New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-02-05
WORDS Esrr.Y sparSnN.

Some time ago, at large public meeting in the
city OF New York, Elk President Fillmore was re-
quested to act as commissioner to the Southern
States, to assure them that If they would pause in
the work of disunon they would have no further
complaint of the North, and that all their rights in
| the Union and under the Constitution would be
fully respected. Mr. Fillmore declined the mission
| in letter full Of patriotism and full Of meaning.
| " What the Southern people WANT said the ex-
| President, g and what Iwant, is some assurance
| from the Republican party, now dominant at the
North, that they, at least the conservative por-
ton of them, are ready and willing to come for
ward and repeal all unconstitutional State laws,
live up to the compromises of the Constitution eS-
ecute the laws of Congress honestly and faithfully
and treat our Southern brethren as friends. When
can have any such reliable assurance as this to
give, Twill so most cheerfully and urge our South
ern brethren to follow our example and restore
harmony and fraternal affection between the North
and the South. Let us put ourselves right, and
then we can with more confidence and Justice ap-
peal to them
What singing rebuke it must have been to
Black Repablicanism to see mission of this sort
declined by an ExPresident of the United States,
and all the blame of the dissolution of the Union
thrown upon thean and the South fully acquitted,
if not directly justified! And to what a deep Of
degradation must they have fallen, when they have
to submit to be told by the most eminent and vir-
tuous citizens of their own section that all this
trouble has its origin among themselves, ana that
the South has no right to be called on to forbear
until they themselves first clear their skirts of the
K nfamy of their own deeds!
Mr.. Fillmore did a sensible thing in declining the
mission to the Sonth well for the whch he
so forcby urges in his letter, as because it would
have been simply waste of time and of labor to
have attempted the fruitless undertaking of per-
suading the Southern States to remain in the Union
1t is needless to say tbatif he had come he would
have been treated with the utmost courtesy and
the most distinguished honor-respectful listened
to, and patiently heard. But that would have been
all. From the moment that the cry of disunion
was raised in the South it would have been as stl-
perlatYe piece of folly to attempt to arrest the
Mississippi in its onward flow to the Gulf as to en-
deavor to turn back the irresistible tide of Southern
sentiment in favor of a dissolution of Union
which had become so hateful and intolerable.
Instead of undertaking the improbable enter
prise of persuading the South to remain in Union
which she had deliberately made up her mind to
repudiate and abandon, Mr.. Fillmore wisely ap-
pealed to his own people to remove the beam
from their Own eyes, and do justice themselves
before they had right to appeal to Southern
patriotism and fraternity. He tells them plainly
that they must execute the laws of Congress, re-
peal their own unconstitutional enactments and
consent to treat the Southern people with respect
instead of peltiDg them with abuse and reproach
and when they shall have done this, then he will
try what virtue there will be in an appeal to the
South Until they do this, he declines the task.
1t is at once satisfactory and painful to know
that there are thousands and tens of thousands of
good men and true all over the North who under
stand the true character Of this sectional ISSUE and
ire disposed to do ample Justice to the South and
not to spare the lash to the criminal fanatics who
ave driven the Southern people to their last resort
,f open resistance. It is satisfactory to know we
lave such friends in the North, but it is painful to
BE compelled by the stern necessities of our posi-
ion, proclaim our political separation from them.
Not the least of our regrets on account Of dis
ioluton Of the Union is the fact that they will be
outside Of our political system and ostracised and
hunted down by the miserable Abolition rabble
who will control the destnies of their own section
And it seems to US that if Abolitionism was not a
disease with these people, they would pause when
hey see the whole South, together with the best
Ind most eminent men of their own section,
banded together in opposition to their nefarious
md wicked policy. II the guilty alone in the
Worth could suffer, in consequence Of dsunion
md the innocent escape, there would not be
litter drop in the cup Of Southern happiness.
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