The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1861-01-03

make little account Of platforms, which /.
are not read by one in a thousand
The people act from their own views
The facts above mentioned offended the
conscience Of the people Of the North, .
and the condemnation Of those acts was
the whole signifcancy Of their vote,
first for Fremont and then for Lin
coin. In this Condemnation thev have
the concurrence of probably nine-tenths
Of all the intelligent people in the
country, for it is one Of the infolicities
of the necessary existence Of parties in
a free Government, that men are often
obliged to sanction acts which they per-
sonally condemn Notwithstanding.
however the general disapprobation of
the measures referred to- such is the
disposition at the North to concede ev.
erything to the South for the sake Of
peace and party predominanco, there
is little doubt that the election of Mr..
Lincoln would have been defeated had
.it not been for the split in the Demo
cratic party at Charleston. The nomi-
nation Of sectional candidate at the
South and another at the North, ne
cessitatod the defeat Of the other candi-
dates who had some claim to stand on a
national basis. Such is the view Of the
political causes of the present alarming
state Of the country, taken by the great
body Of the people of the North
/ They refer it to the action Of the dom
inant party during the last six years
Whether this is a correct view of the
case is not the question. It is enough
that this is the view which has detormin-
ed and which interprets the action of the
North. 1t is important that this should
be understood, in order that the state
of the public mind should not be mis-
apprehended and misinterpreted.
The special supporters of the present
administration, or the leaders Of the
dominant party, of course seek for 9th
er political causes of the present agita-
ton of the country. They deny that
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise,
or the action Of the Government in the
Kansas question, or even the division
Of the Charleston Convention, is the
cause Of The difficulty. They throw the
responsibility on the opposers Of those
measures. They say that if the policy
of the administration had been acpui.
esced in, as a true regard for the inter.
est of the country required, there would
have been no interruption Of the pub
lie peace.
1t is not, however, the political as
pect Of the cas-, that we propose to eX
anime. tits more important to turn
our attention to the question, What are
the grounds on which the cotton grow
ing States advocate the dissolution Of
the Union?# or What are the reason,
why they desire to socede? These rca
sons are two, very different in their ma
ture and in their effects. The one Il
the conviction that they would be mort
prosperous in a separate, indePenden
coniederacy, Their pecuniary interests
they think, would thereby be great,
promoted. The other reason is, the al
legged aggressions Of the North, which
it is said, not only Justify secession, bu
render that measure necessary for th
preservation Of the rights and safety of
? the South. The former reason proba
/, bly, determines the action Of the leader
in this movement, the latter sways tn
p popular mind, and by the ezasperatior
: Of feeling which it excites, under tn
] sense Of injustice and apprehension oi
: danger, furnishes the motive pOwerT
: That the leaders of the secession move
g ment are Influenced by the conviction
d that secession would promote the pros
e pority of the cotton States, has beer
e openly and frequently avowed 1t i
% said they would not only be rclieve
I from great national burdens and from
commercial restrictions, but their re
. sources would in every way be increas
e cd. They cast their eyes on Cuba
G They see that that noble island is ren
e derod secure by the iealouses Of 9th
p er nations. France will not permit il
20 acquisition by Great Britain, and Grea
e Britain will not consent 10 its passin
s under the dominion Of France. Nei
{ thor France nor England would be sat
C isfed to see it in the hands of the Uni
p ted States Thus se'uro from foreig
S aggression, its productivenoss and il
o geographical position would render il
70 iu a pecuniary point Of view, one Of th
o most prosperous portions of the globe
p were IL not for the enormous drain up
p on its resources made by the demand
h of Spain. AS it is, it has few rivals /
e pocuniary prosperity. What is to hin
10 der the cottsn States, it is asked, fror
It occupying a similar position? Cotto
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