New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-12-20
Ue6 OrIeans 1ailp Crestert.
THURSDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 20, 1860.
THE TIMES CHANGE.

|
| THE TIMES CHANGE. 4M
When Virginia was invaded by John Brown, her
citizens murdered, and their slaves vainly ap-
preached with view 10 a seryiIe insurrection, the
circumstance produced profound sensation, not
in that State alone, but throughout the South. It
was one of the first fruits Of tile rrepressibe con-
hict, which was to make the States of the Union all
'free.a Although the soil Of Virginia only was
invaded, tile other Southern States felt that it
blow aimed at them all alike. 1t was intended as
the beginning of a crusade against slavery all
through the South, to be ended only with the utter
determination Of the institution wfereverit existed
Two of the other Southern States-South Carolina
| and Mississippi indignant at the outrage, and
sympathtsing with Virginia, appointed Commits
soners to that State to tender the aid of the States
they represented in repelling all similar incursons
in the future and to get the consent of Virginia to
enter convention of all the States of the South.
These Commissioners received and treated
| with characteristic hospitality and kindness but
the suggestion of concert Of action among the
States of the South was respectfully declined.
Virginia, not from any lack Of appreciation Of the
| ndignity offered her, nor from any want of feslty
| to the rights and institutions of the South, but
from conviction that there was then no necessity
| for the step proposed, declined going into the
conference proposed by her Southern sisters.
| In one view Of the case, the action Of Virginia
was undoubtedly right. Under the theory of our
| Governments theory, however, which has been
wofully perverted in its practical application
State is sovereign power in respect Of all matters
ofinternal concern. Each State is the Judge and
arbiter of her own rights, her own wrongs, and
her own remedies, in all things outside of the few
u I Il Y 4 Er,1
Virginia, with none but the kindest feelings for her
sister States which had pro1ered their aid and their
sympathy, yet held that she was able to take care
Of herself, as well against hostile and revolutionary
incursions like that of John Brown as against anv
present or threatened usurpation by the Federal
Government upon the reserved rights of the States.
or any encroachment upon that sovereignty which,
as an independent Comwonwealth, she had eyer
claimed
But, is there not an inconsistency in the present
appeal of the Border States for a conference
when the proposition for a conference made by at
least two of the Cotton States, has already been
rejected? 1t may be answered that the circnm.
stances Of the case are now different. This is
truebutthe difference is all in favor Of the present
position of the States Of the extreme South. The
case is made only the stronger in our favor by tbe
Then, it was only proposed to consult together
about the John Brown outrage and the mode Of
preventing such things in future-and This was
something legtimately within the Jurisdiction of
al the slave-holding States of the South An at.
tack upon The Institution Of slavery anywhere, was
an attack upon it everywhere. Il was an institl-
ton common to all the Southern States and for this
reason those States might properly consult to-
gether to guard taganst forcible and violent raids
like that of John Brown. But, in the present crisis
We are to determine another matter altogether.
We are not to concert measures to protect slavery
N the Union, but we are simply to decide whether
to remain in the Union or to go out of ii. And
tins Is something which cannot now be done by
the united action of all the Southern States-even
were it Constitutional to do, as we showed YES
terday that it was not. 1t can be properly done
in no other way than by the separate action of
each State, acting upon her own responsibility. |
and in her capacity as an independent political |
sovereign.
No man who admits the doctrine of State rights
and State sovereignty, consistently favor the /
plan of cooperation, can consistently opnose |
the duty and the necessity of separate State action
1t has ever been the boast and the pride of the |
Southern States to assert their sovereignty and TO
claim it as the safeguard of their rights What
soeyer powers were yielded to the Federal Govern
ment were in no respect intended to impair the
sovereignty of the States individually. Virginia
and Kentucky, by resolutions which have become
specially noted in the political annals of the coun
try have been among the foremost States to assert
and uphold this doctrine.
Now, then, sovereign State must properly go
out of the Union as such. poor exhibition Of
sovereignty would it be for the States to league to-
gether as If they were petty dependencies instead
of free and independent communities. The States
asserted their sovereignty when they were weak,
and each one decided for herself whether she would
go into the Union or not. Now that they are strong
are they any the less proud of their sovereignty or
any the less tenacious of their reserved rights If
they were bold and independent when they were
feeble in population and resources, shall they be
the reverse now, when they are strong and power
'ul?
No. The States must go out of the Union. if
Shey go out at all, precisely as they went in-one
oy one Each State determined for herself, and at
litterent periods of time, whether she would be-
come member of the Federal Union-and each
State must now determine for herself whether she
will stay in or not. For, disguise it as you may,
his is the naked ISSUE There is none other. The
ssue is whether to stay in the Union, and become
tbiect submssionists to Northern domination. and
'issers of the rod that smies u.s. or 10 resume tie
lights granted to the Federal Government for good
purposes, but perverted by that Government to
purposes most unholy and infamous Any side
ssue, anything, in short, which complexities the
natter, no matter whether so intended or not,
eads to submission. And submission, in our de.
berate opinion, is but another name for dshonor
nd disgrace.
a-
CHECKED FHRouGH.-We learn from gentle
IAN just from North Mississippi that the people of
anOla county, on Monday last drnva nfF a snor oF