New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-09-06
THE CONCEALED D.4.NGEP OF
.9.NERIC.4.N POLITICS,

In the hearts core of American politics, Tier
are being rapidly developed some seriously dc
structive principles. They are the more dan
gerous, in their ruinous and insidious progress
because they are concealed. They are like til
hidden decay in the heart Of the strong tree
which never leaves more greenly or seems t
stand more firmly and grow more stoutly, tina
when it is thus passing away to rottenness an
prostration.
II they involved such open issues as Intervcn
tionor Nom Intervention, the Acquisition or Non
Acquisition OF Territory, Protective Tariff o.
Free Trade, General or Special plan of In
ternal Improvements, no matter with wha
warmth of controversy urged, we should lool
upon them as the necessary and not unhealthfu
incidents to a free government and find, in theil
concernment with none but purely national in
terests, confidence for the present and hope fol
the future of our country. In the common
ultraisms of the hour, we find no more cause fol
alarm than in the sores which tester upon the
most healthful bodies; and even upon the pas.
sion and tumult of our popular elections, we
think the reasonable man may look as upon tht
waves lifted by the passing tempest of the hour
ferent in their nature, more dangerous in theil
tendency and more permanent in their effects
lfact, we question if they can be called prin,
cipies at all; for, they are, after all, but thu
mere cover for the reckless bitterness of parti
sanship and On impatient lust of power We al
Jude to the ceaseless impeachment of the nation
atty Of the candidates of parties, and the per-
petual effort to place them in the position of the
most reckless Of sectional plotters Such things
must darken our future with omens of national
division and misfortune
In the canvass of 1874, two Southern states
men were presented by the opposing national
partiesa candidates for the Presidency. Hence,
and because the ngitators Of the North were
then only abolitionists, and we had not vet (by
the acquisition of Mexican territory,) opened
the door to the more extended and efficient aci
tation OF free soilism, sectionalism spoke with
feeble and unregarded voice. Editorial arti-
cles and paragraphs in relation to it were in
frequent and most ludicrously pointless Dis
tinguished orators wasted no elaborate declama-
ton upon it. The two candidates stood forward
as the chosen champions of great and distinct
principles, and not as now, two exaggerated
figures upon the dead level of party nomination,
only to be pelted with every missile of attack.
In lS48, there was some reason for a nearer
approach to the dangerous condition of things
we have now reached. The annexation of a vast
tract Of territory had given origin to the sec
tional issue embodied in the Wilmot Proviso
and quick jealousy concerning peculiar and
delicate rights was not unreasonable.
But oil questions connected with that terrific
ry have been adjusted. and now there is not even
n prospective sectional issue before the country.
Notwithstanding this fact, with no earthly ne
cessity for agitation, the effort to pivot the re-
suit Of Presidential canvass upon slavery and
anti-slayery issue, is rs untiringly pursued as
ever. In this, and in the progress of events
which have led to it, we find the great danger of
American politics. daily growing centraliza-
ton Of politics upon the institution of slavery.
Look at the illustration The close of the
late session of Congress was a fierce and unin-
terrupted course of sectional elimination ard
recrimination. and not infrequently between
members Of the same section and the same party
The Presidential candidates nominated, all Bed
lam would seem to have at once broken loose
Each party charged there had been surrender
upon the part of its opponent to the control of
deadly hostile to the South, and that
lts candidate, despite the oath of office, could
not be otherwise than false to the solemn COM
promises Of the Constitution and the laws
VI Gen. Scott it was said, that, for the sake of
power and Office, he would fully come into the
reckless views Of perjured and unprincipled |
oe to the Union; and this in the face of the
act that he was native of slave holding
state, and that he had, at Castle Garden, New
FORK, declared publicly in behalf of the Com
promise measures when their fate was yet I'M
,erta n
VI Gen. Pierce it was said, that he had openly
ayowed his hatred Of the fugitive slave law and
lis readiness to disregard its provisions. This
harge was eagerly caught up and spread
throughout the South its common sense i'm
probability was evident from the fact, that,
My few months since, Gen. Pierce secured
he defeat Of democratic nominee, because he
lad avowed himself free soiler.
Daily, mutilated extracts, deoeptiyely capital
sed and italicised words, and loose and false
eports, all referring to the eternal question of
lavery, are paraded before the public in the
most infammatory STYLE 1t has even gone so
ar, that Southern gentlemen seek to make out l
heir fellow Southrons to be allies of Northern
anatics
To what will all this leads Have those who t
indulge in what we deprecate an idea of the Y
necessary results? They certainly are not
oeaking against the wind; they expect results j; Il
hey expect these violent representations to +
btain credit with the popular mind they a
xpect to raise sectional doubts, to nurture sec
ional suspicious, to confirm sectional iealousies
md they expect all this to result in-party (
roft. Darker and more serious to our view, is c
o be the result. In this disentombing of by
'one controversy, in this grouping around the
corpse, SO wantonly and unholily resurrected,
,etty misrepresentation of our statesmen, we
zee the realization of the danger of American
sectionalism working out
certain disunion
This course is slowly but surely breeding
fever in the popular mind, rottinr away the
strength Of the American Union at the HEARTS c
,ore. In Southern men it is wild, crimina,
insane. We have right to made stout Defence :,
We have none to court ruin by provoking attack j
there are those who, for the partisan advantage
f the hour, perseveringly centre everything in
official warfare upon heyery slave holding in
y.octf how 10 bafr |