The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1860-10-19
The Spirit of Disunion.

II is useless (says the Memphis Enquir-
or, to attempt to disguise from ourselves
or our readers the fact that, in the States
south of the Tennessee line, there Is dai-
" on the increase spirit which regards
with utter indifference all the consequent
ces that may flow from a separation OF
these States from the Confederacy. 1t is
openly and freely avowed by many that
the election of Lincoln will be o signal for
the disunion movement. It is not at ali
improbable that the Governors Of Missis-
sippi Alabama, Georgia, Florida and
South Carolina will call special sessions Of
their Legislatures, the moment it shall be
ascertained that Lincoln is elected. These
Legislatures will call conventions of the
people Of these States, as soon as it can
possibly be done and il is easy to conceive
that such conventions, chosen so soon af-
ter the election of so sectional candidate
as Lincoln, will be composed Of men OF
ultra views, on the political issues Of the
day. If Lincoln is elected, it would be
folly to doubt that each of these States
Just named, will, through their conven-
tions, proclaim disunion at once. The
delegates would come together, burning
with indignation at the idea of being gov
erned by such man and there would be
no time for thought, or delibcration.-
They would 'preciptate revolution" be-
fore the cooler heads of the country could
counsel with each other; and all will be
| lost.
Those who heard Senator Wigfall here,
a few nights since, will recollect that he
said there could and would be no seces-
sion without the consent of the people
that the State Legislatures would have to
be convened; that they would have to
call conventions; that these conventions
would have to propose action for the peo-
pie, and the people would have to vote
before anything could be done.
All who heard him will recollect his
clearly tracing out the part to be played
and it is part evidently well understood
by the leaders. The election of Lincoln
is to be the prime cause for the movement;
and the movement is to be made at the
moment when the popular heart is so in.
censed at the South, as to 60 to almost
any extreme, in the moment of irritation
They will count upon the sympathy, too
of all the Southern States, whether in the
movement or not; and the consequences
they will fling to the winds When the
people of five or six of the States deliber
ately determine that they are no longer
parts of this Union, that they will nc
longer obey the laws of the Federal Gov
eminent; but that they are independent Of
that Government, the patriot closes his
eyes on the terrible vision that comes W
before him. We are but men,-our breth-
rem are but men; with all the passions
and frailties OF men; and all history but
teaches q lie if the fate of madmen does
not overtake us as it has done in simila,
cases, since nations grew up, fourished
and passed away.
This is a dark picture; but we did
not place it on the canvass. We find il
there, painted by the pencil of memorable
fate. We only hold it up, that our coun
trymen may look upon it for themselves
Madness rules the hour. Party success.
and the selfish schemes of a petty ambi
ton are weighed against the paramount
good and prosperity of the country. Thi.
is present history. What that of another
year may be, is all shrouded in future
having but few rays of light.