The New York herald., 1862-11-03

THE RaxARKABLE Succession SPEECH or X
GovnRxoR MoRsHxAD, or KsNTUCKY, AT LIVER
PooL--We have already laid before our readers
In full the remarkable secession speech Of sx-
Governor Morehead of Kentucky, lately deli
vsred to Southern secession club at Livsrpool,
England, on the causes and justifcations Of our
Southern rebellion. The subject is well worthy
an elaborate commentary; but, with our hands
Just now full Of more important matters, we
can afford it only very brief notice.
Mr.. Morehead, 1t appears, during the last
week or 80 of Mr.. Buohanan's administration, as
a member Of the Border States Peace Conference
at Washington, and with some other Southern
members Of that body, had very interesting
conference or two with Mr.. Seward and with
Mr. Lincoln concerning their proposed policy
towards the Southern confederacy, which had
then already been set up at Montgomery,
Alabama, under, JEFF. Davis a. Provisional
President. 1t further appears, from MIR. More
heads disclosures of these conferences, that Mr.
Seward declared:-sIf don't settle this matter
to the entire satisfaction of the South in sixty
days (meaning after the 4th Of March, 1861.
will give you my head for football" Next,
it seems that after q long conversation between
Mr.. Aorehead and Mr.. VIM. c. Rives, Of virginia
with Mr. Lincoln, garnished with some Of tho
Presidents most pointed anecdotes, he said to the
gentleman from the Old Dominion:-"Mr. Rives,
Mr.. Riyes, if Virginia will stay in ] will with
draw the troops from Fort Sumter"
This will do for our present purpose; for
upon this point hinges the outbreak Of this
rebellion. This promise Of Mr.. Lincoln was
made in the latter part Of February. There
was nothing in his inaugural address Of March
setting it aside. The Virginia State Convention,
elected overwhelmingly for the Union, was in
session at Richmond. This promise Of Mr..
Lincoln was undoubtedly laid before that
Convention. There was fair prospect of
decision from that body against secession. But
Henry A. Wise, meantime, by circular letter.
was secretly collecting body Of secession
desperadoes at Richmond from different parts
secession. Still the Convention held out until
near the middle of April. Then the secession
authorities of Charleston having cut off theft
supplies from Fort Sumter, and federal feet
having been sent down to relieve that garrison
from famine that bombardment was opened
upon the fort which closed the door of peace
and opened wide the iron gates Of war. And
wherefore? To end the hesitation Of the vir-
ginia Convention, and to drag that State into the
rebellion; and with the aid of Wise's secession
desperadoes the thing was done. The JET
Davis conspirators at Montgomery had resolved
upon it. They did not want peace; for they were
confident and boastful that with King Cotton
and united South against disarmed govern
ment and divided North they could not only
secure their independence by mere show Of
war, but could and would establish their head
quarters at Washington.
1t is needless to pursue this extraordinary
speech of Governor Morehead any farther. We
dare say that, with all his complaints against
the government at Washington, he, as an
old line Kentucky Clay whig, would still have
adhered to it but for certain cotton plantation
in Mississippi within the reach Of the despotism
of JEFF Davis. To save that plantation from the
Sequcstration law Of the so-called Confederate
States" Mr.. Morehead, it is suspected, went
over into their service, no doubt calculating
that even with the suppression Of the rebellion
the government at Washington would be merci-
full, while that of JEFF. Davis was inexorsble.
And so, for the present, we dismiss Mr.. More
head to the consultations of the secession club
at Liverpool.