The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-11-20
SECESSION,

oGe' 9GI@rN upon " tHe nTe eaters oi i'le
cotton states 10 advance their foolish
schemes of disunion, and from South
Carolina particularly, since the result OF
the election has been made known, have
come mp nothing but dire threats of Sc.
cession, and reports of the marching Of
minute men and the raising of the pal
metio flag. Both Of her senators, and
some OF her federal officers, have resign
ed. the latter generally exhibiting sufli-
Gent sagacity not TO make their resigna-
lions effective until the 4.h Of next
March. A convention is 10 be called to
take measures for going out Of the Uni
on, and million of dollars has been vo.
ted TO arm the militia There is un.
doubtedly strong feeling in favor of Sc
cession among the people of South Car
DINA, not newly arisen, but one of long
standing. No act has yet been commit
ted by Mr.. LINCOLN that could have
aroused the feeling, nor is it probable,
had the President elect the desire, that
he woali be able to war upon Southern
rights. Unfortunately the Legislative and
The judicial departments of the govern
ment are against him, and he is power
less to adopt line of policy unacquiesc-
el in by the Democratic Senate and
House of Representatives. There is no
excuse. then, for this cry Of secession,
except what has before existed, for no
overt act has been committed, or likely
to be committed, by the new President.
The desire for disunion was before the
election Of LINCOLN, and only uses that
result as pretext. Cotton has deter
mined to be King. inside or outside of
Tie Union. We hope it will be outside
The right of secession is not contained in
the constitution, and does not exist, but
The policy of keeping state in the Uni.
on by force must prove poor one If
the cotton states desire TO secede, let
them 30. We hope straw will not be
placed in their way. Out in the cold,
male to support their own postal system,
their own government, their own army
and navy, and with the Canada line, so
'ar as the matter Of fugitive slaves is
concerned, close by their borders, as it
soon would he. they would probably soon
sieken of their independent position.
The conservative slave states will not ioin
them. Their interests are inseparablv
connected with the Union, and they will
stay in it. They make no proposition of
secession, and if the cotton states 90 out,
they go out alone, and that will be all
of tie Southern Confederacv. In the
race Of progress on this continent they
could give US but little trouble. We say,
there fore, if they viii go, let them. If
they cannot live under the constitution,
expounaed as the fathers expounded it.
better, infinitely better, that they should
leave US than that we should adopt their
construction. The natural heart, the
conscience, of the people, never can be
made 10 consent that the constitution
shall be made an instrument for the
pa'paiaaiion and spread of slavery. If
Il has got 10 be that or dlsunion, let the
LATER come, and it can come at no better
time than the present. But we have no
be.ief that it will come There is a
strong Union element in Georgia, Ala
bana, Mississippi, and even in South
Carolina, and when the sober second
thought comes, and the people Of those
States begin to count the cost of disuni-
on, they will shrink from it. Already
the stocks of those states have sunk out
of sight, aud the bills of their banks are
reariy worthless. they are upon the
verge Of bankruptcy, and when the mon
g Is demanded that is required to arm
their militia and put in operation a new
government. they will stop and count the
cost, and soon thereafter discover chat il
vii! be perfectly consistent with their
honor 10 live under SO conservative a
President as Mr.. LINCOLN will assureJly
make
New Jersey gives part Of her cleo