Editorial: Disunion-How it will Work; DEPARTURE OF THE PRINCE (10/22/1860)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 10/22/1860

[Homer_J_Simpson]

In presenting some practical difficulties in the way of a successful attempt at disunion, the other day, we assumed that only six Southern States, viz.: South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi Florida and Texas, would attempt to secede. We feel warranted in this assumption by the fact that the leading politicians of the Northern Slave States have taken decided ground in favor of adhering to the Union until "an overt act" of invading Southern rights is committed by a Republican President. There is nothing in this position inconsistent with the sincerest devotion to the Union; for who will be so unreasonable, and so faithless to the principles of Republican liberty, as to maintain that the States must submit to the overthrow of their constitutional rights by the Federal Government? It is true that men may differ as to what will be "an overt act" of invasion, but an agreement in advance to remain in the Union until the Federal Government transcends its constitutional power, is all that any fair-minded Republican could ask of the South or the North. Whether peaceful secession, or simple revolution, be the "rightful remedy" of the States, is a question involving constitutional niceties which we will not now attempt to settle; but certainly no sound Republican will maintain that the States must remain passive while their local sovereignty is being overthrown, and the Confederacy converted into a consolidated despotism.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

1

2

3

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Editorial: Disunion-How it will Work – 2
Departure of the Prince– 2-3
The Harmonious Democracy – 3
The Rumored Designs of Spain against Mexico– 3

[Larry Lucido]

Good morning. Didn’t realize this was a historical thread at first.

[BroJoeK]

Interesting to notice how far in advance the moves to secession & war were thought out.
It is already understood that the Deep South will secede based on the election of Lincoln's Republicans, but that the Upper South will wait for some "overt act".
What exactly will be that "overt act" nobody yet knows, but the NY Times seems satisfied that the idea is quite reasonable.