Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-06
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

AAv - AA~
On the eve OF election fifty years ago
there was but little question in Washing
ton about the result. the
Oisunion chief interest being as to
49,. the effect Of Lncoln's VIC
possibility Of the secession OF some of the
southern states. In The Star Of October
o. 1850, Il the following. indicating IN
Increasing sense OF apprehensjon:
Each succeeding day that has passed
since the late Pennsylvania election made
the probability Of tho success Of the re-
publican party IN the national election APP
parent to all has made it more and more
clear that that event is to DO speedily
followed by very widespread and danger
Gus action throughout the south. to sever
the bonds now holding the several states
OF the eonfederacy under q single govern
mens. Notes Of preparation to such an
end come to US equally from South Caro-
lima, Florida, Geofgia, Alabama, Louisf-
ana, Texas. Mississippi and. we regret to
have to add, Virginia and Ten
nessee also. They come. In the
shape of newspaper articles, EN-.
bracing demonstrations on the part Of
leading individuals and public meetings.
and prove beyond all question that very
considerable portion OF the soithern peo-
pie are prepared to risk the eventualities
Of disunion in preference TO continuing
under the government Of the United
States with the republican party In
power.
-
Nevertheless, We sincerely believe that
IL Lincoln be elected he will have II In
his power instantly to
Iincoln,S check the southern ten
r.t. dency toward immediate
OAAS"' disunion. That - to say:
By causing II to be at once everywhere
known and believed that his purpose IL
not to make an abolition OF government
OF his charge, as his eastern supporters
insist he designs doing; but, rather. the
conservative wing government. which his
western supporters for the most part
counsel The absolute necessity for the
pronunciation Of some such declaration Of
hfs purpose must already be apparent to
him. II he has duly noted the current Of
affairs throughout the south. II not, we
fear that by the 4th Of March next joint
action on the part of four or Ave states
to set up q southern confederacy will
have been matured, with all the solem-
nifty and prestige that IL can ACQUIRE
from state legislation and legally author
lied state convention action. The
current nominal southern Union party 10
almost as pOwerless at the south for
It's representative. Bell-snd- Everettism.
at the north. Lincoln's ultra-abolition
supporters are relying upon its southern
power In self-deception: We trust that
from placing any confidence IN It. We
repeat, he and he only may ward on the
threatening danger"
SO practically assured was Lincoln's
election that speculation was rife, even
before the votes were
Lincoln'S cast, as TO the compost
MI. ton Of his cabinet. In
1oAicy' The Star Of November 1,
1850, IL the following paragraph:
"A Harrisburg correspondent Of the
New York Tribune Gays it In the opinion
of Senator Simon Cameron that Mr.. Sew
ard will be offered the post of Secretary
of State by Lincoln, IL elected. This IL
in direct contradiction of what Mr.. Cor
win writes in the letter to Mr.. Hodge OF
this city, which will doubtless be pub
lished In the Washington Intelligencer,
but not until the morning Of the election
day. In that letter Mr.. Corwin not only
says that Mr.. Lincoln tells him that II
elected 1t Is his purpose to execute the
fugitive slave law at all hazards every
where throughout the north. until q bet
ter one to accomplish its purpose shall be
enacted: but also that he will maintain
the right of any future state to be adj
mitted into the Union with slavery in its
constitution, II its people so decide on
coming to frame that instrument; and also
that he will oppose all efforts to abolish
slavery in the District Of Columbia
against the consent OF its legal voters
and without run compensation to the own
srs OF slaves in the District. He further
states In the same letter that Lincoln
avows his determination to offer the post
Of Secretary of State to the Hon. william
c. Rives Of Virginia. and to call into his
cabinet Mr.. Fessenden Of Maine and Mr.
be no doubt whatever that Lincoln does
not hesitate to avow to his confidential
friends that those who expect him to aid
in the destruction Of the government by
essaying to incorporate the principles of
'irrepressible confiictism' in his admins
tration rest under profound mistake
-
The unsettled political conditions Sc
riously affected business half a century
ago, as the following
Business paragraph in The Star Of
49,. November I, 1880, indi-
1.-THE financial connection which has
prevailed In the leading commercial cities
in view Of the threatening political condi-
ton Of the country has reached Wash
ington in slight wave, just sufficient to
cause the banks to husband their re-
sources and the business men to send out
their accounts for collection somewhat in
advance of the customary periods. In this
respect the New York merchants have
furnished them q precedent, as the south
Is Just now flooded with drafts. etc. from
northern merchants in advance of tho
usual time for sending them, and which
breach OF custom is evidently attribut-
able to the fear entertained that such ac-
counts may not be collectable at all at
later period. Our Washington merchants