New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-09-08
Go m mu Mo ted i.
TO THE HON. J. P. BENJAMIN. g

Il nj n
written by you few days since and published in the
belong the american party Of Louisiana and as an
humble member Of that party feel aaerjsyed for some 81
the sentiments Of that letter do not fss searieyed from
the fact Of your having taken ground against u.s. but for
foreigner because had heard you state to nnmber Of
your former political friends when ii was as.rtsd bst
the Democrats would object to your taking seat in the
United States Senate that were prepared to show
that you naturalzed by the acts 81 yonr atber
under old law Of Congress- therefore was prepared
| to learn that you could not with the American
party 1.-THE basis of whose Organization Ia onnns;,in ~
foreign influence and against placing or retsinpS foygn
srs IN high pontlcas once-out sir, not prepared
for the Misrepresentation and aspersons in N
the principles and motives Of large number Of feI
ow-ctzens, known as the American party of Louisiana
and with whom you know that four-ffths Of vanr
political friends are in active cooperation Had nom
when you were addressed by your friends stated boldly
and unequvocay snaS from the fact that you were
frsges of the American party and that as VIM desired
continue in public life and as this party could not
consistently with It's recognized principles assist Won in
SO doing You could not would nor eonpsras y;th
them Had you have done this We wond bora adv,,rad
for your cande and admitted the truth and force Of
GREETED the application to your Individual case Of
era rule which we think the good of the country re-.
auires You would have had sir more than nnr
you would have continued cornmand opr rssnsct ana
regard but you haTe preferred to raise coud OF
ana under cover of that cloud to fly
If to- at least towards the Democratic camp and in
your flight have thrown few Parthian arrows whjch
think will fail to attain the mark they were aimed at
Il One ia
treats of Slavery and Southern party and the other Of
| Americ8nism. -
/ First, as to Slavery and a Southern partv.
Though admit the truth Of much that YOU have said
on the subject q slavery agitation the North and
and feel thst the clouds black and lowering and that
some safe must be found which will convey the
electricity safely 70 the earth yet cannot believe that
that conductor 10 Southern party How ia the anti
slavery feeling OF the North and West being aroused
the present time And how is this feeling being shaped
and organized 50 as to give full force to that blow which
your prophetic vision already falling on our devoted
heads What are Seward, Sumner and Wilson now
busy employed In doing give efficacy to their
able and damnabe doctrines? They are attemntnp to
form Northern sectional party. Their rallyng cry is
North to the reseueslavery is aggressive-the South is
upon n and you propose strengthen their postion
BY establishing Southern sectional party Do You not
know that there is nothing you could do to Aid and
courage fanatics in their irresponsible designs 40
by the organization Of sectional party at the South
Do you know that your scheme perfected would add
not know this you know nothing Of the motives which
the actions Of men, and the certain effects Of
Do you that the moment your scheme Ia yitazed
you driyssTery conservative Of the Nerth he Silver
Grey Hard Shell Americana il mot into the
Seward fold, at least away from you? What Northern
man. yot how true to the South could stand on
1 Southern sectional platform? Not one Where then
would they go? Either to Seward to their political
graves. Do 20 wish this result? answer for you en-
1 phaucally, no You have ever been a Union man In
the excitement Of 1850, when to use Mr. Clays smie
there were SIX bleeding wounds to be staunched,
life blood great confederacy was oozng out Of each
one Ct them remedy was found and that remedy was
not Southern party, but compromise. You SIR shouted
for compromise, DOWNS Foote, and the Union, against
1 Soue Quitman and secession.
But has change the spirit of your dream
or it that in the flight across the great desert that
divides the American from the anti-Amercsn or Demo-
cratic party, halfway house is necessary whence the
conflict be viewed in safety is this project Of
Southern party to be made at that convenient halfway
house You had better sir bewars What your fervid
imagination has pictured to you the DESERT
under the green palm may prove the Upas tree under
whose shade the sleep Of the traveller will know no
| waking.
Iwoud ask you SIR of what need is there for South
party nominee to defend slaverya Does not that
party alady exist instincvey Are not the instincts
Of sspressrvation sufficiently powerful to and
band together the South when their rights shall be in
vaded Do you doubt that the swords Of the American
party will leap spontaneously from their scabbards to de-
| fend those rights IL invaded,
In what particular can you object to the slavery plank
of the Philadelphia platform Is it not the best that
has been adopted party aiming to be national
uuequYocay answer that 1t is. 1t is made of clear
stuff from sap Wormhole wind shake rot, and is
broad enough snd strong for the whole South and the
conservatives of the North to stand upon Then, why
you wish to leave 1t and adopt Southern and
thus ALLEVIATE the conservative feeling Of the North
beg you, sir to dismiss from your mind the idea Of
| Southern sectional party. What conld not be accom-
pished by the great Calhoun whose life devoted to
Southern interests and the very shadow of whose MEM
DRY dwRs the politicians of the present day will not
succeed under the lead of Messrs Toomb Stephens and
4 Benjamin. SsD54 sl.@l
iAowme now sir, to address you few words on that
part Of your letter which treats of Nottingham
of that psyno not party for you say they unwor-
thy Of the Of partyof that body held together
not by the ties of common belief in certain principles
and measures Of public policy, but simply by their prefer
eace Of themselves the right class Of for office holders y
This language covering as it does grave error and attr
butng base motive to party which fourtbs OF your
former political associates have been seduced
to join Ia what grieves We're your former friends
degraded and you have just found 1T QUIT Who have
abored 10 hard your political Advancement these
very whom you nov so traduce and is this your
gratitude when they no longer vote for yonf Graft
tude has been differently defined by modern philosophers
Il
other has defined 1t to be- "a keen sensation for favors
yet receredn Which OF these defines your gratitude
20 your former political friends, let your heart
| answer.
You alege five reasons for opposing the organiza-
tion in which you attribute five principles to them not
one Of which they entertain would ask you, sir, as
fair dspatant when combating adversary's position,
where do you lock for his prineplesi Certainly to his
exposition of them Have you done this The letter
to which yours is answer is signed by Louisanans,
addressed TO you as Lousiaa Senator and your
asked and intended to t thai a,ssr v H
the State Of Louisiana Is on the eve OF general see-
4 tions etc.
American party should you have looked to the exposition
principles forth by the Louisiana Convention and
on which the party in Louisiana stand OF should you
have goneas you have done-o Massachusetts, for the
expedition Of Louisiana principles LIZ this fair and
did7 this the of seeking for truth is it
the policy Of the advocate pleading weak oause Are
you in the habit of citing Massachusetts law in Lous
| ana State Court? Where do you find in the Louisiana
Platform authority for the grave charges OF the pro
| ef' and Of tending towards Church and State u
II you will take the trouble to read the Louisiana Plat
form you will find these heresies condemned In terms
strong as the English language allows Why then at
tribute them to us You speak of our appealing to the
@passons prejudices OF the people, VI course you
wish avoid similar appeal when you combat Massa-
chuatts' hereses, and, by lmphcatlon atrlpule Ike
| heresies to Louisiana people
You must flesh your sword in something more substan
| tial than SIN In buckram' before you become the
| leader of the great Southern army
In your letter you have ignored the two leading prin
cipes the American partyprincipes which are the
basis Of its organization and without which 1t would
cease to exjsyjz an amendment of the naturalization
laws with safeguards to the purity Of the
elective that in selecting candidates for
Office preference be given to the native over the
citizen of foreign BIRTH These two important principles
you appear to have overlooked Did you overlook them
from accident or from design Or did you not alude to
them because you in sentiment with the four
hfths Of your old friends on these two points!
Do not be startled sir but think that an Affirmative
to the last question Is the true solution Of the
You did not attempt to overthrow these two main
pillars Of the American edihce.
Twice In YOUR life public servant have you been
YOU nv votes and speeches. contributed to give
them vitality hence Iconclude that you are or were in
favor of them Let recall to your recollection the two
occasions alluded TO.
convention was called by the people OF Louisiana in
1886 to revise their State Constitution you were lead
ing member Of that convention proposition was made
in that convention not allow natuFalized citizens to
vote until they should have remained TWO years In
lana after their characterization virtually to amend the
naturalization laws by prolopging the term Of probation
from five to seven wears You, advocated and voted
for INCORPORATION of that proposition In our organic
State law You met Rossus and Soule in debate
and sustained yourself with your You con-