The constitutional union., 1860-12-21
The New Orleans Letter.


 The New Orleans Letter.
 Many of our readers are aware that 8 large number of the citizens of New Orleans, i'm mediately after the Presidential election, ad- dressed the Hon. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, while he was in that city, a request that he would deliver them speech expressive of his views upon the " existing condition of the political affairs of the country" Having in- sufficient time to make them public address, MR. DOUGLAS penned a letter freely express ing his views of the political aspect since the election of LINCOLN. We have been uIlable to get the letter before the present time, and now, can only give an abstract of its contents, as a want of space denies its publication at length, in this issue. Senator DOUGLAS has given his views, in regard to the subject. in manly, honest and patriotic manner. His po- sition is the same, or nearly so, with that of JOHN C. BRECKENRIDGE, FRANKLIN PIERCE. and JOHN BELL, in relation to the continu- ance of the confederation of States. even after the election of a sectional President like the one who has been chosen to preside over the destiny of the nation for the next four years. We believe there are thousands of honest and patriotic people in the South-true and loyal to her interests-who will echo the sentiments of JUDGE DOUGLAS when he says '' no man regrets the election of MR LINCOLN more than do none made more strenuous exer- tions to defeat him none differ with him more radically and irreconcilably upon all the great issues involved in the contest No man living Is prepared to resist, by all legitimate means sanctioned by the Constitution and laws of our country, the aggressive policy which he and his party are understood to rep resent. But while l say this, 1 am bound, IS a good citizen and law-abiding man, to de- clare my conscientious conviction that the mere election of any man to cie Presidency by the American people, in accordance with the Constitution and laws, does not of itself furnish any just cause or reasonable ground for dissolving the federal Union."
 Inspeaking of the apprehea5ions which exist in the minds of many, that LINCoLN's election carries with it the assurance that the princi- ples and policy of the party by which he was electedwill prevail and by such means. endan- ger therights, peace and safety of the slaveEold- ing States, JUDGE DOUGLAS assumes the same position which MR. BUCHANAN has since done in his message. that the President can do nothing, except what the law authorizes" and that it is his duty to see the laws < faith fully executed" He also remarks that even if MR. LINCOLN and his party desired to impair the rights and institutions of the South, either in the States. Territories, or in the District of Colmbia," he is utterly pow erlcss to do so, for it is well known that lis party is in the minority in both Houses of Congress, and that the Supreme Court is ar rayed against it,
 No designs upon the rights of the States can be accomplished, even in the distribution of Mr. Lincoln's patronage, for in that he is dependent upon the Senate for confirmation of his appointments to office and he cannot appoint bad men, unless by the consent of those Senators in whom the South confdes
 In concluding this able letter, Judge Doug las makes the following truthful observations:
 |" To those, if any such there may be- who look upon disunion and Southern Confectionery as thing desirable in itself and are only waiting for the opportunity to accomplish that which had previously been resolved upon-the election of MT. Lincoln may furnish pretext for precipitat- ing the Southern States into a revolution. But to those who regard the Union under the Consti- tuition as our fathers made it, the most precious legacy ever bequeathed to a free people by patriotic ancestry, and determined to main tain 1t as long as their rights and liberties equal lty and honor are protected by it, the election of Nr. Lincoln, in my humble opinion, presents no just cause, no reasonable excuse for disunion"