The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-02-06
The Southern Address.

We publish this morning the address OF the
| Southern Members of Congress to their Constitu-
| ents," drawn up by MIR. Calhoun and adopted by
majority Of the delegates. Our readers are aware
that we have from the beginning doubted the WIS.,
dom of holding the Convention, and expressed our
fears that its abors would be productive of real
benefit, but might lead to positive evil. This ap-
| prehension has been justified by the result. The
Convention has shown the want of unity in feel
ng-of harmony in action among the leading men
of the South, upon question which, if it be of
any Importance at all, is OF the deepest. 1t cannot
be hoped that the opinions the interests Of the
South should be respected by those who honestly
believe that slavery is all evil and ought by any
means 10 be abolished, nor yet by those VINO make
of this abolition agitation to subserve purposes
of personal ambition party ascendancy, if in the
very crisis of fate the hour of imminent danger
and severest trial, there is no accord among
selves. This crisis, il is asserted, is now come
Yet The Southern representatives-men who have
been selected from among the whole people as best
qualified to defend, and most worthy to be en-
trusted with the defence of their rights and inter-
ests-have made the discovery that they cannot
even unite upon SO simple matter as an address
upon the questions at issue. When the Geographic
reports reached us that Mr.. Calhoun and Mr.. Ber-
rien had each made report that the one of Mr..
Calhoun had been adopted, and that those who
favored the report of Mr.. Berren would not sign
the other, we had supposed that there was some
marked difference between the two, and that the
one adopted contained matter of dangerous if not
of reasonable import, which would justify refusal
to sanction it on the part of patriotic Southern
men. We confess, however, that we can see no
great difference in the facts the reasonings OF the
two; and nothing so very alarming in the one
finally sanctioned by majority Of the Convention.
The paper itself is a very unpretendng statement
of facts, showing the manner in which the plain
provisions of the Constitution have been directly
and indirectly set at nought by the action or refusal
10 act of the Northern States the injustice done to
the citizens of the South by the attempt TO extend
the provisions of the ordinance of l7S7 over all new
territory the assault upon the institution of slavery
in the States, concealed avowed, by the move
ments now being made in relation to its existence
in the District of Columbia; and the danger to the
rights, property, and even lives OF our citizens,
from the forced emancipation which will inevitably
follow the continuance of this system of inimical
measures. There is nothing in the address which
is not true-and the truth is expressed in a manner
neither harsh nor offensive. After the detail Of
grievances, it recommends nothing but spirit Of
unity among the Southern peope--a unity not
found among the representatives themselves-with
the hope that by presenting an undivided 'front.' the
North may be induced to pause in its career, and
desist from its violence and aggression. In this
there may be something ludcrous, coming from
divided representation, but there is nothing, most
aSsuredly, dangerous. The recommendation is a
MIA an which cOuld
produce no evil if carried out, but one which we
imagine will make little more impression upon the
constituency than it did upon their representatives.
There has been ami there is, no union of senti-
ment among the politicians of the South. They |
have played with this question o. slavery for party
purposes, until they have endangered the whole |
system. The people are united in feeling, but they
are separated by party names, and kept asunder by
party leaders, and they will, we fear, never be |
brought into united and harmonious action until |
such action shall have become useless. We say
these things with regret, but they truths which
may as well be iold-truths demonstrated by all |
past history, and by nothing more clearly than by |
the action of this Southern Convention itself, and
by the in which its proceedings are viewed
by this that party, by the friends Of this that
prominent leader. Lovers Of the Constitution and |
the Union. earnest prayer is that both may be
perpetual-that our people may observe the one |
and preserve the other through all coming time
But the Union was created by the Constitution,
depends upon it for its vitality, and must cease to
be when the bond that connects it has been broken
The way to save the Union is TO guard the Consti
tuition from infacton, to preserve every article and
clause of it inviolable. A united firm and peace.
full stand taken by the people of the Southern States
would secure this invioability. The great body |
of the Northern people, friends of the Constitution
and Union would side with us in such a course |
the fanatics, contemplate in numbers and weak by
cause of their own rashness, would assail US in |
vain-and politicians who make trade of agita- |
tion, would cease from an Improbable employment |
But divided as we are and have been, the work of !
aggression will go on till grievances are too |
enormous for endurance, and our numbers have |
become too few for peaceful, and our power too
small for forcible, resistance.