New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-02-16
ABOLITION .ALAREE.

The news comes from Washington that General
Scott and the Old Public Functionary are fright
ened at the prospect of an armed invasion of the
capital, and are concentrating troops and NUM-
lions of war there to repel the bloody Virginans
and Marylanders. All sorts of rumors are adoat
one of which is that Gov. Wise is secreted in the
woods opposite Washington, on the Virginia side
of the Potomac, backed by ten thousand true and
trusty followers, armed to the teeth, and waiting
for Old Abe to make his appearance. Another
is that Gen. Scott is to be assassinatod, that
the artillery horses in Washington are to be
poisoned, that the Capital is to be seized, and
general revolution to be made by force of arms.
The credence which is given to such absurd and
ridiculous reports as these is one of the best illus
trations of Abolition tnidity and pusillanimity.
Gov. Wise, instead of lodging about the woods is
quietly at home in Lower Virginia, attending to
his business. Gen. Scott is in no more danger Of
assassination than he ever was and the Capital is
to be seized only by those who propose an " ire
pressible conflict" between the two sections for
the subiugaton of the South instead of the North.
The Northern people do not begin to understand
the nature of the Southern movement else they
would not be so frightened from their proprety by
such improbable and fanciful reports. They must
understand that the South has never yet proposed
forcible disruption OF the Union and has never
contemplated resort to arms unless for selfpro-
lection and defense. The States which formerly
agreed to enter the Federal Union did so with the
implied agreement-and some of them, Virginia
for instance, with the expressed agreement-that
they could come out of the Union just as they went
into it, whenever the Union failed to accomplish
the purposes for which it was instituted. That
time, in the opinion Of the seeding States, has
arrived; and the States have accordingly with
| drawn from the partnership, and resumed their
| delegated powers. This is all. There never was
more mistaken idea than that disunion necessarily
| means civil war. 1t means war only if coercion
should be attempted as to the seeding States.
The groundess fears of the Abolitionists that the
| Administration of Lincoln is to be prevented from
exercising its functions may, therefore: just as well
be dismissed. Lincoln will be President, and he
will be President all the States that choose to
| remain in the Union and submit to his rule The
dignity of the Southern cause would be immeasur-
ably injured by forcbe resistance to his being the
President of the States that elected him. And there
is no more reason for war to ensue from the South
ern secession, than there would be for two part
ners in bushes to fight because of them thought
proper to draw out and go into business on his own
account,
The services which Gen. Scott has rendered the
country forbid us to speak Of him in any but re-
spectful terms, but we cannot forbear saying that
it is ridiculous to be making all this martial pomp
and display in the absence of any provocation, or
any evidence, other than unsu bstantal runlor that
a foray upon the Federal Capital is in contempla-
ton. If Gen. Scott is wise, he will Immediately
break up his military camp in Washington and dis
perse his troops. The Southern cause is one of
defense-not of aggression.