New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-11-28
DAVIS AND SLAVERY.

/ 1t has not escaped observation that the
I Message of jeff Davis to the Confederate Con-
sress does not contain the word slavery OF
/" slave" The only reference to the peculiar
Institution (or restitution" as Mr.. Emerson
prefers to call it) IS lying statement that the
United States Government has fitted out an
expedition with "the confessed purpose to in
f." cite seryle war" and one or two refer
ences TO the social aud industrial 81 stem of the
South, made for the obvious purpose Of inducing
the English cotton spinners 10 mako cfTors
to break tue blockade. This silence on the
part OF the Rebel President as to the cause
Of the war, and the sole reason Tor setting up
hs Brummagem Government, makes II very
clear that the Message is intended, not for
f" the Congress Of the Confederate States" nor
for the people Of those States, nor for the people
or Government of the United States, but for
European nations. Southern official documents
haze not heretofore been silent on the subject
VI Slavery. Fifteen years ago Mr.. Calhoun
dtfed the public opinion Of the Christian world
by sending abroad n diplomatic paper, in viii,
fed on the express ground that it YVES q meas
ure for the extension and perpetuation OF
Slavery. The famous 0stend Circular, which
in the eyes Of respectable peoples probably
brought upon us greater contemp. than
any other avowOl of public policy ever
made by any of our public men, was nothing
but a plea for piracy ard land stealing in
order to strengthen the "sociol system Of the
South. OF course, while English and French
opinion was thus defed, no pains were taken
TO disguise the nature Of the controversy from
the American people. The Congressional GiOte
has been burdened to the extent of thousands
of pages with the arguments Of slayenolding
lawyers and priests, designed TO convert the
Northern people to belief in Slavery, or, that
falling 10 exasperate the Southern people into
state Of rebellion. There is no further use
for Pro-Slayery speeches and messages here.
The Northern people refused to be convinced
of the beauty of Slavery, and the Soathern
people, now in n state of rebellion, are sufi-
cicntly exaggerated, or sufficiently in the power
of their demagogue leaders, to enable the ordi-
nary operations of war TO be conducted with.
out the usual partisan appeals in official form.
Europe is to be coneillated; and must not bc
offended by Pro-Savery manifestoes; Europe
must DO made to believe that Slavery has moth
ing to do with the quarrel. 1t would not quite
do for JEFF. Davis, in document which Will
10 read by the whole American people, to fol-
low Yancey's example in his speech to the
Fishmoogers, and to say that the tariff is the
great cause Of the quarrel; but he does the
next best thing when he keeps perfect silence
as 10 what is the great and tho sole cause.
The suppression Of the truth answers his pur-
pose about as well as the suggestion of the lie.
We have alluded to Yancey's speech. Mr..
Adams, the American Minister, has also made
speech. We do not mean 20 intimate that
tho dinner table is the proper place for official
declarations of opinion by ambassadors, but
we certainly think it a matter of regret that
Mr.. Adams's silence, as blank as that of jeff
Davis, on the great question ct issue between
the Government Of tho United States and the
rebels, should conspire with the Message of the
arch traitor and the speech OF his emissary in
London, to give the English people the I'M
preston that there is no grand and solemn
Issue in this war, like that between Civilian
ton and Barbarism, Christianity aud Heather.
ism, bat that it ia only an ordinary quarrel
such rs frequently cOnyulsos and disgoces the