The southern press., 1851-10-22
From The Nsp York Tribune.
The Bugboar Secession.


South Carolina, it seems morally certain has
put an extinguisher on the bubble-disunion.
The signal triumph Of ECO operation"-that is,
of the party which opposes immediate secession
from the Union, and insists that South Carolina
shall consult and cooperate with her sister
States of the South with respect to their mutual
grievances and the best means Of redressing
them--is substantial counterpart Of the Union
victories in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.
There may be some secession triumphs in the
plantation parishes; but we know that the
mountain districts are almost unanimous against
secessien, and their strength added to that OF
Charleston ia decisive. South Carolina will not
secede, nor even make fent of so doing. Her
shareholders, notwithstanding all the clamor of
restless intriguers for office, are quite aware that
their slaveholding interests are decidedly safer
in the Union than they could be out of it, and
they will not be driven into secession. Her
merchants and capitalists realize that their bu.i
ness is far better and their property worth more
in the Union than they would be out Of it. And
her large class 6 T poor white men, deprived of
any equal voice in the government by her aristo-
cratic constitution, which allows small minority
of her freemen, residing in the great sayehold.
ing parishes, to overbear the great majority in
her Legislature, by Which her governor, presiden-
tial electors, &c, are regularly chosen though
these poor whites are Of little account aud have
but feeble voice in the usual direction Of her
public affairs-wil make themselves potentially
heard whenever she shall undertake to secede
from tn. Union. Notification had scarcely a
foothold in the mountain districts twenty years
ago secession is weaker in those districts now
Could the question be submitted directly to the
white freemen Of South Carolina-"Shall this
State secede from tn, Union-Yea or Nay e
we have no doubt that two thirds would
thunder out an indignant and determined No
The disaffecton is mainly confined to the great
planting districts; its tonenters are nearly all
lawyers and oflice-seekers, who deemed this the
royal road to popularity and power. But they
have grievously mistaken.
The people even of South Carolina, though
they may grumble at this or that act of Con.
gress, or exhibition Of Northern sentiment, are
to leave it. The cannon which the chivary'
have been ordering cast at liberal cosr, will be
laid by to rust in the arsenals. The Commanders
ard Quattlebums who seek glory in the tented
f,ld, must turn their arms against Cuba, North
ern Mexico, or some other foreign territory
which lies temptingly convenient 10 slavedom
The last hope of secession has vanished, and the
business of saving the Union is virtually extinct
The fate of Gorsuca, and the rescue of Jerry
have been dinned into the drowsy ears Of the
South tn no purpose. Gov. Johnston's defeat
ought, for the credit of cotton patriotism, 10
have occurred some weeks sooner. As il is, il
cannot well be made the cause Of events which
took place previously or simultaneously with
itself The Union will endure for some time
yet, because no influential party concerned in il
has as much to gain as TO lose by its disruption
Castle Garden may continue to resound with the
notes of Maretzek, rather than the honeyed
tones of persuasion which fall from the lips OF
" Little Bitters" and kindred spokesmen of the
Union and Safety Committee" 'or the peril of
disunion is no more. "Othello's occupations
gone :"
And now n word on secession in the abstract,
which has held prominent place in the discus
sions of the late summer at the South, and has
enured largely 10 the advantage of The secession
lists, who, by holding up their adversaries as de-
nying the right Of secession under any circum.
stances, have been able TO represent them rs cut
ting off the South from all chance Of redress in
case Of the infection Of unbearable wrongs upon
her by an omnipotent Northern msjority.
Whether State has constitutional right TO
secede from our Union, upon the occurrence Of
circumstances which in her own judgment rem
der such step necessary, Is question which
we will not now discuss. That she has no right,
and can have none, 70 nullify law Of the land
yet insist on remaining In the Union, was abund.
antly established by Mr. Webster in his great
debate with Col Hayne. But IL We regard the
several States a. soyerelgntles, and the Union
as q confederscy, the right 10 secede from tina,
Union in case Of the peryersion Of is powers TO
the vital injury Of one or more Of the high con.
tracing parties, would seem legitimate infer
ence from the premises.
But cur view Of the practical question strips
the abstraction Of much Of its shadowy magni-
tude and importance. Suppose a State TO be
earnestly convinced that the Union has become
a curse 20 her, and thereupon TO have resolved
10 secede from it-vh1t shall be the federal
government! Shall we call out the militia,
reinforce our SECULAR army, cast cannon, d
pour down upon the seeding State an avalanche
Of bloodshed, devastation and death Shall
We retain sister State In the Union by fire and
sword, and compel her TO send members Of Con.
gress, and seem TO be our associate and eqnal
when she is in fact our vassall We think not
RI n State, BY a decided, urquestionable MAORI
Nv Of her people, should resolve 10 quit the
Union, We should prefer 10 let her 90 rather
than retain her by military force. This Union
is not slave-pen, though il unhappily con.
tsins slave peus. II would be perfectly fair
10 insist that n seeding State should not per
init her territory 10 be abused TO detraud the
revenue laws Of the Union by smuggling, or in
any way 10 injure her neiphbors; but do not
have her retained ~ captive and n subject IL
she Is unwilling TO remain partner.
We do not believe if the door Of the Union
were held wide open, State conld be induced
TO walk out IN the course Of the next half cen.
tury. IL any did, she would he glad TO walk in
apain before she had been ont ~ years. Our
Union il maintsinei by force stronger than
foriress.walls and more impreguihle than scr.
RED ranks-.that Of enlightened selfinterest and
general security A dozen Rhetts aud jeff.
Davises could go but short way towards its
dissolution.
EXPERIMENTS IN NAyIGhTros.--Mr Watson,