The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-07-10
Our Washington Correspondence.

The Claim upon Portugal in the Case of the Ship
Gen. armstrong, &c. &c.
Very little attention in the North is paid, just now
to the political movements in South Carolina and
to the corresponding organizations in Georgia
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas; but
they will result, before two years over, in one Of
two thipgs-either in the election of a President
the United States upon Southern platform, or in
q combination which, before we are prepared for it
will boldly strike out into the experiment of a
Southern confederacy The Northern whig party
seems to be wifully blind to these things or ncon
celvabIy stupid not to perceive them.
The administration is in a better position for
better judgment, and the speeches of the President
and Mr.. Secretary Stuart, at tho Fredericksburg
dinrer, show that they have ceased to suppose this
Southern cry of sece ssion mere humbug; and that
they are earnestly solctous about the safety of the
Union, notwithstanding the compromises Of 1850.
The speeches Of Mr.. Webster indicate the same
misgivings. There would be no use in his repeated
exhortations to maintain, if there was universal
affection for the Union; indeed, if the Union were
perfectly safe, there would be little to be gained of
political capital or public respect, in these success
is the more serious, from having assumed form of
systematic cooperation in the South already. IL
the Presidential election does not break up this
Southern conspiracy it will extend and strengthen,
until 1t is strong enough to convene a Southern
Congress, and declare for q Southern confede-
racy.
We look, therefore, upon the approaching State
elections in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, as
possessed Of higher interest, and involving mat
tiers Of deeper moment, than all the elections in all
the other States put together IL the abstract right
Of secession is carried in all of the aforementioned
States, or in any one Of them, with a formidable
minority in the others in favor of sustaining the
right to secede as theoretical question, IL will
probably be enough for South Carolina. Let
Georgia admit the right-let South Carolina act
upon it, and secede and where will Georgia be, if
n Mt mnta fha Of
her neighbor! She will march to the support Of
South Carolina as sure as the rising of the sun.
It'll highly probable that the supe rfica area ofthe
Onion is as large can venture to IN AXE il
with any confidence Of holding it together. And
yet shall have further anne atoms of territory
to the South, slavery and all, in the Union out
Of the Union, before many years are over, by
peaceable or hostile means, and with or without
the consent and CO operation or connivance of the
federal government.
The cotton cropof the South is worth 800, 900 900
year. 1t is produced by slave labor. South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Arkansas the principal cotton
producing States. The top and bottom of their
political system is the preservation of their existing
system of slavery. In the Union or out of it, they
must stand together. South Carolina understands
it. She sees that if she moves, the cotton pro-
ducing States around her must come to the rescue
She is alienated. She is in everything but the
foims, out of the Union already. The Southern
elections Of this and fall may suffice for her
purpose. With a hint that they are ready, she will
strike. The consequences may readily be conjec-
tured And yet the Northern whg party are
making friends with abolitionism and free soil, rs
If the South, after submitting to the loss of Cali
fornia, were impotent. broken powerless, and SER
vile, and would submit to anything.
While We are gratifed at the sober and sensible
view OF this subject entertained and expressed by
the Adminstrat ion, remark, with the most natu-
raj misgvings, that all the movements Of the wing
party in the North are calculated to widen the
breach between the two sections Of the Union, and
the two sections OF the party, the North and the
southern. In Pennsylvania, in Vermont in New
York, and especially in Ohio, the official action Of
the whg party is unsatisfactory, if not actually
menacng and insulting to the South, and the wings
OF the South Ii appears rs manifest as the salts
faction Of Seward Il Co, that the policy Of the
Northern whig party for lS52, is to run General
Scott as Northern whig candidate upon North
ern platform, abandoning all expectations or calcu-
lations OF single State south Of Pennsylvania
Wcssy this Is matter OF alarm; because IL is n
great Northern movement to ALLEVIATE and deta III
the South from the Union, by an ignoble depend
ence upon mere Northern majority. Though not
likely It e possible, that such policy in the cam
pagn Of 1852 may succeed. But il il does succeed
u will, perhaps, be well to have q military man u.
The head of affairs.
The movement in Tennsy lvana, at the Lane astcr
Convention, has resulted in the DESIRE the part Of
the administration wings to know what they think
OF Scott here in Washington. "A few DAYS ago nc.
cordngly, MIR. Josiah Randall, MIR. Senator Cooper
and Mr. Hampton, of Pittsburg, came here to in
qulfe into the natter ana. we believe, they
sill in town. But from all that has leaked out the
President is num- or Indifferent. or neutral or does
not care button about 10, and intends 10 have no.
thing to say nor to do in the Pennsylvania State
election next October IL the wings succeed, well
and good If they do not succeed il will perhaps be
still better AT all events, the administration docs
not NRh to be considered as aiding and abetting
the Coercr clique against the Lewis and Levin
a. que, or rue rasd. They must manage this
business among themselves. Blu. privately and
eonhdsntany, we take the liberty 70 say, that
the defeat OF Johnston would be regarded, in
this bailiwick, as victory of the administration
And We should hot be in the least surprized f John
ston received something considerably lees than his
majority OF three hundred and forty in L. -, when
be was backed up by all the glory of Old lack,
ana al the prospects Of increased protection. II he
Is elected, the Administration must look to the
sOuth, al d TO the policy OF Union ticket for the
North and South, against Scott, free soil ecsion-
ala IN, and against the complete alienation of the
Southern states frem the Union. which must re-
SUI, IRON the success OF purely Northern ticket.
lie name OF Zen. scott Is tower OF strength
~ The North. 1t will take powerful ticket to no.
sst him but the free soil auspices und er which he
Is brought forward, IL not set aside for more en-
Iarged liberal, and national policy will be disas.
trous IN their tendencies to the restoration of the
harmony Of the Union; disastrous to an extent for
which the increduty of Northern fanaticism is not
prepared.
Gen. Scott is, no doubt, general enough to SEQ
that to surrender his position in the North without
any equivalent gain in the South, he would be a
fool We do not expect him to surrender il; but we
suppose he will adhere TO it, and let the South go
as they please, depending upon the majority in the
North to DO the business in the very teeth of the
South. IL the election Of 1852 is carried upon
such platform, one-third Of the Southern States
1856.
The Gardiner claim has only ceased to be the OK.
citement from the absence of new dsclos urcs on the
subject. We understand the President intends to
senu Gown 70 San Luis Potosi q commission to in
quire into the facts Of this singular Casa thing
which ought to have been done by the commission.
efs upon claim for 600, 900 in the very begin
else.
Among the arrivals here lately, notice that of
Mr.. samuel =. keid, jr., of Louisiana, who has
come to look after the Gen. Armstrong claim
sgainst the government of Portugal. As the great
excitement about this claim has died away sin,e
General lay Tor ordered the feet of the Tsgus TO
demand IL, lie position has been lost sight Of A
late treaty, however, provides that this claim shall
be arbitrated by some friendly power. Portugs
hss s.a~ .~lC g. l. Al 49, .-s..