Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-19
ILLTNOIs CORREsPONDENCE.
secsHaion in EEypt--The Republicans 20 be
"Viped outsu
Umos Co, m, Feb. le, 1861.

EDIroRs CLEVELAND LEADER:-Since ]
wrote to you last nothing new has trauspired
except what may be said Of the working
Of the leaven of secession. tits now very
generally believed by the Republicans here
that secret emissaries from the South are at
work among the people in order to make a
divided State when times OF trouble come
A secret organization, have recently been
informed, has been established at Jonesboro,
the county seat Of this county, whose object
is to connect the Southern half Of Illinois
with the slave States, and when one of the
members was enquired Of what they would
do with such man as Freeze, who came
from Tennessee, and Is a strong Republican,
the person answered that for his part he
would have no objections to his staying but
be lSas certain il ,pOlld not bsPsTu'ittsd It is
alleged farther, that the names and residence
of all Republicans have been ascertained,
with the view, when the time comes round
right, of "wiping them out" About six
miles from my place family of the name Of
Whitemore, of johnson county, has been re-
peatedly threatened, and a meeting was held
last week IN Vienna, the county seat, to take
measures to eEpel all Republicans, and such
is now the condition of things there, that they
20 constantly armed and sleep with pistols
under heir pillows, learn, too, that the
counties ef Johnson, Massac, Pope and Har-
din are taking steps with the view Of seces-
sion from the "abolitiOn" portion of the
State, and printed declaration Of secession
is reported as having issued from Vienna,
though | have not seen it. Mr.. Green, the
member in the Legislature, from Massac, de-
clared in open session at Springfield, that an
army from the North, bound for the South.
could only reach the Ohio river in Massae by
passing over the dead bodies of the people,
which some thought wouldn't be such bad
thing after all. When one considers that this
condition Of things exists in greater or less
degree as far north as Vsndalis, $50 miles,
and that the Republicans live in isolated
places through the whole of this region,
scarcely a settlement being without one, that
is to say, they are in the proportion as Of one
to thirty, we are to be considered as stand
ing on ''slippery rocks" It viii be impossible
for Us to make any defence unless in towns,
and if we should be attacked on our planta-
tious, all we can do is to 'spot' as many as
our weapons have barrels, and then if need
be, die. have made up my mind, that if
am warned to leave, I may have some
regard for Partlet and her chickens, but as
for myself am going to attend to my straw
berries and peaches, and when the lDipiHg out
process commences to have as much Of hand
in it as any one. The great difficulty lies in
the extreme ignorance of the people. The
STAKEHOLDER only requires that there shall be
a division; his end is then answered, for
those who have been deceived by him have
no idea that the North is full of wealth and
every kind Of resources, and they will think
they will only have to ewipe out the Re-
publieans here and the thing is done. For
instance, it is easy to prevent the North from
coming to our assistance, if they pull up the
Rail Road track; then it will be impossible
to get watchmsn and hands enough to relay
it and it is generally supposed that the cars
will not run after the 4th Of March, and that
the Company does not intend to run them,
aud much more to the same effect, showing
the truth Of the Gospel the Romsns-for in
deed there is some Gospel among the old pa
gans-that is, Hwhom the gods wish to de-
stroy ther first make mad"
Now, wish to say that 1 desire no one
will be deluded with the idea that the slave
power is weak one; on the contrlry,
wish itimpressed upon every Northern mind,
Uuar II IS Immensely strOIIl, strong IN its Ieav-
ing 40 method untried to create division, and
in its arts to mislead the ignorant, and to
misrepresent our principles. It will stop at
nothing, whether in misrepresentation, in
robbery and confscations, or at invasion and
massacre. And nothing so much favors their
plans, particularly of the border States, as
programmes and professions of compromises
md concessions, for do honestly believe
that they will not be satisfied with anything
short of total surrender Of the principles
BY which the last election was won.
It belongs to the great Northwest to de-
eide this question again, and to conclude,
either to let the slave States go and go in
peace, and whatever blessings belong to
them to go with them, or to assert the power
of the Government in manner which shall
be- at once firm and conciliatory. am per
suaded that the greater part of our troubles
exist for the want Of an energetic President,
for another Jackson.