New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-02-27

n only acted i'll her sovereign capacity when Wiz
ginia had rejected her oyertures, and it becam
evident that cooperation would then involve
fatal delay
The facts show that South Carolina yielded tt
the mediation Of Virginia in 1888, tint she de
ferred to the wishes of her Southern sisters il
1851, and that she proposed " cooperation t,
! tho other Southern States in February, 1860. Sh
has shown every disposition 10 have untes
| South, NJ to the morning OF tNn 9th of November
1860. When the news came shat the power of tn,
! Federal Government was to pass into the hand
of the author Of the irrcpressble conflict and the
| party Of AbotVni5ln, she concluded that hel
! Difference TO her sister Sa4cs Of the South hAG
| reached its utmost limit, 5Iat nothing but thl
1 prorptest action would meat the requirements Of
the case ana inc eSis4noes Of her position, and
that ell hope of uui5u in she South, iiiUgaa 70
8Te,t the impending blow, was utterly lost. Act
ing upon this belief she declared her indcpond
enoe promptly and coaragenusly. Others may
say and thiak what they choose about it, bus. foI
ourselves, we honor and revere her Ter She step
| We cannot close this rapid and imperfect sketch
of the Southern movement more appropriately
| than by Introducing a few extracts from the Ad-
dress of Mr.. Memminger before the Legislature OF
Virginia, to which we have above referred. Speak.
| ing of John Brown and the assassins who accom-
| panied him, Mr.. Memminger says:
The failure to accomplish their purpose cannot
lessen its atrocity; neither their erroneous
calculations to the loyalty of the citizens to the
State, or OF the slaves to their masters lessen the
CRIME of these murdererS and they have Justly
paid the forfeit of their lives. But such forfeit
cannot expiate the blood of peaceful citizens nor
restore the feeling of tranquil security to the fani-
lies which they have disturbed. The outraged soil
lsaf r,Sar ,nr
| unquiet homes which remain agtated along her
borders, still call for protection; and as an afftc-
tonate mother, the State feels for her children,
and is providing for that protection. The people
OF South Carolina cordially sympathze in all these
feelings They regard this outrage as perpetrated
on themselves. The blow that has been struck
you, was aimed equally at them, and they would
gladly share in all its consequences, aud, most of
an IN the effort to prevent its recurrence i'll the
future.
in this desire they are influenced not only by a
sense Of common danger, but by the remembrance
of former Kindness exhibited toward South Carroll
ma BY the State of Virginia, in day Of trial
The irreconcleable antagonism between the
North and the South is thus eloquently portrayed :
The great question which underes all action on
THIS subject is, whether the existing relations be-
tween the North and the South are temporary or
perinanent; whether they result from accidental
arrangement of the body politic or are indications
OF normal condition? In the one case, temporary
II.
the remedy is either hopeless or it must be funda-
mental and thorough.
In these aspects the invasion at Harper's Ferry
Is valuable exponent. 1t furnishes many ndica-
Tons by which we may ascertain the actual con-
dlton of things. Il is o sort of nometer, by which
we can measure the heights of the flood which is
bursting over the land. BY the providence of that
GOD who preserved your people from the knife of
the assassin, you were enabled not only to defeat
and capture your enemies but to get possession of
arms and documents which expose the design and
plan Of the assaiIants. You find that months must
have elapsed in maturing their plans that arms
were manufactured, the design of which could not
be mistaken; that large of money must have
been collected 1t is certain, therefore that many
persons must have known that such blow was
Intended; and yet, who spoke? Who gave a single,
friendly warning to Virginia One voice, indeed,
distinctly uttered to the Federal Government a |
warning, but that voice disregarded and the |
catastrophe burst upon US as thunderstorm in |
mid. winter.
The loyal sons of Virginia rushed to her defence
and the military arm bows to the majesty of law,
and delivers the murderer to Just and impartial |
trial. a Lew incident in the history of crime is |
developed. Learned counsel from distant city |
once styled the Athens of America, proceed to a |
distant village to offer their services to defend the
midnight assassin. Political offences have some |
times found voluntary defenders, but the moral |
sense must be absolutely perverted, when it is |
deemed virtue to screen the murderer from |
punishment. The excitement grows, and youf
courts Of justice cannot proceed as in ordinary |
cases of crime. You are compelled to surround |
them with military power; and when the law has |
pronounced its sentence, you are compelled to |
guard the prison-house and the scafold to keep at
bay the confederates and the sympathizers with |
crimes heretofore execrated by every civilized
people upon earth.
The indications of this implacahle condition If
Northern opinion do not stop here. The sentence
OF death upon the criminals and their execution are
bewaed with sounds of lamentation such as
would now follow Ridley Latmer to the
DOM t1Stro
hibit themselves throughout the entire North To
the great discredit of our institutions and of our
country, motions are entertained in bodies exer |
clsing. political power to honor the memory of |
Wretched fanatic and assassin; and, in one body
the motion failed for want of three votes. These |
are indications which you cannot disregard. They
tell of state of public opinion which cannot fail
% produce tafther evil. Every village bell which
oiled its solemn note at the execution of Brown |
lroclaims to the South the appreciation of that |
'illage of insnrrect0n and servIle war; and the
case with which some of the cOnfederates escaped |
o Canada, proves that much of the population
tround were willing to abet the actors in this ncen-
liary attempt.
To view this matter in its just proportions, we
must set it at little distance from u.s. Famiisrtv
tccustomS US so much to things near, that we lose
ne percepu0n OF their magnitude A daily observ-
er OF the Falls of Niagara may be brought to look
lpon them as the ordinary descent of water down |
river. Let us, therefore, suppose that the at |
.empted assassination OF Louis Napoleon at the
A..
1pmens showing the contribution of arms and
money IN England; that, upon the arrest of the
detected assassGs, learned counsel had crossed the
channel to volunteer defence before the French
courts; that, upon his condemnation threats of |
compelled the government to eurrnnnd |
the scattold with arms; and, upon his execution
bells were toed in many English villages: and "a
a consummaton of the whole, a motion was pntcr |
tanned 10 adjourn the Parliament in honor of the
memory of the assassin, and that this motion had |
failed in one House only by three votes. Does anv
man suppose that under these circumstances the |
peace Of Europe could have heen preserved for
day? Unless prompt dsavowal and punishment
had been offered, every Frenchman wouid have
been ready to cross the channel as an enemy. and
the civilized world would have regarded the |
English people nation Of outlaws
In our country, so far from there being anv
proper indication Of disav0wal, the Indications are
he other way. Elections have taken place at The
North since the Harper's Ferry invasion. in which
he public sentiment has been exhibited Those
who maintain the abolition views have proypd
stronger than they ever were before In New York
hey have triumphed over the other parties com
1ined together; and in Boston, Notwithstanding an
tttempt TO stay the tide, the same result has fol-
awed. In Congress, the same lamentabe eyhibi.
ion is Afforded More than one hundred members
Prefer to keeptb governments disorganZed rather
han abandon candidate whose Recommendation
# a book inviting combined effort to introduce
narchy and servila at the South makes him
obnoxious to the South: and of these some sixty
ave signed recommendation of the same book
l