masters, more of
their duties than of their rights. If there be separation, emancipation
will be accomplished much more quickly and more calamitously. Servile
war will break out; ultra abolitionism, to which hitherto the prudence
of the North has refused all real credit, will be no longer restrained
by the prudence of a people desirous of shunning bloody catastrophes;
sustained by the increasing animosity which will inflame the two
Confederacies against each other, it will find means of introducing into
the South appeals to revolt, and will multiply expeditions like that of
John Brown.

But let us leave these generalities, and examine nearer by, from the
stand-point of emancipation, the four or five hypotheses which we have
signalled out most plainly, and between which seem to lie the chances of
the future.

I shall examine first of all the one whose realization is evidently
pursued by the able men of the extreme South. The question is, after
having speedily gained over the North, thanks to Mr. Buchanan, to arrive
as quickly as possible at something which shall have the appearance and
authority of a fact accomplished. Audacity, and again audacity; upon
this point, the politic and the violent meet in unison to-day. It has
seceded, it has invaded the Federal property, it has trumped up a
government, it has given itself a President, it is about to have an
army, it is already attempting to represent itself officially at the
courts of the great powers.

By the side of audacity, prudence has played its part. It has taken good
care not to unfurl its flag, it has made itself small, modest, moderate,
as much so, at least, as the passions of the mob would permit; it asked
nothing, in truth, but to live honestly in a corner of the globe. Who
speaks, then, of conquests? Who would wish to re-establish the African
slave trade on a large scale? Far from being retrogrades, the men of the
South are champions of progress; witness their programme of commercial
freedom! Are there no honest men to be found in the North, to restrain
Mr. Lincoln, and to prevent him from oppressing them? Are there no
governments in Europe that can interpose, and recommend the maintenance
of peace? Is not this peace, which prevents the insurrections of
negroes, and the destruction of cotton, for the interest of all? Why
should there not be two Confederacies, living side by side, as good
friends?

It is evident that the able party tend to this, and that the