The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-11-28

The New Orleans PicayuRe publishes the
following correspondence
NEW ORLEANS, November II, 1860
Hon. STEPHEN A. DoUeLAs-Sir /: We,
the undersigned, citizens Of New Orleans.
irrespective OF party, being Gesi:ous OF hear
ing your views on the present condition OF
the sffsirs of our country, would earnestly
request you TO designste lime when IL
would be agreeable to you TO address your
fellow citizens.
Here follows long list of the names oi
prominent New Orleans INGREDIENTS and
public men.
GENTLEMEN Your request 10 address
the citizens OF New Orleans "on the present
condition Of the affairs of cur country" has
lust been plsced in my hands. An invita-
tion so numerously signed by the most emf
nent business men of this great commercial
city implies compliment which ] duly ap
preciate, and ON exceedingly reluctant TO
! decline.
These are not the times for patriotic men
lto affect Indifference, or TO degenerate into
dependency, or to rush madly into viUlent
! and extreme measures. Just in proportion
as our common country ia environed with
peril, it becomes the imperative duty OF cv
cry patriot in the lend TO increase his efforts
and exert his utmost powers and energies TO
rescue the Republic from the disasters which
threaten its integrity.
No man in America regrets the election
OF Mr.. Lincoln more than do 70 ore made
more tlreuucus exeItions 10 deteut him
rone differ with him m ere radically and irre-
conCilably upon ell the great issues involved
In the contest. No mGn living is prepared
to resist, by all the legitimate menns sane
I toned by The Constitution and laws OF our
J cur country, the aggressive policy which he
and his party ere understood TO represent.
But. " bile sny This, am bound, as good
cit zan and law abiding man, TO declare my
conscientious conviction that the mere cleo
ton of any men to the Presidency by the
( American people, in accordance with the
Constitution ond llws, does not Of itself fur
Eish cry Just cause or reasonable ground for
tissoIving the Federal Union.
1t is rot pretended, so far az an inform.
9 cd, that any provision Of the Constitution has
. been violated in the recent election. Nc
act has been done which impoirs or destroys
the col etitutonal rights OF any State or cit
zen. Nothing he's yet occurred to release
6 any citizen from his oath of fidelity to thu
Constitution OF the United States. which i
The supreme law of every State ard ofcver!
Of citizen. But, while it is conceded that NJ
If set has yet been done which inpairs thI
;. rights or endnnee's the peace and safety o
any portion Of our country, ii is Gprrehende'
that The election OF Mr. Lincoln carries wit
e it the assurance that the policy and prInci
H. pies OF the party by which he YVES clecte
:, will prevail, Gnd be carried into pTaciica
y effect in every department Of the Fedora
Government, and thereby ,cjN endangef th
p Deoce end safety Of the slopeholdiDg bta;ei
nj Is this apprehension well founded Do ia
results Of the recent election Justify this Op
=. prchension The President con do noih!n
- except Whist the law suthori2's. His dut
c. is to see the laws faithfully executed. l. h
es fails to perform this duty, be will soon fin
8. himself prisoner before The high court {
impeachment. Fortunately, that tribuna
is so constituted GS to c0mm1ud the conf
dence Of the people of the entire South, q
well as Of the Conservative Don of th
North. We have this security, that the er
istinq laws will be faithfully executed.
have vet to learn ,hat the people OF the SoutE
! complain OF the acts Of Congress aoac on tht
statute. book, upon the subject OF slavery, at
. applicable TO the States or the Territories
. or TO the District OF Columbia. these law
- were enacted, mainly, il not entirely, by th
% j1int action of the conservative members o
4 the North and South, in opposition to th
Abollionigts and Free Sellers, and have
n been acquiesced in by the Southern people
as we'll Us by their Senators and EepFeseD
= t0tives, under the present and preceding
Administrations of the Federal Government
}. Consequently, it is fsir 10 presume that The
4 South, go far from demsntiUg the repeal o
0 the existing laws upon the subject OF slave
2 ry, as essential to he? safely and equality ir
3 the Union, will insist upon their being re
4 tanned upon the etQtute.book, srd faithfully
executed. Nor are we permitted to infe
3 that the Southern people require any addi
tional legislation by Congress on this sub
jsCt, for the reason that The Southern Sena
tors ard Representatives. have not introduc
ed ord idvocated any chsnGes in the existing
legislation upon the slavery question under
the present Administration, and that Of Mr.
, Pierce, when the hboliti0niS,s and Free
Solers were in the minority ia both Houses
o! Congress.
Assuming therefore, that the Southera
people and their Senators and Representa-
.. tivs S deem their rights end institutions en-
trely safe under the Constitution and laws
as they now stand, and Only desire to be te
alone, without any interference by Congress
with their domestic concerns, tie question
arises whether Mr. Lincoln and his party
will have the power, even il they have the
, disposition, TO disturb or inpoir the right'
and institutions of the South, either in the
States or the Territories, or in the Di. tric
; of Columbia ? They certaini" C nnot do i
under the existing laws. VIII they hov'
. the power to repeal or Chorge these laws
or to enoct others! 1t is well known thu
they will be in e minority in both Houses o
Congress, with the Supreme Court agoins
> them. In the Northern States there have
! heen elected already sufficient number o
y Democratic members OF Congress, bold AM
7 true national men, pledged to the doctrine
of non.intervention by Congress with tht
y question OF slavery in the States and Terri
y tories, aud the District of Columbls, who
:, added to the Southern Represe vii
y y give st leust twenty maj JritY against Mr.
- Lincoln and his party Oh all these questions
- In the Senate there is also decided auC
y reliable majority. Hence no bill can ,st
-. 80 either House OF Congress impairng or dis
" turbing the rights or institutions Of tn,
q Southern people, in any matter whatever
H. UNLESS portion of the Southern Senator's an
Z" Representatives absent MenaSeIves, so as 10 qiu
10 10 an Abolition majority an consequence Of thei
absence.
T. Lot r r.