New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-04-17
TALK WITH A sECEssTONssT
MADISON, Fla, ID April, ls6

MADISON, Fla.i 30 Aprlr lS6l
To he Editor Of The ~ y. Tribune.
SIR: Your paper exercises very large influence
among your brethren the Abolton.s Of the NOah and
think you would In presenting truth In refer.
the South you might do good for them.
The States that have seeded from the United States and erect
cd separate for themselves win reunie with
tho Abolition States under any circumstances They cannot be
cOerced bach. Do you not believe this!
separate Governments IL be for the interest of the Alb
clifton States 70 h.ra the secedng by continuing hold
possession Of the fort and threatening TO collect the
board war; The people here kHo they cuno. DO either
and tina: they dare not attempt II.
II ensue do the Abolition States any OF In
them think such would end 10 their adyen,rgei In
any event would ruin hemi II the Lincoln Admin
sion continue undecided do you yourself not De-
ey- tina, Commerce based upon Cotton win depart from the
NORTH Cannot the South supply herself from Europe with
such manufactures she has heretofore procured from the
North And win ale no. do TT
Witnessed yeerds de Of troops from this part OF
tho country Pensacola The cell Instantly met BY much
largo, force required kroT the material and know,
tina. such cannot no vsnquished and knor, i16e
more that. Of actual every able bodied man In this
country will rally tho hgsud so Of all the seeded States
Il Is the widest sbsurdy to dream Of coercion or reconsir
ton II the Lincoln Government in good faith acknowledge
the Government Of the Confederate States Of America and sur
renders up all the property within their eminent domain and
otherwise demeans ie respectfully and fairly toward the
ssveholdins Government cities aud people will be en-
sbcd to do fair business with tho South other
wise may make ready DO without altogether say
what know, ard know what | cay.
OSg WHO Is yoR FAN DEALING AND TRUTH.
Reply:
Mr.. ANONYMOUS: Ii is the general rule Of
this, as of all well conducted newspaper estab.
llshments, to burn without reading the communal
cations of persons who withhold their names;
but you are entertaining, and make an excep-
ton in your case. For you are amusing if not
instructive, and l am inclined to hold chat
with you, masked though you be, and unciv as
Won try to be. The tone and the pOstmark of
your letter unite in proving you FlOridian and
a Secessionist, and as such deal with you. So
them
/. You insist that shall treat Secession as In
accomplished fact, and one not TO be gainsayed.
But begin with the question Of right. What
ri9M has Florida TO secede from the Union
That Union bought her of Spain, and paid good
money for her; it has spent at least Fifty
Millions in defending her from Indians, and
finally driving the savsges from her soil; it has
laid out millions more in erecting fortresses q
great navy.yard, and lighthouses upon her soil.
There has been no year when the Union has not
expended in protecting her, carrying her mails,
&C., many times the revenue derived from her.
Now you claim that she may secede from that
Union whenever it may be her good pleasure to
do SO. l dony 1.-THE Union denies it-does not
c. mmon sense boot at i'll Is there on earth
respectable authority on Public Law or Govern.
ment that has ever affirmed or countenanced it
challenge you to produce one such You know
there ia none The basis of your action would
reduce q nation to the level of o herd Of bufa-
loes or mass meeting.
ii. But deny that your State has really Sc
ceded. If Secession were right, its exercise
should be based on the most explicit and unques-
tionable manifestations of the public will. Your
Ordinance of Secession should have been submit
ted to a direct vote Of your People; so should
your Confederate Constitution. Why was this
not done in either case You know well that
your movement would have gained immense
strength from such submission had the popular
vote in your favor been anything like unanimous.
You know that your leaders have been taunted
urged. dared to risk such submission, and have
not done it-that in no State but Texas has
there been even prstense of submitting the Or
duauce of Secession, while in no State whatever
has there been submission of the Confederate
Constitution. Your leaders knew beforehand that
non. submission would be regarded and treated by
their antagonists as confession that the popular
sentiment was really against them; they are gen.
orally bold men; yet they shirked or spurned the
ordeal which Calhoun ~ Co. brayed in 1882.
Can this conduct have but one explanation
Understand, then, once for all, that We Of tho
loyal States deny that you on the Gulf have really
seeded even were Secession right. 81
III. You seem TO think the North u to DO