New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-12-29
Netu ORLEANS 1alIp Crtsttnt.
SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 20, lsG
TnE ISSUE To Die MEET.


We find, in the Virginia papers, letter from
Hon. r. A. Pryor, one of the Representatives of
that State in Congress, from which we make the
following extract. The letter is dated " Washing |
ton City, Goth December"
In response to your inquiry touching the state of
the Republic, regret to be compelled to answer |
that see no chance Of preserving the Union, CON
sistenty with the rights Of the South. In all prob
ability, South Carolina will to-day adopt an ordf-
nance of secession; and the prevalent impression
here is, that the other Guf states will speedily
rally to her support The border States will not
follow so soon but events will oblige them to
abandon the Union. 1t is evident that the North
will give us no guarantees. They are rather mend
ing their hold; and the Committee of Thirty-Three
is more likely to report plan of c6ereion than
system Of pacifcation. The Black Republicans
are beginning to be embodened by the evidences
of submission in certain Southern States. If Vir.
ginia and other border States had promptly backed
South Carolina the South might have extorted her
own conditions, and SO the Union would have been
secure.
As it is nothing can avert the overthrow of the
Confederacy. All parties here despair OF that
achievement; and the effort patriots are directed
| exclusively to the end Of rescuIng the country
from the horrors Of civil war. Iquestton II they
can succeed in the attempt. see among the BLACK
| Republicans, and few persons of other parties
spirit of sulen resolve to bring the issue to the ar
| birament of the sword. To be prepared for
either eventuality, Virginia should at once assume
| an attitude of armed expectation For Gods sake
| trayal of infrm purpose would only precipitate
the collision. The only safety Of the South is in
the union Of the slaveholdiDg States Suppress, II
| you please every whisper OF resentment and re-
| proach against other Southern States. Declare
your rights and proclaim your purpose to MAINTAIN
| them at every hazard. For myself, have been
| silent 50 far that might oppose no lmpediment 70
| a Cancellation. When the issue is made up, will
speak my mind
| Virginia has been slower to move than some of
the other Southern States but the current Of
public sentiment there now sets in the right direc-
1 ton: and when she does move, she will be as
prompt and resolute any of the others. Mr..
| Pryor, in common with the other Representatives
/! of the old Commonwealth at Washington, knows
and procairns that there is chance Of preserv-
ing the Union consistently with the rights of the
\ South.' The people, who are generally ahead of
the politicians have reached the same conclusion
| Virginia as well as the other border States, will
assuredy be present at the door of the Convention
| which will meet to organize the new Confederacy
of the South.
But it is mainly for the advice contained in the
above extract that we present it in our columns.
The counsel Of Mr.. Pryor is equally as applicable
to us as to those to whom it is addressed. The
| Black Republicans, he says, are " eneboldened by
the evidences of submission IN certain, Southern
stntesu For this reason he implores Virginia not
4 to lower her flag or make any betrayal of an in
firm purpose This should be the policy, not of
Virginia alone, but Of every other State Of the
South.
Hence it ia to be regretted that there should be
any division Of sentiment among US as to the plan
Of resistance. What is called Cooperation here
is too apt to be interpreted by the North into dis
position to submit to the Administration of Lin
coin. Every mode of resistance, short of that
which South Carolina has adopted-the absolute,
independent secession of the aggrieved States
will be held by the North as evidence of halting
and hesitation-and as Mr. Pryor states, the Black
Republicans are "emboldenedn by such things to
carry out their principles, and to refuse to yield
even particle of those rights which the South
has claimed as the condition of her remaining in
the Union.
Il If there were anything to be gained by the or
eanization of Cooperation party in the South
ern States there might be some excuse for its ex-
istence. But the purposes of the cdoperationists,
by their own confession, amount to the same thing
in the end that our own do, unless indeed they are
blind enough to believe, in the face of convincing
facts to the contrary, that the North will reeede
from its position. There is then no necessity for
the existence of such party, and we cannot see
what is to be gained by organizing it. To talk
about rendering an ultimatum to the North, and
then going out sin body if the ultimatum be re-
fused, seems to us to be simply preposterous
. formality. Have not ultimatums enough, in al
conscience been rendered already? Has not the
issue been made. over and over again, with suifi
cient dstinctness? Have they not rejected Crit
tendens proposition "a proposition not even up t.
the full demands Of the South2 Has not the semi
official declaration been repeatedly made tina
neither Mr. Lincoln nor his party leaders in Con
gress will retreat one inch from their position
Has the North, in short, shown the slightest dispo
sition to eonciliate or has any measure of adjust
ment been proposed by single Northern poll
d tican2
On the contrary, every proposition from til
y South has been hooted down and rejected, an
every representative Northern man who ha
spoken in Congress, from, Hale to Wade, ha
breathed forth werds of angry defiance. Ever
Y plan of pacifcaton has been rejected by thel
& with scorn, and yet the South is to put herself
2 the pitifui position of rendering an ultmatum!
e There is, then, no necessity for Cooperatio
party, because the only possible ground upo
which such party could stand is the assumptio
that the North will so recede as to permit til
d South to stay in the Union. The Cooperationist
say that they will go out if the'North rejects thei
ultimatuns. Just as certain as fate the North ,ci
reject it. Why then continue an organization
based upen impossible hypothesis Why shoN
any division of sentiment at the South, when it
manifest that such division has a tendency t
strengthen the hands of the North, and render
more firm and defant2
, Mr.. Pryor only recognizes fact against whic
it is useless to shut our eyes, when he says tina
nothing can avert the overthrow Of the Cor
federacy.n A Yirginien Representative tells u
that the North does net intend to yield. VIII
:, should we be slower 10 accept the issue tina
the others1 Why talk about an impraetieabl
and unnecessary plan Of Cooperation whe
events are huvying us on so rapidly, and eoopera
, ! tion will prove to be but chimera, so far as th
Ipreservation CT the Union may be one of il
objects Let Us rather meet the issue like me1
, and assume the responsibility let us max
: common cause with South Carolina, Florida, ALI
= = banla and Mississippi which have decided to ae
:. III tfeir own individual capacity as States,
deciding this question of Remaining in the Unioa
not. Louisiana must not separate herself from ls
sister States of the Gulf
---s-s ~s------
North Louisiana IN a Blaze.