Augusta County: J. D. Imboden to John McCue,
December 3, 1860
Summary:
Imboden asserts that civil war is eminent, but argues that the South cannot
secede solely on the grounds of Lincoln's election. He gives his opinion on how
the South should procede in the crisis, and discusses his financial plans for a
lumber business in Kentucky.
J. D. Imboden
1860.
Important
Dec 3. 1860
Staunton
Dear John,
My apology for delaying an answer so long to your letter in the old place of business. I have never been more engaged in my life than Since my return from Kentucky.
I read your letter with interest. We are not really so far apart as you suppose.
I understand that you are a "Union man"--So am I--You would resist
Republicanism--so would I--We neither think Virginia ought to secede--or rather revolt just now. You think South
Carolina ought to go out now, I think not--and here is the only point of
difference between us, so far as I can see. That the entire South will speedily
have to leave the Confederacy under the present Constitution I entertain no
doubt whatever, but I dont think South Carolina has
put the issue upon a defensible ground--the mere election of a President under
the Forms of law &c Hence you have a divided
South. My idea is this--regard Lincoln's election as another step towards that
sectional domination to which we never will submit if it be attained, and so
regarding it, let us go to work to prepare for
resistance when actual cause arises. Then you would be
prepared for any contingency. Then you would have a united South. But
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to break up the Government for the mere loss
of an election is not regarded by thousands as justifiable. It is regarded as a
mere pretext on the part of disunionists per se to
precipitate a revolution. You can't make the great mass of the people--
especially the non slaveholder's understand the political philosophy of our
government, and the nice principles on which the Secessionists are now
attempting to act. And there is great danger of creating a party with sympathies
for the incoming administration, here in our midst. The non slaveholder will
fight for his section as long as the slaveholder if you can convince him that
his political rights are really threatened, as a citizen. But he is not willing to leave his family
& offer his life in a struggle which he believes is a mere contest
between politicians for the spoils of office--and while he believes that the
successful party ought to have the opportunity to develop its policy. Therefore
I am opposed to immediate action. I am for preparation now--defence when the
equality of my State is actually denied.
If I had my way now, I would fight the Republicans thus--I would say to Lincoln
"You have been elected by the vote of only about
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onethird of the
people of the United States. Your party is revolutionary
in its organization, tendencies & aims. No man of your party ought to
fill any national office if it can be prevented. We--the conservative 2/3rds of
the American people still control the Senate & House of Representatives of the United States. We will use our power in those bodies to
protect ourselves. We understand your party aims at the subjugation of 15 States
& you as their head are expected to further their objects. We therefore
declare war upon you & your party as you have declared war upon us. You
shall have no tools of yours in office to aid you in your unholy work. The
Senate must confirm all your appointments to office before they are valid. Now
Sir! no man of your party is fit for any office,
because his political opinions are destructive of American liberty. The Senate
therefore will refuse--as they ought to do, being the representatives of the Sovereignty of the States which
you seek to assail--to confirm to office any man who votes for you. We offer you
the range of all other parties from which to select your Cabinet, your
ministers, Post Masters, Collectors, Attorneys, Judges &c and we will
confirm no others." If this ground was firmly taken & maintained,
Lincoln would be
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utterly powerless. It would soon be understood that
not he, but the Senate was
the real appointive power, and then no man need hesitate about taking office
under his administration for he would hold it, not from Lincoln but from the
Senate. The President would have a Cabinet to watch him & control him.
It may be said such a course would be revolutionary--perhaps it would--but it
would be under & within the Constitution. And I would go further if he
refused to submit to this control. I would defeat all appropriations of money
for all purposes whatever & thus dissolve the
government into its original elements. This would disband the army, destroy the
navy, break up the Post Office & Judiciary, and
leave each State as it was before the Constitution was adopted, Sovereign
& free. All this I would do & do speedily, rather than leave
this government in existence & organized to do us all the harm in their
power in the event of our revolt now. Hence I think South Carolina &c [unclear: mony] to go off now till these
various modes of resistance have been tried. These are mere hints on the various
points mentioned. I have not time to amplify them. But I fear revolution is upon
us. I expect Civil War before the 1st of June.
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I am ready for it, if
it comes but it will be awful in its consequences to the whole country. I shall
be ruined by it. Instead of leaving my children as I had hoped well provided for
they will be left, as I began life, poor, with the wide world before them. But
while I cant help looking at such consequences, I would face them all, loose
all, even life before I would submit to be less than the political equal of any
man who treads American soil. I am afraid the die is cast, and that no power on
earth can avert the impending ruin of anarchy & bloodshed. But I forbear
dwelling longer on this theme. If I can get the time, I will one of these nights
write you my views in full.
I have been to Kentucky and am now engaged in operations
there that would make me a fortune in three or four years, but for the political
dangers ahead. Mr. McPhail has given me 750 acres of as fine land as the Sun of
Heaven even shone upon, lying about 40 miles above the mouth of the Cumberland,
with a river front of over a mile. It is the finest timbered land I ever saw.
There is $100,000 worth of lumber on it, for staves, ship & Steamboat
building &c I ascertained while there, that nearly all the fine
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timber on the Mississippi and all its tributaries has been cut. There is
therefore an immense demand for it. The business of getting out staves for
France, for wine pipes & butts, is enormous. There are two houses in
New Orleans engaged in the purchase of these staves,
employing a capital of half a million a year. They pay for white oak staves 60
inches long 4 inches wide & 1 thick, simply split out & not
shaved or dressed $75 per 1000. in New Orleans or 70$ at
any steamboat landing above within six or eight hundred miles. I have thousands
of trees on my land that will make from 800 to 1100 staves to the tree. I have
therefore gone largely into that business. Mr. Arnall is my agent &
manager. He is now in Kentucky at work with from 20 to
25 hands. I pay him $75 a month & expenses. I pay for labour $15. a
month dry time & furnish provisions. The hands
do their own cooking. Each man is bound to get out 200 staves a day--that is my
contract with each. So that I am now getting out from 4000 to 5000. a day. I
have an ox team, which I bought, hauling them to the river bank, my own
steamboat landing, where steamers pass almost hourly as fast as they are got
out. By the 1st of April if the winter is not too hard I will have 320,000 ready
for market. In the mean time Arnall, will have me six flat bottomed barges
built, costing $130- each to take these staves to New
Orleans in April.
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Unless Civil War breaks out the Cargo will bring me
from $22,000 to $24,000 in gold. Out of this I shall have to pay expenses--say
$2500. for wages, $500. for provisions & $1000. for boats &
hands to New Orleans--leaving me $18,000 or $20,000
profit. Wages & other expenses I have to advance this winter &
it will run me to the eyelashes to raise the money. If Mr. McPhail had his
tobacco in market he would advance me $3000. in money, which sum he told me in
Kentucky he would still advance me to make up the
amount he designs for May at present. But till he
markets his tobacco, he will have no funds. It will take 20 hands 5 years to get
off all the lumber from the land. In the Spring I will erect a first clap steam
saw mill on the land to cut up the logs not fit for staves. I found in
Louisville that I could get such a mill for $2050. It will cost about $1500 more
to take it down the river & put it to work. It is then my desire to get
out ship & steamboat lumber. There is a ship yard now at Paducah 58
miles below me where I can sell it all. But when I go out there in April, I may
be able to induce the owners of this yard to put up a similar establishment on
my own land. If so it will add immensely to its value. If I live I hope in 5
years to get 500 acres of river bottom cleared & set in grass. These
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bottoms bring 2 tons to the acre one year with another--and hay is a
cash article on the bank of the river at $20 per ton. It is taken down to the
large cotton & Sugar plantations in Mississippi & Louisiana & sold also at Memphis Paducah New Orleans &c. With my land cleared and in grass,
I want no better fortune. And I think I can put it in that condition, all under
plank fence, with good buildings &c in five years, and pocket in the
meantime $10,000 a year from the lumber. Thanks to old Colonel Carrington who would never let a stick of timber be cut upon this
land, & kept on a gent on it to protect it, it is now a fortune. Mr.
McPhail has 1590 acres in an other tract 7 miles above mine, that he intends for
Nannie & Jennie, unless, as he says my success this year tempts him to
follow me in the lumber business--before the girls marry. Arnall will move his
family out there next year, if he likes the business.
We are all well. Mollie sends love to Coz Liz. We often speak of you & wish we could see you more frequently.
Yours truly
J D Imboden
Major McCue is in South Carolina to furnish them guns--His new gun is a complete success--Hurry up Dr Coleman with that Rice fee--I will be awfully hard up by Christmas--I have already sent $500 to Kentucky-must send $1000 more at Christmas--& the same amount 1st February.
