The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-11-16
The Question Answered,

The question has at length been answered The
country can no longer be in doubt as to the object
of Southern agitators. In reply TO the question
| What do yoat i0ant '-the Southern Press, their
organ at Washington City, replies
"We answer We want the Southern States to
MAINTAIN the resolutions they adopted last winter
! We want the position of the Nashville Conven-
ton maintained. We want the course of majority
| OF the Southern delegates in Congress sustained
except that vote in the House on the Texas bill
whlch-as 1t was contrary to the vote the day be-
lore, and the vote the day before that and contrary
to the position their States had before assumedwe
want sIptdENeG. We want Congress to restore to
| Iexas, in case she accepts the bill for her dsmem-
berment the jurisdiction to the coded SOIL at least
| up to SO deg. 30 min, and let Congress sell the
| land for repayment of the ten millions. We want
California divided by the line of Sc deg. 30 min,
and the portion south Of that line to have terrific
| rial government with distinct provision that
slavery is not prohibited therein and for that pur
pose let Congress offer California ten millions,
| Texas was offered. We want the act to prohibit
the slave trade in the District of Columbia repealed.
| These are substantially the measures indicated by
the resolutions of nearly all the Southern States in
support of which they pledged themselves at all
hasards and to the last ertremtty.'
Again:
| "What was meant by these demands of the
slaveholdng States Equality or secession Shall
we close our eyes the fact that the South has mn
pOlCer in the Union to maintain her rights? Does
any man pretend that she has any alternative. or
offer any, but secession to federal aggression
spoliation, or degradation ?"
How many of the things wanted is it possible
for Congress to do? One or two, perhaps and
they the least important 1t is not in the power Of
Congress to remand California to the condition in
which she was before the acceptance of her Consti
tuition. She is now, irrevocably, sovereign State
OF the union--possessng, in all respects, equal
rights with Louisiana, Georgia, Ohio, or any other
member OF the Confederacy and Congress. with
the Executive has no more power to thrust her out
OF the Union than any other State in it: nor. for
the same reason, has Congress- with the Executive,
the power to run the line of sc deg 30 min across
California and say that slavery shall exist South of
it and shall not exist North of it, any more than il
has to run line of latitude across Louisiana Mt
Baton Rouge, and to say that slavery shall exist
South of it and shall not exist North of it, And
should Texas accept the proposition of Congress
as we have doubt she has done bv an over
whelming majority-the contract will be fully con-
summated, and Congress will thereafter have no
power over the territory of Texas either to enlarge
or diminish it, or in any manner to change the
terms OF the contract proposed and accepted Both
as to California and Texas, therefore, it is mpossi.
bic to crafty the wants " expressed. This the
editor of the Southern Press knows this the en-
tire body of Southern agitators know.
But unless these wants are gratifed-unless
Congress does that which they know it is impossi-
BILE odo-the South will stand towards the North in
condition oppressed, down trodden and dcgraae9
Ihe only alternative, say they, is secession
and, OF course (for they the same) disuntou.
but even If 1t were possible to restore the condition
OF things existing prior to the assembling of the
last Congress- they say they do not expect any |
relief from Northern aggression that Congress and
the Government are in the hands Of and controlled
by, the North They ask "Can we close our
eyes to the fact that the South has 40 poorer in the
Union to main in her rights " Asserting this as
a fact they then swear: "Equality or secession :"
Is there any installing such language as this
But these agitators now intend that their language
shall not be mistaken; that the country shall no
longer misunderstood their purposes. They "want'
ilSunion-this, and nothing short oft They seek,
ind from the beginning of this agitation have
labored, by every unholy means they
Gould employ, to bring about ACKNOWLEDGMENT of !
he Contederacy--that glorious Confederacy which
vas built up by the wisdom and patriotism of our
athers, and cemented by their blood