New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-02-22
THE GREAT QUESTION OF THE AGE
ASSUMING SHAPE.

| ASSUMING SHAPED
/ -
| The great question of the age-that Of Southern
domestic slaveryis rapidly assuming tangible shape
and substance aud viii soon become downright
reality instead of remaining what il has heretofore
been. ladder to endble politicians South to mount
TO place and power aud Black Republicans North to
mount to place and power. Strange and inconsistent
as the proposition may to outsiders, it is never
theess true that the same slavery question, in the
hands Of bitterly hostile parties North and South has
mainly contributed to the elevation Of the leaders of
both question involving the destruction of untold
millions of property, and the welfare, interests and
dearest rights Of many millions of people, has been
made the football of paTtisans to be kicked about as
inclination advantage might dictate and while it
has enabled the leaders of political class to obtain
undisputed control over the South, it has been the
direct Of putting almost the whole North under
the domination of the freesoers. And in the mean
time the South lost in each successive struggle while
the North has correspondingly gained in strength,
until the champions of fanaticism in the latter sec
ton well nigh undisgusedly avow their determine
ton to s6bjugate us by brute force, without any
regard to the orderings of the organic law of the con-
federacy the laws enacted by and with its authority
or the decisions Of the supreme Judicial tribunal OF
the land Their exultation over the prospect OF
speedy and sure is so great that they make
no bones in revealing their future intentions.
A few days since we quoted from speech deliv-
cred by Mr. Seward in the United States Senate, while
the bill for the increase of the army pending, in
which he explicitly stated that he regarded the slavery
"battle as already fought :; and, said he, by way Of
final cincher, suppose at is Deer" Not content
with this he went on to assert that within year
there would be nineteen free to fifteen slave States
The day succeeding we quoted an extract from the
New York Times-a journal known to be deeper in
the confidence of Senator Seward than any other-in
which eslavery struggle is thus Significantly referred
to- "The contest Is virtually over. When there shall
be decisive and irreversible pFeponderance the
side Of the North party exigencies will not here
toore, be able to compromise any substantial interest
Of freedom" Here is an omuous conjunction of
sentiment and expression, taking the distinguished
source whence 1t emanates which we consider en-
tirey worthy the earnest attention OF the Southern
people. 1t means, just sure as that the sun will
rise shine and set in future that when the free State
majority In the federal Senate shall be large as ii
now is in the House OF Representatives. there shall be
no more slave States admitted into the Union under
any circumstances That is what it means-n nothing
more nor less
Bat, we have another speech from Senator Seward,
and from it we extract the subioined paragraphs
Mr.. President | did not rise to say this so much as
to say that ] regret to hear Senators express the
opinion that in any case, or under any circumstances
this Union will cease to have value for them, !
have no belief the Union is going to at all and
have no belief that it will cease 10 confer all of
us an the benefits for which it designed and
whatever individual opinions and feelings may be-
as evolved in the beat of this debate do not believe
at all that we shall respect the opinions of our con
sttuents the people of the several States if softer
ourselves to believe that they sympathize in such
utterances. The people of the United States IrtH
hare this Union. There has been found at last in
this country Government which is Government of
the people, and in which every who exercises the
rights OF freeman exercises also the powers of SOW
eregn. That end having been attained in this coun-
try Tor the first time believe that those who suppose
the people can be induced TO overthrow it utterly
miscaleuate the character of mankind in general aud
especially the character and intelligence OF the peo
pie of this Union.
Sir, whatever may be the decision of this question,
| am prepared to see the people of that region of
country in which reside still uphOlding the Union
and | believe that they OF the same race, the
same kindred and the same education with the
people of all the otter portions of this Union,
and that the Union will survive not only all threats
and all Alarms but all fears and will come ont trum
phantly | believe il will come out a free nation in
The highest and prOudest Of the term. expect
to see this Union stand until there shall not be the foot
step Of Stare Impressed upon the soil that protects
although that soil will be extended for aught know
from the north pole to the Caribbean sea -as it has
already extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific
ocean.
The people who " will have this Union that Sena-
tor Seward speaks Of the Freesol people of the
North. He mt in reality, include the Southern
people at ALL although the guarded phraseoogy of the
last paragraph would to indicate that the arch
Abolitonst had not entirely forgotten there such
section OF country as the South. But, the second
paragraph displays the eloven loot Enthusiastically.
The people oil the portion OF country where ne resides
20 in for " still unfolding the Union" OF course