I  have  heard,  with  some  surprise,  for  it  seemed  to  me  idle,  the  repeti-
tion of  the  assertion  heretofore  made,  that  the  cause  of  the  separation  was
!  the  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln.  It  may  be  a  source  of  gratification  to  some
gentlemen  that  their  friend  is  elected ;  but  no  individual  had  the  power  to
produce  the  existing  state  of  things.  It  was  the  purpose,  the  end,  it  was
the  declaration  by  himself  and  his  friends,  which  constitute  the  necessity  of
providing  new  safeguards  for  ourselves.  The  man  was  nothing,  save  as  he
was  the  representative  of  opinions,  of  a  policy,  of  purposes,  of  power,  to
inflict  upon  us  those  wrongs  to  which  freemen  never  tamely  submit.
