New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-12-27

The New York Times of the 18th contains long
account of the landing at Ship Island, near New
Orleans, of the expedition which sailed from Fort
ress Monroe, Nov. 9th, under Gen. Phelps. The
following extraordinary proclamation was issued
the day after the landing:
PROCLAMATION OF BRIG. GEN. PHELPS TO THE
PEOPLE OF THE SOUTHWEST.
HEADQ'Rs MIDpLEsEx BRIGADE,
Ship Island, Miss, Dec. 4, 1915
Without any desire of my own, but contrary to
my private inclinations, again find myself among
you as military officer of the Government. A
proper respect tor my fellow-countrymen renders
it not out of place that should make known to
you the Alotiyes and principles by which my COM
mand will be governed. .. ~-.r'I .....
We believe that every State that has been ad-s
mitted as slave State into the Union, since the
adoption of the Constitution has been SO admitted
in direct violation of that Constitution. ..-
We believe that the slave States which existed
at the adoption of our Constitution are, by becom
ing parties to that compact, under the highest OBJ
legations of honor and morality to abolish slavery.
1t is our conviction that monopoles are as de-
structive as competition is conservative of the
principles and vtaties of republican government; ;
that slave labor isa monopoly which excludes free
labor and competition that slaves are kept in COM
paratve idleness and ease in fertile half of our
arabic national territory while free white aborers,
constantly augmentlng in numbers from Europe,
are confined to the other half, and are often dis,
tressed by want that the free labor of the North
has more need of expansion into the Southern
States, from which it is virtually excluded, than
slavery had into Texas in lS4S; that free labor
is essential to free institutions that these nstitu-
tons are naturally better adapted and more con-
genial to the Ango-Saxon race than are the des-
potc tendencies of slavery; and finally, that the
dominant political principle of this North American
Continent so long as the Caucasian race continues
to flow in upon us from Europe, must needs be that
Of free institutions and free government Any
ors5ructions to the progress OF that form of gov"
erntnent in the United States must inevitably be
attended with discord and war. ..-.l ., -.t
Slavery, from the condition of universally re-
cOgnized social and moral evil has become at
length political institution demanding political
recognition. 1t demands rights to the exclusion
and annihaton of those rights which are insured
to us by the Constitution; and we must choose be-
tween them which we will have, for we cannot
have both. The Constitution was made for Free
mer-not for Slaves. Slavery, as a social evil,
might for time be tolerated and endured but as
a political institution it becomes imperious and
eXacting, controlling, like dread necessity, all
whom circumstances have compelled to live under
its sway, hamperng their action and thus impeding
our national progress. AS political institution it
could exist as coordinate part only of two forms
Of government, viz: the despotic and the free
and it could exist under free government only
where public sentiment, in the most unrestricted
exercise of a robust freedom leading to extraya
ganCe and Righteousness, had swayed the thoughts
and habits of the people beyond the bounGs and
limits of their own moderate constitutional pro-
visions. 1t could exist under a free government
only where the people, in period OF unreasonlng
eXtrayagance, had permitted popular chmor to
overcome public reason, and had attempted the
impossibility of setting up, permanently, as po'
litcal institution, social evil which is opposed te
moral law.
By reverting to the history of the past, We fnt
that one of the most destructive wars on record
that of the French Revolution, was originated BY
the attempt to give political character to an insti
tuition which was not susceptible of political char
Kat, Ia,
cal power, with its converts, its schools, its i'm
mense landed wealth, its associations, secret AM
open, became the ruling power Of the State, an,
| thus occasioned war OF more strife and blood
shed, probably, than any other war which ha
| desolated the earth.
Slavery is still less susceptible of political cha,
| acter than was the Church. 1t was fit at this INK
ment for the lumher-room of the past as was
1913 the monastery, the landed wealth, the excl,
siye privilege, ETC., of the Catholic Church
France. 1t behooves US to consider, as self go
erning people, bred and reared and practiced
the habits Of self.goyernment, whether we cannc