New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-04-01
Jaeh Orleans 9aiIg Crescent.
PEACE Or WAR.
D MONDAY MORNING, APRIL J., 1861.

Every effort that has been made at w Washingtoh
20 obtain from the Administration some indication
of its policy with regard to the Confederate states
has tlus far proved failure. That Administration
bag boon in power four weeks to-day, and no one
can say positively whether they mean 70 hhhe
war upon the Southern States or not. we are ais-
nosed to think they do not know, themselves, Whae
Sthey are going to do.
Y ATTEMPTS have been made in various "aJs "
draw them out but neither the Presiaen1, hot any
member Of the Cabinet nor any senator ~ 'no
confidence OF the Administration, opens hS iiiouu'
except to use vague indefinite, ambiguous pni "sos
which leave the main question more ciouoea WIN
doubt than ever. That they desire the coercion Oh
the Confederate states is plain enough-put tnal
they have settled down upon any hxea, Weil-ue-
ined policy, is altogether improbable.
The truth is, there ia hardly o man worthy oi inc
title of statesman in the ranks OF the Whole bioh
Republican party. 1t is made up OF men "l'nou'
frnness of character, and without that stef'
infexibIepurpose, in the absence OF winch w
achieyenentin in statesmanahip is possiple. ee""ia
.possesses a certain amount of cunning, OIL shle"a
Aess and of capacity to say rough Things Ill seiSe'y
lapauaee--but he is not, and never was, d h'a,i "
nerve OF man Of action. He y as poa as . iio'
until he gets into the presence ot danger of iespon
sibility, and then his courage forsakes MN. i"e
remainder of the Administration is composed VI
men who regard the Offices of the Government as 'he
cieg end OF ambition, and are lost IN atnaze'hehs
ana trembling with terror, at the grave dutles "hlen
those offices deyolve upon them. Ihey thotsh'
that to win the Presidency was all pue' hn'
the man who won the elephant in o rasle, Ihey uo
not know what to do with the Presidency now llia'
they have got it. Except to partition OUT 'he
crumbs Or office to the ravenous crew OF iazzarohi
who hang around the purlieus Of the White House,
not a move seems to have been MADE WIN fespso'
To the Administration Of their Government for the
ensuing four years. Instead Of promuisauns some
manly, decisive, open policy with regard 70 the
Southern States, whether it be OF dehahce y ~
Cancellation, they have kept atudiously silent, hud-
ding together in timorous alright like young
chickens when they see passing hawk atraia 10
act for fear Of committing blunder, and shame
fully avoiding the responsibilities Of the posllon
for which they have 40 long and so lapotlouS'y
grsss3ssfuggled.
We say this in no spirit of complaint or appre-
bensiou. The Confederate States are amply pre-
pared for either alternative the North may choose
ia present, whether it be peace Or war, and are
almost Indifferent as To which II shall be- But it is
sickening 10 witness the timid, weak wishy -washy
u
gustine 10 know that the places which have been
filed by Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Jackson,
POLK. Fillmore, ana their counseors and advisers,
are now occupied by men without either brains or
backbone who have neither the capacity to deter
mine their future course Of action nor the will to
execute il if they knew what they wished to do.
There Is no other Government upon earth, the
ministers Of which, If challenged to proclaim their
~. j anrI Iiunpi i1fs 4 m in.
istration has done, blinking the question, lodging
around corners, and tremulons with trepldaton
lest from their conscious inability to be "masters
ofthe situation" they add still further to the con
tempt into which they have fallen by some act OF
consummate folly, or some ridiculous and con
spcuous blunder.
If they mean war upon the South they would, II
they were honorable adyeraares, say in distinct
and emphatic terms. Even eHete and demorazed
Mexieo made .no secret Of her intentions, but de
family threw down the gage Of battle to US wher
we sent our troops TO The Texan frontier. But il
they meen peace, il is still more dlshonorable ane
cowardy in them to subjectthe Confederate States
10 the expense and labor of preparing for battle
and II concentrating troops when there IS to be nc
employment for them. In either event the Admin
istration at Washington has acted in manner
which must excite Tue C0Htellpb VI Sfeit Si'''4S-
and honorable nation
Bnt for the thorough and unlimited confidence
which the people Of the Confederate States have
in the brave soldier and cool, sagacious Statesman
who presides over their Government at Montgom
erv. it is not at ali unlikely that popular i'm
natiencs would have solved the question before
fhis and severed the gordian knot with the sword
n d ony that they know it is all for the best, il
the opinion Of those best qualified to judge, tina
thew have consented to see their Commissioner
detained in Washington upon frivolous pretexts
unable 10 get any reply to their demands, AM
dancing attendance upon an itnbecile Admlnstfa
finn which steadily refuses to proclaim its policy
We much. mistake the temper Of the Southern peo
nile. however, if this thing be allowed to continu
,nueh longer Time enough has already bee
given to the Administration at Washington t
Gefue its position with regard to the Contederat
SKATES: ana longer indulgence would seem to b
almost crime instead of a virtue. Foreign flags
the emblems Of neither war nor peace, hay
,foated in the Southern breeze about long enough
If neither the hopelessness Of the enterprise {
Southern subjection, nor the lack of means in
bankrupt treasury, will suffice to cause the witt
drawal of Northern troops from the soil of th
,Sonth. there is one other arbitrament to which bt
little is now needed to provoke the united and d.
.termiued people Of the Confederate States.
K 8EI .------------- sun---- ~.
.. s4gg4s rrrrr, ~ E.rtr1rM rr0-DAv