Otago Witness, 4 May 1861, Page 2
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION OF 1860-61.
Mr. Andre, a gentleman who has long been connected with the American press, delivered a lecture on this subject at the Wittington Club, London, the other evening. He said the eighteen free states contained a population of 19,000,000, and the fifteen slave states had a population of 8,500,000 whites and 4,000,000 slaves and free negroes. These 15 slave states might be divided into two parties, the cotton or gulf states - namely, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas ; eight in all. The other seven slave states produced little or no cotton, and might be called the tobacco and border slave states. These were Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and North Carolina. They produced large quantities of grain and live stock, and their upland regions, east of the Mississippi, and the prairies of the Missouri west of it, had a climate favourable to the preservation of the white race in its full vigour and capabilities. Thus nature herself had drawn a line of demarcation between the cotton or gulf and the tobacco and border slave states; and he believed that if the North was wise, and let the cotton states go in peace, she would be able to prolong her connection with the remaining seven. The Carolinian construction of the federal constitution, giving each state the right of withdrawing from the federation when so disposed, wan, in his opinion, the correct one. Then came the question - would the interest of civilisation, liberty, and self-government suffers from the secession of the majority of the Southern States? He believed those great causes would be promoted by dismemberment. A confederation in which should there not be one slave would alone realise the expectations which were formed of the United States at the formation of their government. Every slave state the less would make the great Republic fairer and better, and more like such as Lafayette loved to imagine her. The less she was implicated with human bondage, the higher she would rise in the scale of nations (cheers). After some further observations, he went on to say that there was still a gleam of hope as to the result of the unhappy contest. He relied, first, on the diffused intelligence of the Northerners, and, at the last moment, lie trusted they would see the folly, futility, and wickedness of high-handed measures, and stay their hand.

Otago Witness, 15 June 1861, Page 5
South Carolina. — This state is, numerically considered, one of the most insignificant of the whole thirty-three States of America. According th the census of 1850 (and as far as the Slave States are concerned, the last census of 1860 will yield no material difference), the whole number of the white inhabitants of South Carolina amounted to no more than 274,563 ; whereas the number of slaves was 384,984. The free and slave populations of the other Southern States that are most likely to ally themselves with South Carolina are as follows :--
Whites Slaves.
Alabama 426,514 342,844
Arkansas 162,189 47,100
Georgia 521,672 381,632
Florida 47,203 39,810

These are the Slave States which, according to present appearance, are the most likely to tread in the factious steps of South Carolina ; and it will be obvious to all who look at the above figures that, in point of real power, they form but a very unimportant part of the American demo..

Otago Witness, 20 July 1861, Page 6
Alia California of 1st, 10th, and 11th May, containing intelligence from New York to the 29th April.
Fort Smith, in Arkansas, was surrendered on the 24th April to the Secession troops, The flag of the " Confederate States of America" was raised on the fort at 12 o'clock, and the firing of cannon and the cheers of the multitude. Seven hundred State (of Arkansas) soldiers were present. The stock and property taken possession of is estimated at 300,000 dollars. All Northern Legislatures that were in session have passed Military Appropriation Bills. Every town North has raised military companies. Women are enlisting as nurses. It is reported that an army of 150,000 men can be raised in the South. Southern men are still confident that they can maintain the Government of the Confederate States, and say that they can take Washington and will do it.

Daily Southern Cross, 12 July 1861, Page 4
Gen. Lane was despatched, some days ago, to Kansas, to raise three regiments of troops to go to Arkansas and retake the Government property ; also, to hold himself in readiness to meet whatever emergency may arise in Missouri. Three regiments of Kentucky Volunteers have offered their services to the Government. They will be commanded by Major Anderson.

It is understood that the Government has received from Minister Dallas an account of an interview with Lord Palmerston, the result of which justifies the assertion, that there is no indication or prospect of a recognition of the Confederate States by any of the foreign power, against the protest of the Administration. The Government is now considering the policy of constructing floating batteries on the Mississippi river.

The Missouri Legislature was still in, secret session. The military bill will probably pass, compelling all to take up arms and serve in the State milita, or pay a fine of $150. All persons are to take an oath to support the Constitution and laws of the State, and obey the Governor, or be punished for treason. It is supposed that a Secession ordinance will pass in some shape. Twelve thousand minute men are in arms in St. Louis, and more are enlisting. The State militia are encamped near St, Louis. It is reported that they have received two thousand stand of arms, mortars, and Columbiads from Baton Rouge, yesterday.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 27 July 1861, Page 3
The civil war in America, expected ever since the election of Mr. Lincoln, has now begun. The fall of Fort Sumter, reported in our last issue, was regarded , by both sides as the signal for hostilities. The news, while it created unbounded enthusiasm in the South, roused in the North a passionate desire for revenge. Immediately on receipt of the despatch announcing the evacuation of the fort, the President appealed to the Act passed in 1791, to enable Washington to suppress the whiskey riots in Pennsylvania. Under its provisions he can call for aid without waiting for Congress, and, accordingly, on the 15th of April he demanded 73,391 men from all the States not openly in revolt. He informed the State governors at the same time that the first service assigned to the force would be to repossess the forts, places, and property seized from the Union. In the free States, where the inaction of the Government had been for some time only tolerated, the proclamation was received with a tumult of applause. In New York, the most important State, both from its Southern sympathies and its wealth, the Legislature voted 3,000,000 dollars for war purposes, with only one dissentient. Li3ts were opened in the city for volunteers, and so great was the rush to inscribe names, that the police were called out to preserve order. The effect of the proclamation in the Border States was widely different. The planters there regarded the call to arms as a menace of coercion insulting to themselves. North Carolina accordingly seized the Federal forts. Virginia seceded, and declared herself a member of the Southern Confederacy. Tennessee offered President Davis 10,000 men. Kentucky blankly refused to comply with Mr. Lincoln's requisition, as also did Missouri. Arkansas openly went over to the South. Delaware, after remaining doubtful for a short time, agreed to stand by the Union. But in Maryland, or at least in Baltimore, the Secessionists were for a while all-powerful. The Massachusetts regiment was the first to move, and on the 19th April arrived at Baltimore. Here, on its passage through the city, it was attacked by the crowd with brickbats, stones, and revolvers. The regiment seems to have behaved patiently, but was at last compelled to fire, and in the scuffle several persons were killed tin each side. The mob then proceeded to destroy the bridges between Baltimore and Washington over which reinforcements were to pass to Washington. The rails were also taken up. On the same day the Virginians made an attempt to seize Harper's Ferry, the Federal arsenal, and Norfolk, the Federal navy yard. At Harper's Ferry the commandant, finding himself defenceless, piled up powder and straw in the buildings and fired them, destroying 15,000 stand of arms, and large quantities of stores. His small force was pursued by the citizens, but retreated in safety to Pennsylvania with a loss of only two men...In the South, President Davis had, meanwhile, answered the proclamation by another, granting letters of marque to Southern privateers, which again called forth a resolution from Mr. Lincoln, that all Southern privateers captured should be treated as pirates. Mr. Davis also assembled his own Congress. A loan of fifteen million dollars was subscribed in the South, and the Southern leaders threatened an attack on Washington...

Disguise it who may, the North has not as yet half realized the magnitude of its danger. As yet the war has been nothing but a pleasurable excitement to the great cities of the North ; an excuse to the young men to wear uniforms and Zouave caps (which have little resemblance to the familiar turbans of the streets of Paris), and to march, under the approving gaze of the fair, to gay and exciting music. This rebellion, which must be either quelled or consented to, demands, if quelled, very different handling. Some faint indications of more far-sighted measures are to be seen in the fact that the President, on May 3, made a requisition of all the States for 42,000 volunteers to serve for three years, and also demanded eight regiments of infantry and one of artillery (in all 22,700 men) as an increase to the regular army of the United States, together with 18,000 men for the naval service. ..If the necessaries of life are not wanting, we all know that a defensive war can long be maintained with very little money."

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 28 August 1861, Page 3
The Postmaster-General had determined to discontinue the mail service in the States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas, from and after the 31st of May.