The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-08-24
HNCoLN's ELECTIoE IN THE soUTH--THE
DIsUNIoN QUESTION.

DIsUNIoN ;QVESTIoN.
Under the above caption tho New York Her.
ald in an elaborate article, has some very for
chile remarks. The concluding portion of it
is folio -:
The admission of the whole of California in
1850 as free State destroyed the equilibrium
between the North and the South in the SEN
ntc, and made the States stand sixteen free
States against fifteen slave States The
South being thus; turned over to the mercy of
The North in both hodses Of Congress, q very
great sensation followed in The Southern
States. Thus, in 1881, the pre.existing Demo.
cratic and wing parties were superseded in
south Carolinn. Georgia, Alabama and Missis-
sippi by Southern rights. or secession party,
and m opposing Union party. The secession
lists were signaIly defeated in oil said States,
Howell Cobb, leading off with u majorityysbf
nearly 10000 But in South Carolina the iss
sue was not between Union aud disunion, but
between independent and cooperative scces.
SION. The cooperati"nists succeeded. aud us
no other States came to the rescue South Car
olna was compelled TO "wnit little longer"
The action of South Cnrolina, however. was
upon the comparative narrow issue of submit.
Ting to the destruction of tho sectional euuili
brium in the Senate 10y the admission of tCali-
fornln, giving the North in that body thirty
Two members, against thirty for the south.
Now now stands the case : Since 1880 two
more free States-Slinnesota and Oregon
have been admitted, giving the NDrth 4 Scnn-
torial majority of six. Kansas will be admit
ted this next winter, which will increase the
majority to eight. Should "lIonest Old Abc's"
administration go on smoothly, Nebraska,
Washington, Chippewa. Idaho Nevada and
Arizona will be added to tke free list, making
Senatorial majority Of twenty against the
slave States, and n majority against them Of
perhaps one hundred IN the House.
The question, therefore, Of Union or disunion
u hp S,lIf lnIx wi iti |
because the acquiescence on the7 part Of the
Southern States to his administration will soon
result in such IN accumulation oc Northern
anti. .slavery strength. lin every department of
the Government as to render any subsequent
Southern Secession mo vemcnt under nnv prov.
ocation. utterly foolish and impotent The po-
sti"n of the Southern Suites will be like that
o. the Indian States after the European peace
Of 1915. They will be put completely under
the thumb of their Northern masters. Hence
it is that there's large party i'll South GAEo-
lima ready in the event Of Lincoln's election.
to take the initiative, like Garibaldi, aud to
trust in the chances of corporation. This is
the'danger to which Mr.. Orr so pointedly re.
fers. He is q conservative and cautious man.
and does not wish to risk too rashly the chan.
ces Of a terrible civil war.
The simple truth is, that in submitting TO
I.ncoln's election. the South must be content
to prepare deliberately for the abolition of
slavery from Delaware to Texas This ia ex-
nctly what this thing nrcans. The will and
The power sill be given. with Lncoln's cleo
tion, 10 party founded upon this "onc idea"
and pledged to this work; nn,i they will do it.
Hence it is. perhaps. that We find this arpar-
ent general indifference in the South to their
own ticket of Breckenridge and Lane South
ern men like Mr.. Orr, give it up and arc cas-
ting about what to do, not to defeat, but to
meet Dir. LincolI's election. IL is enough for
them that all the Southern States will be
against Lincoln III any event. and that the re.
spons;hility of his election will rest upon the.
disordered conservative ranks Of the North.
4, Stupid, indeed. must basour managers. and
leaders of the Northerna forces opposed to Lin.
coin. If they do not know that with them will
rest the re possibility for his election, and for
the terrible consequences which may follow it.
The establishment OF the Republican party in
power at Wash Hgton will make a new epoch,
which viii be signalized either for the aboli-
tion Of slavery throughout the Union, or the
division OF the Union into TWO indepcndet con-
fedora cies with England and FRANCE, OIL the
cotton question, sustaiaiug the confederacy of
the South.