The national Republican., 1860-11-28
THE PROGRESS OF DIsUNION SENTI
MENTS-ITS CAUSE.


Gently, however, they have remained in mea.
gre minority in every State except South Car.
olina, if indeed, they ever were in majority
even in that State. Until within some two or
three years past, the disunion sentiment at the
South was limited to class of ambitious poll.
ticians, who conceived that their chances for
olitioal preferment would be better in q new
Southern Confederacy, than in the present Fed.
eral Union. This has been the ruling cause
Of the disaffection to the Union which has pre-
vailed more or less in some Of the Southern
States, ever since Mr.. Calhoun conceived the
idea Of attaining, in a Southern Confederacy,
to that elevated position which he vainly strove
for in the Union made by our fathers. But
until recently, men who represented the prop
erty and enterprise Of the cottonplanting States,
and who were seeking to better their condition
by other means than political preferment, have
been slow to yield their sympathy and support
to mere political schemers and agitators, for
the advancement of their selfish and ambitious
aspirations.
1t is manifest, however, that within some
cotton States have been receiving large acces
sions from a new class Of citizens-those who
represent the great planting interests Of that
section. These gentlemen are, as body, in.
telligent and enterprising, and act from mo-
Tires, as much as mere politicians do. What
new motive, then, has lately brought so many
Of them en- rapport with the advocates Of dis
union? Every one knows that the election of
q Republican President is not the cause of the
great increase Of disunion sentiment now so
manifest in the cotton States. Every one
knows that this has been merely seized upon
as pretert for a secession movement which
the hearts of the people had been previously
prepared for. If some new and powerful mo-
tive had not been presented to the people Of
those States, TO induce them to view disunion
in some new light the secession movement of
1860 would have received no more countenance
from them, than did those of 1882 and 1850.
Now, what is this new motive, which has
wrought SO great change in public sentiment
Every careful observer Of the "sgns of the
times" will recognise the truth of our aver.
ment has been gaining ground in the cotton
States, ever since the proposition to reopen
the African slave trade began to be agitated,
and viewed as q measure possible of attain
ment; and that it has advanced pari passu
with the change of opinion in favor of that
measure.
The increasing demand for cotton, and the
high price Of that great staple for some years
past, has stimulated its producers to extend its
cultivation to the utmost Of their ability. The
great check upon their enterprise in this d.
rection has been the high and constantly.in.
creasing prices of negro laborers. Slave labor
being the principal ingredient in the cost Of
cotton producing, to cheaper the cost of that
labor has of course been a great desideratum
with those engaged in its cultivation. The
proposition to reopen the African slave trade
presented the only possible mode Of effectirg
this desired result; and it was only necessary
to inspire some degree of faith in the practica
bilty of that measure, to arouse the widest
enthusiasm in its favor.
A little reflection, however, satisfied every
man of ordinary sense; of the utter hopeless
ness of attaining this object in the Union. But
in a Southern Confederacy, where the reign Of
"King Cotton -" would be supreme, the measure
was conceived to be perfectly feasible. The
hope of obtaining negro laborers at one.tenth
of their present cost, was powerful argument
addressed to men who were directing all their
energies TO the extension of cotton planting.
The visions Of wealth which this prospect
opened up to their excited imaginations, did
more to shake their loyalty to the Union in
one single year, than all the appeals of ambi.
tious politicians had previously done in twenty
years. Herein, we think, lies the secret OF the
great progress of disunion sentiments in the
cotton planting States within the last two or
three years.
We sincerely believe that this design Of re-
opening the African slave trade is the most
powerful motive now operating upon the South.
ern mind, in favor of secession movement.
This view of the case affords solution of the
fact, that the Secessionists of the cotton States
do not desire the border or grain.growing slave
States to Join them, at first, in their revolution
airy movement. They want the cotton States
alone to secede, and set up a new Confederacy
which the border slave States may come into
after while. In other words they want the
cotton States alone TO have the framing of the
Constitution of the new Confederacy. They
know that a Constitution made by all of the
slaveholding States, would contain prohbi
ton of the slave trade. Hence, such States al
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, &C., whose
interests are directly opposed to the importa
ton Of slaves from Africa, are not TO be trustee