Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-12-07
Last Nights's Report.
LETTER EHoM SECRETARY

RICHMOND, Dec. 6.
In response 10 a request Of Nathan Tyler,
Secretary Floyd has written q letter TO the
Enquiaer giving his views at length on the
present state Of affairs in the Union. The
Enquirer has the following in regard to
the letter: Mr.. Floyd's letter deserves ad-
ditional interest from the fact that he is q
member Of the Cabinet, from whose head
has just emanated the most remarkable and
mischievous message ever sent by q Presi-
dent to Congress. Speaking Of slavery
agitation he says; The slavery question
which has been SO long and ~Wantonly per-
sisted in by Northern men has produced
. sectional alienation Ehichis about to find
its natural results in the destruction Of q
o~Onfederacy that wa voluntary in its ORR
gin and a only be perpetuated by the
voluntary assent Of lite members.
Again, speaking Of the right Of States to
secede, he says the States of the South nave
the right to seoede, not only from the very
nature Of the Federal compact but by an
express reservation on the part Of some of
them at the time Of entering into the con-
federaoy. OF the present danger he says +:
The great danger Of the present crisis ex-
lists in the fact that in our country all DO
litieal action isby q popular movement and
all popular movements during the period
Of angry excitement are from the the ma
ture Of things ultra and extreme. The diff
iculty of accommodating the differences Of
the two sections while the present snimos-
tiles continue is, therefore, almost insur-
m~ountsble. The election of Lincoln is the
result Of the ultra and violent popular
feeling Of the North against the South.
On disunion, he says, I am not for seces-
sion as long as any honorable effort can be
made to preserve the Union on a Constitu-
tiOnal basis. guaranteeing equality, justice,
and protection to the negro property of the
South.
In regard to both sections, he says, l be-
lieVe, however, that the great natural in
terests Of the country demand a reconcilia-
ton of the sections and the preservation of
the Union, and 1 rely upon the slow but
certain, the silent but potential influence
of this great agency to bring about a settle
ment Of our present troubles.
The main struggle Of al should be 10 pre-
vent q collision between the sections, and
most especially the shedding Of the first
drop Of blood. If we can but succeed in
avoiding these ~oalamities, the great prae-
teal business interests of the country may
perchanoe sooner or later bring about a re-
construction eff the Union and a restora .
ton of harmony between thu sections. Az
ter this shall be done, who can doubt that a
returning sense of confidence will be felt
by the injured and exasperatrd South, and
that peace and the Union will be restored2
Mr.. Floyd says in regard to the Empire
City and England: Twenty-Five years more
of union and harmony will concentrate the
controlling commercial power of the world
in the waters of New York. Then the de-
cline Of England becomes as certain as
was that of Alexandria and Venice, and
for the same cause. Instead Of the first she
becomes q third rate European power. But
let disunion take plsce-let civil val and
liscord distract this country, and England
well knows that the ships of the north must
rot at their Wharves, and the busy hum of
the manufactures must cease forever
Then, indeed, would England feel again
that she was mistress of the seas, without
rival, secure in a which no pow
er could ever shake.
Herein Nj. Floyd expresses my own
opinion IS follows: "The South can never
count upon the friendship of England or
of liberation Of evils not her own. Once
WithinIeach other poWershe Willfxuponus
forever the very badge Of inferiOrity which
we are now ready to receive if we destroy
the Union. To sacrifice the interests Of q
class or even to starve to death few hun
dred thousand Of her subjects in the lPuds-
Bile task will constitute a very small obsts-
Gle in her policy. 1t is a fatal error to
suppose that the interests of England would
prompt her to foster the planting interests
of the South. From the Prince Consort who
sat silently by and witnessed the deliber-
ate insult Of an American Minister by q
British Peer before the eongregated intelli-
gence Of all C~hristendom, simply because
slavery existed in the United States, down
to the Wretched Cockney, himself forty
times the slave Of self fearing circum-
stances beyond what any negro is to law,
there is not an Englishmsn who does not
in his heart sbhor slavery, if he does not
sbhor the country where It exists. England
will have margin enough to supply her
wants in cotton"
Mr.. Floyd deprecates the present state
of affairs and fsvors a State Convention.