April 30, 1861
The Charleston Mercury
MONTGOMERY, April 26, 1861.
The blockade of the ports of the Confederate States, proclaimed by President LINCOLN in his late Proclamation, will certainly be followed by a recommendation, by the President of the Confederate States to the Congress to meet Monday next, to acknowledge the existence of the war against the Confederate States, and to enter upon it accordingly. As it might be feared, this war is regularly blundered into. The vacillating counsels of Virginia has produced it. Whereas, had she acted promptly with the Confederate States, she would have prevented it. If you will remember, until the proposal to secede from the Union was rejected in the Convention of Virginia by a vote of two-thirds, the Washington Government was very hesitating and conciliating. The communications to the Commissioners of the Confederate States were of the most peaceful character. But as soon as that vote took place there was an immediate change of policy. They thought Virginia, and with her the Border States, were safe for the cause of the North. Military preparations immediately commenced; and it was determined to assail the seven Confederate States, and reduce them to subjection. Hence reinforcements were sent to Charleston. They never expected the Border States to leave them, much less to turn round their fiercest enemies. If they could they would now retract, but they cannot. Neither the war feeling raised in the North or South will permit it; and thus a mistake as to the feelings and position of Virginia and the other frontier States produces this war. Virginia, however, is nobly atoning for her error. She has moved with great decision in her measures to protect her soil; and having adopted the Permanent Constitution of the Confederate States, she will be represented next week in the Southern Congress. Tennessee and North Carolina will also, in all probability, be represented; and thus, the States which will have, in all probability, the chief brunt of the war to bear, will be parties to its declaration. Kentucky and Missouri are badly armed, and will linger awhile; but the appearance of troops at Cairo will soon awake up the spirit of that martial people. The effort to subdue the fifteen Slave States of the South will, of course, fail; and it will accomplish that most desirable of all results–the formation of a Slaveholding Confederacy. War, it is to be hoped, will raise such an antagonism between the Slave States and the Free States as to end this peril.