New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-10-29
Netp Orleans 9aiIp Grestth
MONDAY MORNING, OCTOBER %, 1850.
A STEP FORWARD.

and perhaps in most of the Southern states, nave
evidently taken "step forward /" within the last
few weeks A great many Of them are now for
immediate resistance and secession upon the in
stant Of Lincoln's election to the Presidency.
Such was not their position-we speak generally
and not of particular indivduals-at the opening
Of tho canvass. Then, it was yehemently denied
that MIR. Breckinridge disunionist, or that the
party sustaining him was disunion party. Nor is
it asserted that Mr. Breckenridge is now disunion-
ist, or even in favor Of secession upon Lincoln's
election. But many of his supporters avow them
| selves in favor of secession in the contingency
mentioned, though still continuing to support Mr..
Brecbinrtdge, whose position, the probabilities are
is just the reverse of their own.
We say the probabilities are that Mr.. Breckin-
ridge himself is not in favor of the secession Of the
| Southern States upon the naked ground that Mr..
| Lincoln has been elected President. In his late
speech he took pains to affirm his devotion to the
Union in terms emphatic and unInistakable. He
challenged his enemies to point to an act he had
| ever committed or word he had ever uttered, in
| imcal to the existence Of our Federal Union He
went further, and moderated the number Of dis
| unonists per Sc in the Southern States. We gave
| Mr.. Breckenridge the proper credit for these de-
| clarations, and we have no fault to End with
| him in this respect. Bnt we cannot understand
| how his position this question is more accept
able to the secessionsts who propose to with
| draw from the Union the moment Lincoln is elect
ed than is that of Mr.. Bell or Douglas. We do not
believe Mr.. Breckenridge will approve such step.
| His colleague upon the ticket, Gen Lane, has de-
clared in public speech at indianapolis, in the
State Of Indiana, within the last few weeks that
If Lincoln be elected, we must content ourselves
with the reflection that four years will quickly
pass, when the people will have chance of ex-
pelling his party from power. This is farther than
we, who support Mr.. Bell, are willing to go--for the
inference from Gen. Lanes declaration is that we
must submit to all the four years Of Lncolns Gov.
ernment, whatever may be the policy of his Ad-
ministration. Admitting then, for the sake of ar
gument, what we do not believe to be true in point
of fact that Mr.. Breckinrdge ia in favor of
sion on account of the election of Lincoln, it is
deniable that his colleague and associate upon the
ticket is not But every vote for Breckinridge is
also vote for Lane. The electors upon the ticket
are pledged to vote for both alike. When the
supporters of Mr.. Brecknridge, therefore, who
propose to raise the standard of revolution the
moment Lincoln is elected and before he takes his
seat-when these gentleman taunt us with being
"submissonists, y would it not be just as well for
not, himself exactly the same sort of ''submisson-
ist" that we are, as the second in command,
Lane, undoubtedly is, and perhaps will submit .
even more patiently than will? Are we to be
derided and reproached for being submissionists
when Lane is also one, as there is every reason to
believe Breckinridge is too?
Wedo not believe Mr. Brecknridge will say that
the mere fact that Lincoln has been elected Pres
dent will Justify the secession Of the Southern
States We kaon that Gen. Lane says just the
reverse Why, therefore, cannot the secession
supporters Of Mfr. Breckinridge refrain from apply
ing the taunt of +" submissionists" to other South
ern people, when one if not both, of the candi
dates they are themselves supporting, occupie!
precisely the same ground on this question that We
: do? We have been reluctant to alude to this sub
ect before, for fear the Black Republicans may
pervert it into willingness on our part to submit
to apything-but the charge Of being submission
lists y is so constantly preferred against the sup
porters of Mr.. Bell by some of the organs in Mr.
Brecknridge's interest, that we think it is time i
were shown either that Mr.. Breckenridge himsel
occupies position different from our own, or tina
the charge be abandoned 1
The proposition to resist as we understand
it, contemplates immediate resistance There il
to be no waiting until Lincoln takes his seat. This
is the position, if we understand it arght of Sout1
Carolina of Alabama, of Mississippi, Gf Governor
Brown represents the feelings of her people,) ant
of many of the individual supporters of Mr.. Breck
inridge in the other Southern States Have thes
gentlemen reflected that resistance, under suc
circumstances, will be resistance to Democrat
Administration, and to Democratic President
elected by themselves? Lincoln will be elected O.
the 9Th of November, if he be elected at all. Blu
he will not take his seat until the 4th of March
Here are four months of time intervening. But re
sstance is to be made at once. Resistance, ther
will be made to the Federal Government under
!, Democratic and as its friends say, national an
Constitutional Administration Is this consistent
Will it not be putting the South in wrong and ir
defensible position at the very moment when sh
should be calm and cautious, but resolute? Woul
not the South be better justified, if she rebel i
rebelling against the Federal Government under
Black Republican Administration than under
Democratic one? And are we to be branded a
10 " submissionists the term being used teri
II of reproach- because we think it better for th
South, if the necessity arise, to rebel against th
authority of Administration that commits som
positive, decisive, overt act of usurpation an
4 some direct breach of the compact of the Const
tuition?
We think the position of these gentlemen, VIII
| propose to seeede before Lincoln takes his seat, a
indefensible one. But if they are honest in the
sentiments they can surely express them, withor
applying designation intended to be contemptl
Gus to those whose judgments lead them to di
u ferent conclusion. The interests, the rights til
honor, the integrity of the South do not belong
any one party nor to any division of any part.
They belong to all the people of the South alik
and will be defended by all alike. Surely, thel
should be no reproaches, no taunts, no insinuatol
of being abect snbmssionists'' - to those wi
= will be ready to defend the Constitution when il
vaded, but will not anticipate, without reasol
what all must know will be time of trouble an
of civil dissension.
iy THE FAMOUS HIPPoPoTAMus.-New Orleans is
experience sensation this week, and we suppos
that the quid nuncs are already drawing the lor
: breaths of anticpatory preparation, and shakiT
themselves up for seeing what they probab
never saw before, and certainly never saw
Amerca-to witt the live hippopotamus No OF
need refer to his natural history to learn th
/