire unheard-of
proportions; it will be a St. Domingo carried to the tenth power.

One cannot, with impunity, give full scope to his imagination, and, in
the year of our Lord 1861, set to work to contrive the plan of a
Confederacy designed to protect and to propagate slavery. These things
will be avenged sooner or later. Ah! if the South knew how important it
is that it should not succeed, if it comprehended that the North has
been hitherto its great, its only guarantee! This is literally true; a
slave country, above all, to-day, needs to be backed up by a free
country to ensure the subsistence of an institution contrary to na