New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-08-23

MIR egEsT.L AND rms RECORD.


In pc9Aicai warfare the policy of attack is
always more effective than the policy of defence.
II IS aluch easier to charge than it is to parry.
yog make successful defence of yeur candidate,
ycu only leave him where he was before-iie q
aot advanced. # you make successful chaTGe
upon the adversary you not only daniage &ifn
but your own fayorite takes an advanced posi-
ton.
This has been the policy OF the DefToeTacy in
nearly all national contests. They do net pretend
to offer any apology, or attempt any Justification
for their own 1aultitudinous Asdeeds And short
comings. No word Of excuse do we 'sear for the
present Administration, which ther placed in
power. Democratic orators and organs content
themselves with attacking John Bell as they at
tackled Mr.. Clay. Gen. Scott, Gen, Taylor and Mr..
Fillmore, charging them all with being untrue to
the South, Tkey do not seem 10 consider it me-
cessary to prove their own cae4ddate worthy of
acceptability. They are only happy if they can
succeed nrendering odious We candidate of the
Opposition.
In pursuance of this policy Mr.. Bell is accused
of doing things that he not only never thought of
doing, hut that it was simply impossible he could
have done. We heard it charged against Mr.. Bell
in public speech, a very short time ago, that he
voted against the annexation Of Cuba to this
country. If any vote to annex Cuba was ever
taken in Congress, while Mr.. Bell was member
sor at any other time history and the Congress
-siona records strangely silent on the subject
He was further charged with having voted against
the annexation of Texas--a very discreditable
thing, if true, because Mr.. Bell was not a member
of Congress at the time, and therefore practieeda
fraud upon the country if he so voted He was
further charged with having voted for the sbeli-
ton of the slaYe-trade in the District of Columbia.
Il so happened that he voted exactly the other
way-he voted against it. But the charge is still
occasionally made-and will no doubt CONT
be made to the end Of the sseo-andries to order
All of these accusation ,,,a H.
= s p ~ order. .t,6er
: As against Mr.. Bell refer to
sto his deliberate endorsement py
s" s..s.e Of Tennessee, and his being sent TO the
/ Senate Of the United States as one OF her repre-
sentatives. 1t would be sufficient TO peau tlls ci
4 euustance alone in bar of these charges. 10 ac-
euse John Bell of infdelity to Southern interests
previous to 1855 and then to admit that tennessee
endorsed him at that time by sending him to the
Senate is simply to cast reflection upon SOW
ereign State, which has already given to the eoun
try two Southern Presidents, and whose feaity te
Il tile South has never yet been called III questlon.
AZ to what Mr., Bell has done since his last en-
dorsement by his State there is no proof that ms
course in any respect was dictated by q sentmen
of hostility to the South. 1t is trlumphantly as
serted by his enemies that he voted against the ad
n mission Of Kansas as slave State. DID ne Vott
n against her admission because she came as siaV'
State? No one will venture to assert it. lie vote'
4 L. L.
| against the admission of Kansas because he pc
lieved the whole proceedings preparatory to ne
admission were fraudulent, dishonest and bogus
and because the Territory did not have suiheien
population to entitle her to admission. He woul
have voted the same way il Kansas had applied
free State. He voted against the admission Q
Kansas, notwithstanding she applied with pro
slavery Constitution, because hewas too honorable
a man and too conscientious politician to be
party to what he believed fraud.
4 John Bell is Southern man by birth, by eduea
ton, by interest, by social and domestic ties, b.
everything that can guaranty mans hdelitg.
these things, together with the ownership Of tw
hundred slaves, do not constitute sufficient proc
that he is not an Aboltionist or Freesoiler, the
. it is useless to adduee other arguments. That u
. has not illustrated his Southernism by constant
4 threatening disunion and secession, and by eatf
. fire at his daily meals, we readily admit. Nor
! fidelity to the Union and the Constitution at all
! consistent with fidelity to the South. 1t is Il
4 duty of the Southland Mr.. Bell recognizes it
fight for her rights IN the Union, and not out OF
a When the requirements of the Constitution, al
!. the laws made in pursuance of it, are neglected
4 repudiated by the Federal Government, Mr. B'
i will be among the frst-and SO he has publicly
! clared-to consider the remedy Of separate Go
. eminent. Not before.