Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-19
A Private Letter from ArinHta-Vio Of
q Manufacturer on SecessiOu.

Private Letter from AtiaHta-Views of
Manufacturer on seeeSHiOn.
Az1Izra- February 9Th. 1861.
Dearsee--You have written TO me for some
information about the Secession movement
4nd bow things are gowingon here in general.
To give ycu full account Of things, and the
causes and means by which the present move
nsnt has attained the strength it has, would
ill volume. The ides seems to be general
lmong the Northern people, land the South
eruers are trying to make them believe so, J
that theelectiOn OF Lincoln, and the p9saage OF
the Personal Liberty bills, are the cause of this
disturbance. II this was 50, why did they moi
demand the repeal Of these bills, that have so
suddenly become so obnoxious, long ago
With President inclined to Southern views,
and Southern Cabinet they oughi to have
insisted on their repeal long since, if they are
really 90 obnoxious as they are trying to make
the people believe. Not enc in ten in this
State knew such bills were in existence until
lately; one-hslf of them do not know wha
they mean. The fact is, the South have 70
years been wanting to form a Government
Of tueir own, and the election Of Lincoln,
whom the South helped elect by splitting the
Conventions at Charleston and Baltimore, is
perfect Godsend to the Disunionists They
wanted q Republican President elected, and
for that reason refused to support Douglas in
the Conventions This I know, as went to
Charleston with many of the Georgia and
Alabama delegates, and heard them express
themselves openly to that effect.
All this hue and cry got up about their
rights is only for effect Tley are not afraid
Of being deprived oftheir rights. Not a bitof
il. Did you ever know Of a Southerner that
wouldn't have his rights, and more tOo2- They
have always had what they wanted from the
North, sby bullying threats, one iway or
other? And when they see the free States
have so far outstripped them in wealth, pop
ulation, commerce, the fine arts and sciences,
and intelligence of its inhabitants; in fact all
that makes a people great and no longer dis
posed to be bullied into everything they pro-
pose, the Southern Politicians must break up
the Union. This lazy, indolent class ofpeople,
who are as thick as feas in some of their own
houses, who never make a speech or open
their mouths, unless to abuse the Northern
people, and talk about their favorite institu-
ton, Slavery; who since the formation of the
Federal Government have held two thirds Of
the public Offices in the gift of the govern
ment have cut the State into so many coun-
ties that the capitol Of this State viii no long
er hold their representatives, their politi-
clans, who are 50 anxious to serve their coun
try, because they see the powder, the offices,
gOWing out Of their control, must break up
the Union that has fed them so long. They
never would have succeeded as they have,
had the Federal Government taken the stand
It now has at the beginning OF the troubles.
Aher the election of Lincoln the people were
disposed to quietly aequiesce in the will Of
the majority, and accept him as their future
President; but this did not suit the purposes
Of the Disunionists- Something must be done
70 arouse the public miRd. Dispatches from
Washington from Messrs. Cobb, ToOmbs, and
others, came thick and fast, that South Caro-
lima, that gallant little State, would undoubt-
edly secede, and GeOrgia's only hope of ezis-
tenee was to follow her example.