New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-12-31
: N NonTriERN nppasIrInN.

II the Administrations at Washington yield tt
Engiand's demand for the restoration of Messrs
Mason and Slidell, snd apologize fer the seizure
there is little doubt that formidable opposition
party In the North will be organized. Indeed, II
is clear that such party is already in process Of
formation. The emancipation policy developed
by the Administration stirred up strong opposi-
n ton faction. and the defensive attitude of the
Northern army will serve still further to increase
the number. Add to this those who are opposed
to the delivery of our Commissioners, if the de-
livery be made and the result will be the Admins.
tration will find itself In minority all over the
North. We interpret Haie's speech in the Senate
uttering defiance to England, as merely an etfor,
on his part to place himself in the van of the oppo
stion, and organize great party Of which he will
be the leader. When once the nucleus of an sppo.
suon party Is formed, it is not difficult to find fol-
lowers. Nearly every man opposing the Admins
slrauon, even upon single point. naturally falls
INTO the ranks Of its enemies though he may differ
with ms new allies in more respects than he did
With the Administration. 1T wss in this way the
opposition party was formed which swept the
country in the Presidential election of 1910. Some
OF the Jackson men were driven off by his course
towards South Carolina-some by his proclama
ton, some by the removal of the deposits, others
from conviction that he was exercising power
too arbitrarily, others from disappointment in get
ting effiee; and others, during Van Burens time,
from opposition to a sub-treasury and standing
army. In this way the Insignificant opposition to
Jackson in 1882 became, by gradual accretions,
great party which carried the election in 1910 by
an Overwhelming vote.
II only requires some bold and able man like
Hale to lead off, and he will soon find plenty of
others following at his heels. And Hale is both
bold and able. There are very few men in the
North superior, intellectually, to John P. Hale,
Being totally destitute Of principle and patriotism,
he will espouse any cause which promises him pc.
sition. Commencing life a Democrat, he changed
when he found that the Abolition party was getting
strong, and would soon be in the ascendant and
placed himself at its head. True, he was showed
aside when the party became strong enough to
elect President but he has the vitality of a cat
and q bulldog courage which no obstacles can SUBJ
due. # he can make more by opposing the Ad-
fnlnlstratlon than by sustaining it, then he will be
found n the ranks of the Opposition. If he can
advance his interests and secure his promotion BY
any particular course Of action, it is certain that
ne Will pursue that very course. In this view, we
are afraid his furious war speech is an Indication
that the Administration has determined to back
down on the Trent affair-that, like Mr., Yuffin,s
giant it is getting shaky in the legs-thst the roar
OF the British lion has frightened the Abrahamic
conclave, and they are prepared to bend the knee
to England, acknowledge their poltroonery, and
beg to be spared. And Hale, knowing that the
Northern masses are opposed to this, is getting
ready to lead the macontents and become the
chief Of great Opposition party, which will be
majority Of the people.
We cannot believe it possible that any we'll
informed Northern politician would honestly re-
commend war between that couatry and Eng
land. With one war already on their hands, which
is more than they can manage-with a fearful
national debt, swelling at the rate of million and
a half day-without a navy that could last six
months against the fleets of Great Britainit would
be worse than folly for them to make the ATTEMPT
to defy that great power. Hale,s object, then.
can be nothing else than, by cheap exhibition of
valor, to become the representative man of the |
Northern Opposition. It will not make much diff |
ference, perhaps, to Of the South, seeing that all
parties at the North are for the vigorous prosecu
ion of the war upon usstill it will be consolatory
% see the Gorilla Administration come to grief and |
ink into contempt among its own people.