Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-12-22
[Frcm the New York EVENING post.l
The Real Cause.
OPINION IN THE COTTON sTArEs-LETTER
FROM SOUTHERN PLANTER.

The following letter is from South Car
olina planter;
CHARLESTON. Nov. 9th, 1850
II is understood by most weli-informed
persons in this city, that desire for free
trade has as much to do with the secession
movement in South Carolina, as has the re-
cent success Of the Republican parry. It's
a fact worth remembering, that d deputa-
ton sent by a large public meeting ia
Charleston to Columbia, when the le0isla-
ture were in session, procured the passage
Of the Convention bin by that body. The
whole proceedings Of that meeting were tel
egraphed on The evening Of their occur
renee. One of the members Of the legisIa-
ture from this city received one hundred
and seyenty-threc kilograms in one day, be-
seeching him to vote for the Convention
bill. These facts lead most people to be-
lieye the bill as it stands, calling the Con-
vention 50 early and looking toward a sep
arate State action, would not have passed
so unanimously except for the influence OF
the city of Charleston. The interests Of
this city are for free trade, and this increas-
es her enthusiasm for Southern free
trade) Coniederacy.
Charleston hopes, in process Of time, to
rival New York. She thinks to become
the great importing city of the South
Her merchants and bankers desire Il mar. .
ket for the sterling bills drawn against their
cotton, Mt the doors of their own banks.
They Know that direct importation alone
can furnish a demand for those bills, aud
this direct importation they are bound to
have if Southern free trade Confaderacg
can bring it. The future GREATNESS Of
Charleston is thus ciphered out as perfect
ed undcra free-trade system; property bold-
efs, bankers and merchants arc the leaders
and directors of the movement For the
first time in the history of any State the
protested politicians are left behind. 1t is
fact, deliberately stated, that, with some
ono or two exceptions, our leading men
were, six months ago, much more consery-
alive than generally supposed; but they
have been carried along with the current,
and there is not now single leader ofany
considerable influence who is in favor of
delay.
ain 1923 Charleston was laggard in
the secession movement, while the rural dis
tricts were active for it. Though it was
well understood at that time how much
Charleston would gain in the event of Sc
cession, it was also known how much she
would lose in the event Of failure. So she
kept quiet while the country people ragged
and imagined vain thing Now, how
ever, the thing has been in a manner reverb
ed 1t was Charleston which moved first
this time, and the country followed. The
excitement is very general, and the State
will certainly be taken out Of the Union Us
soon after the meeting of the Convention
as the thing can be done; but the fsc' wiki
always remain that the fIee-trade people Of
Charleston viii have had a. large an infu-
ence in this as any fear Of abolitionists or
hate Of Republicans,
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Flor
ida, are all counted on as certain, and as
the only certain ones in the secession move
ment. The Northern Hd0ehotdilg States
are mol wdnted, nor did they originally en-
ter into the di,union programme. They
are expected TO 90 by themselves. They
want 4 tariff to protect their rapidly In
creasng manufactures, which the cotton
States vii. never give.
at is thus seen that there are radical
reasons for secession in the States which
really intend to sccede, outside the Repab-
lican triumph. And in these reasons, rath-
er than any fear Of abolitionsts, EXISTS NE
real strength and vitality Of the move
lnent. r