New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-08-20


posed. And, further, we do say that the attemp
to govern the country upon the distinctive and pc
cular principles of the Republican party would b.
! fatal to the Union. In other words, the attemp
ON the part Of the National Government, by posi-
| tive law, to exclude slavery from such portion 0
the national domain as would become slave terri
tory but for such exclusion, would, in our opinion
I break up the Union. And the converse of the pro
: position is equally true; any attempt on the par
i of the National Government TO force slavery, BY
. positive law, into such portion of the national do
/ main as would become free territory hut for sucl
! intervention, would also break up the Union.
The calm and dispassionate observer can see il
the Republican movement only combination Of
the Northern States to take the government of the
whole country into their hands, and to administer
it with reference TO an exclusively Northern policy
: And in like manner, the supporters of Mr. Brock,
inridge propose to take the Government of the
whole country into their hands, with a view of ad.
:, ministerng it with reference to an exclusively
Southern policy. In either case, the result would
/, be diversion of the General Government from
its legitimate sphere; or rather an assumption OF
powers on the part of the General Government
not delegated to it, which one half of the confede
raey would regard as a usurpation, and to which it
would refuse to submit. The fact that our Union
Is composed in part of saveholding States and in
, part of non-slavehoding States imposes grave
duties upon both sectons-dutes Of torbearance,
concession and cancellations respect for each 9th
! er.s convictions; tenderness in handling each
others sensitive points-in short, such rules Of
selt.eontrol and sehgovernment as regulate in
|
tercourse of gentlemen who may chance to differ
widely on the graYest questions. To these duties
We would fain recall both the North and the South
The Union is blessing, the continuance of which
imposes some sacrifices on both portions of the
country. Neither pro-savery zealots nor anti.
slavery zealots can use the powers of the General
/ Government for the advancement of their own Pc
GUITAR views, however honestly entertained.
j SLAVERY AND ANrIsLAyERY AGITATION
4 1t is necessary consequence of the unhappy
struggles Tor the possession of power between the
i North and the South; that our political discussions
have become little else than mutual ordinations and
reeriminatons The people no longer listen to arei.
| ments, addressed to their reason, in defense Of
| particular measures, or certain course Of policy
| but to exciting appeals to their sectional preill-
dlces, which only heat the blood and nlame the
| passions. The North is taught to hate the Sonth
| and the South is taught to hate the North On
both sides, language is used which is sudiously Sc
lected for its calling and exasperating Qualities
Ihere1s no recognition of the law OF charity which
suffers long and IS kind: there is no admission of
the tremendous difficulties which environ the whole
| subject OF slavery; Northern speakers denounce
the South for maintaining the system, and yet they
are unable to suggest any scheme for getting rid Of
II southern speakers make no distinction between
the rankest Abolitionism and that abstract oppo-
Sltlon to slavery in ITSELF which is an almost uni.
Versa sentiment at the North. And out of the i'm.
mense mass of speeches on the subject of slavery
which have been inflicted upon the country in
Congress and out OF it, not one hint or suggestion
can be gathered Of the least practical value to-
wards the solution of the problem Of slavery, or
even mitigation of its assumed evils
The consequences of this miserable agitation
have been Of the most melancholy kind. The at
tachment which formerly united the North and the
SOUTH IS fast disappearing, and estrangement,
alienation and ill-will are taking its place The
two sections Of the country are learning to look
upon each other as natural enemies This state of
feeling renders it impossible for the National
Legislature to legtslate calmly, judciously, dis
Nd INf+ ,{Ic1,I
country. Congressional debates have degenerated
into mutual ytuperatons and denunciations and
are disgraced by the most offensive personalities
All propositions judged Of not by their essen
tial expediency, but by the quarter from which |
they come. Of what use is it, then for the Repub. /
hcan party to spread forth in their platform an /
elaborate array Of measures and principles, so long
as sectional division exists in our politics which
makes one-half of the country look with suspicion
and distrust upon every movement of the other?
Nor is this all. The tendency of this sectional |
excitement Is to repe1 wise and good men from the
sphere of politics, and thus to lower the tone Of
government. Men endowed with statesman-like
powers Will not take part in an agitation which /
dWarts the understanding while it infames the 7
passions. The consequence is that while we are /
rapidly increasing in wealth and all the indications
OF material civilization, and surely not declining in
virtue and intelligence, the series of our public
men marks descending scale, and the standard |
OF Congressional debate is constantly lowering,
Intelligent foreigners who come among us are
puzzled to account for the singular fact that SO
few men OF superior ability are taking part in the
government OF the country. Indeed the virtue I
and the intelligence OF the country are fast ebbing
away from the sphere of politics, and its vices and
passions are usufping their places.
THIS AGITATION UNNECESSARY.
The pro-slayery and antislayery agitation which
has been so long conyusing the country is az I'M
as it is mischeyous. The more consery
alive portion Of the Republican party has tacitfy
aequiesced in the fugitive slave law, in the exist
enee Of slavery in the District of Columbia, and in
the right 10 carry slaves from State to another;
and they have always diselaimed any right or any
intention to interfere with slavery in the States
themselves. The subject Of slavery in the Terri.
tories. and the power of Congress over it there .
are the only points they leave for discussion and
IL government be practical art as
surely 1t isif the object of government be- not to
principles, but to provide for each emer-
geney as it arisesa this excitement, and all this
conflict are utterly purposeless and idle. We have
been familiar with slavery long enough to know BY
what laws tits regulated and controlled Experience
and observation haze shown that slavery is de.
pendent upon conditions of soil and climate and
lies beyond the reach Of political combinations
These will not force slavery into regions where il
is not profitable; nor will they exclude it from
regions where it is profitable. AT this moment no
one VIII question the correctness of the statement
that there is not foot of the territory of the United
States, the condition of which in reference to sla.
very is not already fixed by law, and there is no
place within the Federal domain, upon which the
abstract theories of the extremists of either sec.
on in regard to the exclusion of slavery from the
Territories or its Introduction into them can be |
applied. The whole question of Slavery
n the Territories, as now presented, is an abstract
onre and simple, incapable of practical application
md prolific of serious mischief. It has already pro-
luced sectional alienation, and now menaces the !
integrity of the Union.
RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AGITATION
70 create and maintain this unhappy agitation, t
North and South, Democrats and Repnbeans-we
iced not stop to inquire in what prop0rtions-haye
10th contributed in times mast Int a fhis nnen