New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-09-17
slem 0rlsans 1ailg Grfstsnt.
MONDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER Il, 1860.
THE REAL ISSUE.

The dap of the Presidential election IS rapidly
.rnrooch;n, and we will soon be called upon to
decide tho or,eo, at the ballot-box. Yet, SO far,
opf, a sp,o, ,,ronor,, on Of the people, North or
so,,t,, oon, -. ,,nderstan,' the real issue before
tben, which il to he determined BY their sulirages
in November.
We. of the South, are qnarrelling an.,onB our
selves. when there should be no quarrel among us
and when there is really no occasion for any,
under the peculiar circumstances which surround
us. With contracted vision, we are looking only
at tile political events which in our immediate
neighborhood, and ndnlging in useless and des.
tructive controversies at home, forgetting tat the
chief danger, though now afar off, will become
painfully near US in November, unless we take
steps in time to prevent its approach. ~
The real issue, and the only issue OF command
ing magnitude in the present contest, IS natonal-
ity against sectionalism. 1t is whether we are 10
have a National President and National Admnls-
tration, or a Sectional President and sectional
Administration This is the great question winch
oyershadows all others, and besides Which all
others sink into utter insignifcance
1t is not merely waste Of time, but 1t Is trliifhg
with the present peace and security and the future
destiny Of this conederated Union of States, to be
discussing old obsolete issues, and reViying OLD
political disputes, in the presence OF the Imminent
danger of sectional administration OF tins Govern
ment Compared with this great issue, all others
nut together do not weigh feather IN the scale'
To see Southern men, at such time oil peru as
the present angriiY discussing the opinions OF hf.
Bell or Mr.. Douglas or Mr.. Breckinridge, on SOME
old extinct issue of ten twenty years ago, Is
something which can find its parallel of folly no
where in the history of this Or any other nation.
The freest, the most happy, the most prosper
ous nation on earth, and one that has before it a
greater prospect of happiness and prosperity IN
the future than any other nation that ever existed
il menaced with policy Of government Whlch u
based upon the presumption that one-half oil the
people arc to rule the other half, to interfere with
their domestic Institutions, and to exclude them
from equal participation in the rights, privileges,
and benefits of the common Government Ihls is
the danger that threatens us-but, instead oi con
eertinr means to avert the peril, we are grayely
EMPLOYED in ascertaining whether Mr. Bell believed
third of q century ago, that Henry Clay was cor
rant: and whether Mr.. Douglas did or dld mol
advocate the doctrine of Squatter Sovereignty in
ls4s! Cannot the people raise themselves above
such triaing and Insignificant questions as these
to comprehend the great and oVershadowing issue
of the perpetuation Of our Government upon ma
tonal and constitutional principles?
The Maine and Vermont elections are just over
with increased maorities in both States tor Tie
Black Republican candidates. A purely seetiona
organization, having its origin only in hatred OF
domestic institution of the South, is collecting lt
forces for the contest in November with confidence
OF success and with confidence not withouteause
We are criminally overlooking all this, and indus
triously engaged in picking flaws in the records o.
Mr. Bell Mr. Breckenridge and Mr.. Douglas, as II
the issue depended, in the slightest degree, upoI
what either of them thought or did twenty-five
years ago or FIVE years, OF even five days ago
The only living issue of the day is plea in bar o
these old musty records of the past, and it is worst
than useless to be reviving them and digging then
up from their graves. M@..
Upon this leading issue there is no disagree
ment among US of the South. Why then shoul'
there be any wrangle among us about men!
we cannot agree-as it seems we cannot-upon
single ticket to support, we not at least ceas
to exhibit the spectacle of family quarrel?-ca
yte not avoid the scandal Of domestic dissenslon! =
can we not assume that either one OF the cand
dates opposed to Lincoln is more acceptable tina
Lincoln himself and if we cannot unite upon on
of them, at least battle against the most formle
able enemy, instead of exciting Southern pfeJudle
against those who are only pursuing the same en-
that we are, by different meanss
Our dissensions in the South serve only to eI
courage our enemies in the North, at the sam
lime that they prevent our friends there froi
making effective resistance to the common fol
Let but the South unite, and the victory is at ono
halfganed. But if we cannot unite upon men, lf
us at least abandon these internecine quarre
among ourselves, The real issue, and the par'
mount issue, is whether this Government shall
administered upon national principles or upo
sectional. It is time the people of the South wei
approaching this fact, instead of wasting the
energies in proftless discussions about other issu
that are dead and buried.
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