The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-01-24
no Coercion.

Nc Coercion
Since the question of secession has been
agitating the country, no point has been more
persistently urged by the secessionists them
selves and their northern Democratic allies and
sympe thizers, than that coercion could not and
should not be used to compel States to remain
in the Union. The evils of civil war, the tyr
amy of compelling an unwilling people to re-
main in a Union hateful to them, has been de-
picted in glowing colors. 1t has been frequent
ly urged that the best government in the world,
becomes tyranical and oppressive ween exer-
cised over an unwilling people. This has the
semblance of truth, and has no doubt infuen-
ced the Federal Government in some degree,
in its dealings with the traitors and insurrec-
tionists. But the secessionists themselves have
not acted on the same principle with their own
people.
A few ambitious, political demagogues from
Southern States have set up the cry of seces-
sion on the pretence that they were afraid that
the rights and privileges of Shareholders might
be invaded by a Republican administration
These few politicians took it for granted that
they could carry the people of their several
States along with them, and therefore assumed
to act for them or rather Independent OF them.
We of the North, and the officers of the gener-
al government took the biusterings of these
demagogues as the voice Of the people, and
forebore to act, as tho exigency of the case
would otherwise have suggested The politi-
clans of South Carolina have agitated the
question of secession longer than those of any
other State, and its people accustomed to pas
sive obedience to the dicta Of these lifelong
political leaders, took it for granted that seces
sion was their only salvation, and when called
upon to elect delegates to a secession Conven-
ton, did so without questioning the why's or
the wherefores twas not strange therefore
that the ordinance of secession was passed al
most unanimously. No thought of submitting
the ordinance to the people was tolerated.
Georgia and Alabama politicians thought
they could do as well as their South Carolina
compeers did. They called conventions, and
the form Of electing members to them was gone
through with, hut not much more than half the
voters of either STATE took any part in the cleo
ton. The conservative Union loving portion
of the inhabitants to a large extent, would
take no part in what they believed 20 be trea
sonable proceedings. OF course, under such
circumstances, the seceasionists had a major
ity in the Conventions and the secession or.
dinances passed with small majority. In the
Alabama Convention the Ordinance was pass
ed by mea gre majority of % out of 100 mem
bers. These % members refused to sign the
Ordinance unless it be submitted to the PEG
pie for their approval or rejection This the
majority refused to do and Alabama secession
at present is at q lock. TIL ere is talk of coer
cling the people of Northern Alabama into Sc
cesion, whether they wish TO or not,
In Mississippi a similar state of things ex
lists. Over so 0O0 voters refused to vote fol
members of the Convention, and even then on
ly small majority of the Convention was in
favor of secession. and yet they talk of coer
cling the people there into the measures of the
secesssionists,
The fact isthere is and has been Il misunder-
standing of the real facts. The great major.
ity of the people of the Slave States, are not
anxious for secession. They have no cause
for secession, and if allowed 10 speak for them
selves, would pronounce against it. The great
cry has been against coercing a state tie remain
in the Union. Nobody wants to coerce state
The individuals who have committed treason in
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama Mississippi
or Florida are not states, but they are persons
Arrest those persons and punish them for the
high crimes they have committed against the
laws Of the country, and there would be nc
necessity of coercing States to remain in the
Union. If the voice of a few tories had been
taken as the decision of the colonies, there
would have been no revolution and no United
States. The tories and traitors were coerced
into the Union, and hundreds of thousands of
their descendants have had occasion to bless
that coercion, and so it will be one hundred
years hence if the present seceders, traitors and
tories are dealt with as they should be.