Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-12-10
From the N. Y. Independent.
South CaroIinn and s-erpssinn.

South Carolina fell into "A state Of chronic
idiocy on the subject Of secession about thir-
" years ago, and has continued ever since in
a condition Of hopeless imbecility. Her case
is beyond any other treatment tuan that of a
strait,jackeJ and a rigid diet Of bread and
water. She is perfectly In earnest in her IA
wings and is determined to go into the cold and
starve, or 10 break things to pieces in a dread
full ma ner II she is prevented. When her
condition is thus rigntfully apprehended, it
will alsn be seen that she is only dangerous
so long as she is kept inside, and not permit
ted TO have her own way, Let her go; a
large black MN, bigger than herself stands
ready 20 receive her with u straitjacket the
moment she crosses the threshold, and free
trade and direct taxation are a diet that will
bring the blood away from hes brain and re-
duce her system TO that condition that she
may by-and-by, in Gods good time, recover
her reason. If she is determined to rid the
rest Of the family Of her presence, they will
be delivered from a very p~estilent and noisy
member, who, TOR more than a quarter OF q
century, has done nothing but break the peace
OF the whole household.
Now if this be u true statement of her case,
and it certainly is, why should any threat of
the secession of such a State disturb the com
merce of the whole country South Carroll
ma contains about as many white people as
the city Of Brooklyn, probably does not con-
tain so much wealth, certainly has not so
much intelligence, and is not Of more conse-
quence to the Unien-we mea- no d]isrespect
TO Brooklyn-than that city. Undoubtedly
she has some foreign commerce and some do
nestle trade, but its percentage UPON the
whole trade and commerce OF the country is
so small, that its loss would hardly be felt
should she be cut loose from her sister States,
towed out into the Gulf Stream, and anchor
ed to a raft to drift for evermore from zone
to zone. We are exaggerating nothing, and
setting down naught in malice. The industry
of a State containing only about Z 5000 white
people, supported by $50, 900 black people,
who are fed upon three pounds of bad bacon
and a peck OF corn a week, and whose entire
clothing does not cost $40 a year each, cam
not by any possibility, even we had no Stats
tics 70 verify the fact be of any great moment
to a great iourishing, and energetic nation
Of 40, 900, 600 of people. She may 60, and
the great West will produce not a bushel the
less Of corn and wheat, not a pound the less
Of pork and beef not a wisp the less Of hay
and our great East-and-West railroads VIII
have not a pound the less of produce to bring
to market; -she may 60, and not a spindle
the less will whirl in Lowell or Lawrence =
she may go, and not a sail the less will dot
the harbOrs OF the North;-she may 90, and
not a mouth the less will be filled in all the
wide Union beside, not Il dollar the less be
paid to all our millions who labor with their
heads or their hands. All this is capable of
arithmetical demonstration. In the Union
she does little, with her smell population,
more than half of whom are unwilling pau
per laborers, while the other section are de-
pendent upon these for the few necessaries
and the not many luxuries Of life they are
permitted to enjoy. Out of the Union she
viii d. less, for all of the trade she now does
that comes to her from bordering States will
find its way to Savannah and Mobile, and the
little cotton she raises she will be glad to send
to market in the ships than will take it quick
est and cheapest. So little reason have we
to fear OF disaster and loss TO the commerce
aud trade Of the country from the secession
of South Carolina. 1t is marvellous that the
threat of such an event. such IA mere misap-
prehension Of danger" should so blind men
to the dictates of common sense"