New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-03-27
A TRANSATLANTIC VIEW OF THE
SOUTHERN CONNEnER ACY.


confused and indehuie ideas of American affairs,
until within the last few months. Its conductors
were constantly making blunders and mistakes
when treating of events on this side of the Attain
tic. Lately, however, the Southern movement for
independence has caused them to study more
closely political affairs, and although their pre-
objections were against the South on account of
the existence of slavery among US, they begin to
display, in many respects. clearer insight into
our condition than even the Abolition press of the
North.
Thus late issue of the London Review dis
cusses with much force and wisdom, the Southern
movement for independence, in leading article
from which We extract as follows:
The Southern Confederacy is no longer a scheme
but a fact. Events have succeeded each other
with such rapidly since the election of Mr.. Lin
coin, and the South has uniformly maintained so
consistent front against all opposition, and turned
deaf an ear to the and eXpostulutions of
the North, that the Union is as much thing of the
past as yesterday or the Heptarchy. The United
States Of America are not in existence. Free
and Slave Republic occupy their place, and
stand side by side, destined to be rivals-perhaps
to be enemies; while a third Republic, or confed
Grafton OF Republics, to the West of the Rocky
Mountains on the fertile shores of the Pacific, is
certain to assert its independence at no distant
date. and to form the nucleus Of another powerful
empire.
| revolution it is instructive to observe with what
pertinacity the South has asserted its claims with
what GOODNESS and self-possession it has substantial
| ted them, and how utterly callous it has shown
itself to any and every attempt at compromise and
Cancellation. It is equally Instructive to note how
| over anxious the North has been to preserve the
| Union, how willing to concede what could not be
| conceded without sacrifice of dignity and self
respect, how ready to tamper with the sacred
| principle of human liberty, which the Consti-
tuition of the Union originally based---if it
should but maintain its connection with States and
communities which repudated the contract de-
MED the advantage and declined the honor. Not
only has the North exhibited itself time
server and trimmer at lime when decision
above all things requisite but afflicted with
that peculiar species Of dementia which the RO-
man poet tells us possesses the minds Of those
whom the gods have predestined to ruin and dis
grace. How otherwise could Congress-in both
Houses of which the North possesses majority By
the voluntary retirement Of the Senators and Rep
resentatiyes of the seeded States-have been
foolish enough to press forward protective tariff
in face Of the strongly avowed prediction Of the
South for free trade? To pirate about the old eX-
ploded faaCies of ProteGtionsm at a time like
that was to initiate the madness or the insolence
of Nero, and to fiddle while Rome was burning
The best thing that can be done is that which
will be done, if North or South have any wisdom
left to guide its counsels. AS the Union cannot be
rGestablished-and could not continue if it we're
the only course left is to make the inevitable sepa
ration as equitable, and as boodless as possible.
q
war to settle their differences and the South more
especially, in the existence of the black faint of
slavery, which has brought about the catastrophe,
has reasons far more cogent than the North to
deprecate the firing of gun, or the shedding of
drop Of blood in the conflict The Provisional Gov
eminent of the South, which has Just been fOrne
under the Presidency of Mr.. Jefferson DaVs-whCse
name has at last emerged our of the chaos as the
Washington, or rather as the Calhoun of the new
moTement-las but to declare to the North, and to
the several States of Europe to which is about to
accredt its Ambassadors, that it desires peacea-
Bile separation, equitable division of the common
property. as well fair share of the common
debts and liabilities of the deunct Union, to enlist
upon its side the good wishes Of all sensible and
practical men, The North has only to refuse the
proposition, and insist upon settling the dispute bv |
force of arms, to incur the disapprUbation of the
world, and put itself out of the pale of ordinary
sympathy, as utterly unreasonable and Impractical |
pie Slavery or non-saYery is no longer the ques- |
tion The quarrel has outgrown its original in |
centlve, and the South strong enough to do as it
pleases, takes its stand upon its inherent right to
retire from partnership that has become intolera-
Dle That MIR. Buchanan, if he had neither been
puslllanmous nor in cousion with the South |
might, by an adequate display of yigor at the very
first murmur of secession, have prevented all the
mischief that has since occurred may be quite true
nut Ills no answer to present requirements, to
the logic OF circumstances The disruption of the
American Union is as much fat dccOnpIi as the
English revolution of 1853, or the coup d'ctdt that
set Napoleon III upon the throne; and if there be
the only wise policy is to acknowledge it, and make
the best of it.
The Review makes two three mistakes of fact
and very serious mistakes, too, in the above, but
IN the general, it takes a very correct and pho-
sophlcal view Of affairs. Thus it is in error in
supposing the North has been willing to concede
anything. Very true, the Confederate States did
not ask for concessions, and did not want them.
But the Border Slave States did. They originated
Peace Conference in Washington, and tried every
eXpedient to get the AbOli0nists to concede some
thing, but all to no purpose. And nobody in the |
Confederate States complains of this refusal to |
concede on the part of the Abotonists because |
that party had won the victory on certain princi-
pies, and they would have been fools and towards
to have surrendered those principles from fear and
not from patriotism.
So, also, the Review is in error in asserting that
the black faint of slavery as it is called, has
" brought about the catastrophe" Slavery has
always been on the defensive. 1t was the war
upon slavery which brought about the glorious re-
sult-not the " catastrophe,n as the Review is !
pleased to call it. The Review might Just as well
say that the powder to blame for the eXplo-
sion of a magazine, rather than the man who set
fire to the fuse.
But the conclusion which is reached that the |
disruption is an accomplished fact-as much so
as the English revolution of $685. or the coup dctdt
of the French Emperor, is one which the North
would do we'll to consider, as this English journal |
advises If there is any craftsmanship in the |
North says the Review, they will see that their
only wise policy is to acknowledge the ndepend-
ence of the South and to make the best of it,
And it is pretty broadly intmated that foreign ma
tons intend to recognize independence not
little disposed thereto by our liberal commercial
policy, contrasted with what the Review calls
F." the old exploded fallacies of protection enter
tanned by the Northern Union.
The Abotionists, at the outset of the Southern
movement, counted much upon the sympathy and
alliance of foreign nations. Very much to their
surprise they encounter opposition where they ex-
pected friendship. The British and French press
both, representing the feelings of their people and
Governments, admit that the South is politically
independent, and that her future is as promising as
that of the North is gloomy. Thus one by one |
the props by which the Northern States expected
to be sustained are knocked from beneath them |
The tone of insoent bravado with which they
started out begins to be subdued into melancholy
whine of weakness and impotency. Astonished as
they are that the South has secured her independ-
ence, other and greater establishments are in