The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-05-15


Disunion Schemes South and North.
Reference has been made, within the last few
days, by sundry Northern journals, to work
called the partisan Leader" to prove that
conspiracy has existed, in come of the Southern
States, for as long period as twenty years, to
dissolve the Union. The fact, however, is, that
at different epochs, since the very beginning Of
this century, Disconnected individuals have
banded together, in both the Northern and
Southern States, for the purpose Of throwing of
their allegiance to the general government and
establishing independent State sovereignties
All such schemes have been shipwrecked, and
their originators have been covered with oblo-
guy; because the patriotic, national sentiment,
which was bequeathed to the people of the
United States by the fathers of the republic,
has retained, undiminished, its original power,
and no emergency has arisen, which the ad-
ministrations of the day, were not strong enough
to meet successfully.
being the conspiracy Of Aaron Burr. He did
not stand alone, in his plan for founding great
Southern empire. There were associated with
him many leading minds in the States south
east of the Ohio Had success crowned his
efforts, he would have laid the corner stone of
political edifce, possessing many elements of
strength, and more Of weakness, which
would have included Mexico Central America,
and the present slaveholding members
of the confederacy within its limits. Burr fell.
He was acquitted OF treason by the court
which tried him; but posterity has reversed
the decision, and his memory remains as
warning example, to what a depth the most
brilliant intellect and powerful will may fall,
when directed by Unsuitable, INSCRIPTIONS am
bition.
The war of 1872, engendered the New Eng
land secession movement, which eliminated in
the Hartford Convention. Discontents had
commenced as early as 1908, on account of the
embargo which destroyed the trade, and
crippled the public economy of Massachusetts,,
and withdrawal from the Union was openly
threatened, and privately intrigued for, by the
disaffected sufferers, instigated by demagogues,
and politicians who hoped to make future CAPT
tai out of the disturbances of the hour. Gu
riously enough, at dinner given about that
time in Richmond, at which the Madisonian
electors of Virginia were assembled, the toast
was given:-"The Union Of the States: the ma
jority must govern: it is treason to secede"
This was directed against New England; and
the loyal sentiment which existed in the Old
Dominion, contributed largely to bring into
discredit the manGuvres of the traitors who al
forwards met at the capital city of Connecticut.
The peace of 1915, overturned their Ubiquitous
projects, and, ere five years had elapsed, the
record Of every man who had identified himself
with the anti.war secession movement, was re-
garded as odious.
In Monroe's time slavery agitation arose in
sidiously, slowly, q mingled compound of ia
naticism, and false views of political economy.
Southern statesmen began, at that early day.
to speak of opposition to the peculiar institu-
ton of the slave States as baneful and aggres-
sive. No practical injury, was, however, pro-
duced by their remonstrances, and other more
prominent questions excited the public mind,
which prevented all but the extremely farsight-
ed, from foreseeng the agitations that have
since arisen. The determination of the manu-
featuring and iron producing States of the
North, to impose upon the agricultural sections
tariff, suited to their views, galvanized into
being the notification theories which convulsed
South Carolina in 1882. They, again, pointed
the forked, poisonous tongue of disunion at the
integrity of the republic; and, but for the iron
hand of Jackson, and the conciliating measures
of Clay-coercion and Cancellation combined
an era of bloodshed might have opened upon
the nation. Thanks to the patriotism OF the
people, and the wisdom Of their leaders, the
danger passed away. 1t destroyed, however,
the prospects Of those who had conjured it into
existence, and the fame they had otherwise &C.
quired was obscured by that short lived, inef-
fective treason.
jackson foretold that the slavery question
would be the next danger to the Union, in
order after notification His prediction was,
even then, in process of verifcation. Anti
slavery associations had been started at the
North, under the ostentatious protection of
Exeter Hall and the Stafford House, of which
Sir Robert Peel did not hesitate to say that
they would destroy American free institutions.
The Garrisons Tappans, Thompsons, Leavitts,
and others of the period, had begun that cru
sade against the constitution, which ended in
the proclamation that 1t was "a league with
hell and covenant with DEATH" and which
induced Wendell Phillips to exclaim, recent
ly;-"Disunion is honor, disunion is gain"
by ls4O, the party they had created, had &C
quired the balance Of power in some of the
Northern States; and 1t has worked SO steadily
onward, that Its disciples now occupy nearly
every federal office in the loyal States.
The effect Of secession fanaticism in the
North. on account Of Southern institutions,
produced the disastrous effects which are wit
messed at the present day. An organization,
of which prominent members Of Congress
formed the nucleus, was formed in Wash