New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-12-01
VOLUME XIII.
Nem Orleans 1ailg Grestsrt
SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER /, 1860.
CONSERVATIVES {. -

In all communities there are very good and
respectable people who invariably manage to get
in advance Of or behind the spirit Of the age The
consequence is that they laughed at on the one
hand, and always defeated on the other. Yet,
despite the mefriment of the public and of sym
pathizing friends, they persist in doing the right
thing at the wrong time, and of coming to the sup
port of measures, when their aid is OF no practical
utility after having opposed those same measures
when they might have been productive Of useful
ness to the community. a.~.
We have few of that sort of people in New
Orleans. Assuming to lead, they are generally
defeated; and each overthrow, instead OF teaching
them valuable lessons only causes them to wonder
at their non,appreciation by the masses. Like the
Bourbons, they never learn anything and never
forget anything. Wise beyond compare in their
own opinion, they imagine that the people are be-
meath them in patriotism, intelligence and learning,
and when their equals in these respects and their
superiors In common sense, thYart their imprac-
ticable, and sometimes odous views, they affect
to look upon the decision rendered as though they
were above the common level Of humanity-as
though the world ought TO go into mourning be-
cause their nonsense was not adopted-as though
some general calamity should happen because
there was not universal acquiescence in their
theoretical fooleries. Knowing nothing practical,
they essay to govern. Ignorant of the human
character they assume to manage. And they
always fail, as matter Of course.
We have before us a circular which is being dis
tributed throughout the city as we understand, for
the purpose of obtaining signatures, although as
yet SO far as we know it has not made its appear
ance in any public locality, Us such documents
usually do. Why this extraordinary course has
been pursued we have no means Of knowing, and
we do not deem it pertinent to the object we have
in view to inquire. ...= .-.
The circuar is headed Conservative Meeting,
without distinction of party--the meeting TO be
held on some nnmentioned day and in some name
less locality. The word conservative is proEni
nent throughout the entire document None but
50 conservatives according to our reading, are
invited to participate in this proposed assemblage.
II is unfortunate that the getters up Of the docu
ment did not define the meaning of the word con-
seryatiye," as Asey understand it. There are few
people who understand the word alike. II means
several things, and some Specifications may be
attached to it not especially agreeable at this season
of the year. When banks contract at the very
time they should expand, and distress the CONNER
cial community, they call it conservative"
movement. When tyrant proposes to impose
still more grinding expressions upon his already
overburthened subjects, he always brings in requi-
siton the conservative principle. Take the his
tory of the earth from Nero and Caiigula down to
to the abominable despot Just expelled from Naples
by Garibaldi and Victor Emanuel and the reader
will find that the conservative argument is
always used in justification of their crimes oppres-
sous and tyrannies. When Austria Prussia and
Russia put forth an official document, the word
" conservative" figures eonspicuously therein.
They rely upon it. For tYrants and traitors it is
the most useful word in any language. They never
neglect it. When the British Parliament oppressed
the colonies, the act was done on Conservative
principles. When Benedict Arnold sought to betray
his country he was if we to take his letters for
trHth, animated By the pufest conservative"
emotions. Abraham Lincoln the President elect,
is ready to take an oath before Gop and man that
he is as true a "conseryative'i as the western
hemisphere eyer gave birth to- The Members of
Congress who endorsed book in which it was
recommended that poison to Southern water, fire
to Southern houses, death to Southern men, rape
to Southern women, and immedicable destruction
and disgrace to the South was right, will every one
of them, swear on the Holy EgangeIists that when
they affixed their signatures they were acuated by
pure conservative" feeling. NV w.=
George Washington and all his compeers were
radicals and traitors, in the eyes Of the oonserv-
atiYen people of England. The Conservatism
that would have hung them and blackened their
memories TO the end Of time, will now, if it is al
| lowed to prevail hand over the people of the
South to more horfid tyranny than any of which
history gives an account a5m=4.
II is not on record that conservative ever
| originated d patriotic movement ever freed q