The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-11-29
The Disunion Panic.
From the New York Tribune.


From the New York Tribune.
There seems to be great panic
about disunion. We cannot, for the
life of Us, see the least foundation for
it. Our Southern brethren talk loudly
about secession, but they have done liz.
tie else for the last ten years, and they
are doing nothing more now. People
act as if disunion were mentioned now
for the first time in the history of the
world.-as if no Southern man had
ever before breathed the faintest wish
or thought of any such proceeding.
just before the election, if brokers and
their panic-stricken victims will take
the trouble to remember, there was a
very general declaration on the part Of
the South that secession should instant
ly follow the election of Lincoln. We
took it for granted that if these threats
were TO be executed, Fort Moultris
would be seized within twelve hours af-
ter the receipt of the election news,
and that the soil of every seeding State
would bristle with bayonets. Yet
week has elasped and not a solitary
practical step has been taken towards
disunion. Even South Carolina has
ventured no further than to call State
Convention, and that, too, is month
off and this has created such panic
among her own people as to compel
the suspension of specie payments by
her Banks. One United States Sena-
tor has resigned, and half dozen are
candidates for his place. A Federal
Judge has left the Bench, Ia Collector
has ceased to draw his salary, bat the
people request the Federal Postmaster
to retain his place, as they still desire
to receive the Federal mails. That's
the upshot of disunion in South Caro-
lima up to this time; and South Caro-
! lima leads the seeding host!
] In Georgia Senator looms resigns
Ibis seat-after March 4th! Iverson's
term expires then also. There's talk
in the Legislature of taxing Northern
goods, and public meeting in Augusta
numbering a hundred or TWO persons,
without property, position or influence,
have resolved to raise million of dol
lars to arm the State! That's all that
has been done in Georgia, though
good deal more has been said. But
from all the indications of public SEN
timent in the State, there is no reason
to doubt that three foorths Of the peo-
pie will put an extinguisher upon the
whole disunion project the moment it
takes any shape tangible enough to be
got at.
i In Alabama-Mr. Yancey's State
the Governor has decided not even to
issue the call for State Convention
until after the electoral votes have been
counted-which viii be in February |!
Tie Legislature has taken not single
I step towards disunion, while public
] meetings are held to resist payment of
taxes levied last winter to arm the
State.
THIS is all that disunion amounts to,
thus far, in the whole South. Not a
single Federal law has been resisted.
: Not a solitary fort has been seized.
Not vessel has attempted to ltave a
Southern port without a proper clearance
nor one to enter without paying Fed
! eral duties. The whole machinery OF
4 the Federal government goes on in
every Southern State precisely as usu-
] al. True, there is great deal of talk
LA great many resolutions-a great
many very violent and very foolish
speeches-but what of that? Was
there ever time of excitement wher
there was not? Talking never dis
solved a government. Resolutions ar.
perfectly harmless. If nothing more i
done than this towards dissolution, w
shall "keep step to the music of tn
Union for long time to come.
The simple truth is, the movemen
in the South is much less FORMIDABLE
than it threatened to be before the cleo
ton. The only danger to which tn
Union was ever exposed was from som
sudden movement, some hasty act q
rash men,, which should commit tn
South to action. Nothing of the sor
has been done. The danger of it ha
well-nigh passed. The States whic
intend to secede, also intend to do
deliberately. The whole movement
will resolve itself into Convention Z
the Southern States, and when tbs
meets the Union is safe. The Who'll
subject must then be discussed in a
its bearings, and such discussion ca