New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-04-20
Oeh Orlfans Daily Gresfent.
111gcOhN,s PoL1CY.
SATURDAY. MORNING, APRIL 20, 1851.

tons to go to Washington and ask the President il
person what were his intentions. The commits
: sion consisted Of Mr.. Preston, Secretary of The
Navy in Gen. Tayior's Administration, MIR. Stuart
Secretary of the Interior under MIR. Fillmore, ant
-1r. Randolph, a lineal descendant of Presiden
Jefferson The Commissioners, it will thus be seen
were gentlemen of the highest character. The
preamble and resolution of the Convention, whcl
the Commissioners presented, were as follows:
Whereas, in the opinion of this Convention, tht
uncertainty which prevails in the public mind as t
the policy which the Federal Executive intends tC
pursue teWards thesGceded States is extremely in
furious to the industrial and commercial interests
of the country, tends to Reep#up an exciemen
which is nnfavorable 10 the adjustment of pending
difficulties and threatens disturbance of the pub
4, lie peace !; therefore
/ Rcsolu6A, That committee Of three delegates
be appointed to wait on the President of the
United States present to him this preamble and
resolution. aud respectfully ask him 10 eommuni
cate to this Convention the policy which the
Federal Executive intends to pursue in regard tc
the Confederate States.
Lincoln replied to these gentlemen in writing, as
follows:
In answer | have to say that having at the be-
ginning Of my official term expressed my intended
policy as plainly as | was able it was with deep
regret and some modification | now learn thai
there is great and injurious uncertainty in the pub
lie mind 90 to what that p9cy is and what course
intend to pursue.
Not having as yet seen occasion to change, ii is
now my purpose to pursue the course marked ont
in the Inaugural Address. I commend q careful
consideration of the whole document, as the best
expression | can give of my purposes. As | then
and therein said, I now repeat:
The power cOndded to me will be used to hold
occupy and possess the property and places be-
longing to the Government, and to collect the
duties and lmposts; but beyond what is necessary
for these objects there will be no INVASION no
using Of force against OF. among the people any
whereof
BY the words !" property and places belonging
to the Government chiefly aude to the military
posts aud property which were in the possession
of the Government whenit came to my hands.
But It, aS now appears to be true, in pursuit of
purpose to drive the United States authority
from these places, nm unprovoked assault has
been made upon Fort Sumter, | shall hold myself
at liberty to repossess il I can, like places which
had been seized before the Government was de-
vo!ypd upon me.
I'D, in any event, l shall, to the best of nv
ahif2y, repel force by force
In case it proves true that Fort Sumter has been
assaulted, as reported, shall, perhaps, cause the
United States mails to he wthdraw wn from all the
States which claim to have seeded, believing that
the commencement Of actual war against the Gov
ernment iustifes and possibly demands it.
scarcely need to say that consider the military
posts and property situated within the States which
claim to have seeded, yet belonging to the
Government OF the United States as much as they
did before the supposed secession.
Whatever Glde lnay 40 lOr tile purpose, shall
not attempt 10 collect the duties and imposts by
any armed invasion Of any part of the country
not meaning by this, however, that may not land
a force deemed necessary to relieve fort upon
the border Of the country.
From the fact that have quoted a part Of the
inaugural Address, it must not be inferred that |
repudiate any other part, TIL whole of which / re-
affirm, except so far as what | now say Of the
mails may be regarded as modification.
1t seems to us that the Virginia Convention
might have oannrfninad from
and still more from his active preparations for
war, what were his intentions with regard to the
Confederate States. Still, the Convention, if it
erred at all, erred on the safe side; and we rather
think there is further OCCASION after the above
reply, for doubt as to Mr.. Lincoln's position
1t seems that the Northern President, when he
delivered his inaugural, merely meant to "hold,
occupy, and possessn the forts which were then
in his possession. This is what he saye now. But
y VIC doubt if that il what he meant when he spoke
x his inaugural address. One meaning of the word
oCCupy,' and its original meaning, as derived
from the Latin, is to seize upon. But, however
/ that may be, there is no doubt now as to what
4 Old Abe means to do--for he says he now holds
himself at liberty to repoSseSs, if he can, like
places which had been seized before the Govern
ment was deTolved upon him."
There is no mistaking that sort of language. He
holds himself at liberty to recapture the forts we
have taken. We hope he will continue to hold
himself there. He will hold a long time we
rather think, before he succeeds in his purpose
As he is at libeTtyn to do all this he will pro-
baby undertake the business as soon as possible.
When he succeeds VIC trust he will write to us and
let us know. Probably he means to carry out his
plans with those eight thousand troops that he has
called on Virginia for
Besides this, Old Abe threatens to withdraw the
mails from the Confederate States. He says "per-
4 haps he will do it. That "perhaps' is a very
A Aconycnent word, under the shelter of which man
Thas the largest liberty. There is, however, no
terror in the threat" to the Southern people.
Old Abe does not own Southern railroads and
stea Mboats-and if he knows of any mode by
which he can prevent them from carrying letters
and papers, We hope he will also let Us know how
he proposes to do it.
From the way in which he speaks of landing
forces upon the border of country, it is safe to
infer that he intends to reinforce the Southern forts
now held by United States troops. Ia fact Fort
PicEons has already been reinforced. The rein
forcing business, we take it, will not be long kept
up. l. little more grape" will very likely soon
settle the account of the Confederate States with
the old Union, 50 far SO Fort Piclens is concerned
After this reply to the Virginia Commissioners
and the War Proclamation, we think there can he
no further question as to Linc0ln's policy. He
means tc make war upon the South, anG subdue
ns-J lie can. That q it," however, will be
terribly in his way before he gets through,
The Rchmond (Va) Wing, of the l5th bas the
following commentary upon the above reply of
Lincoln to the Virginia Commissioners:
The VIRGINIA COMMISSIONERS. These gentle
men returned from Washington yesterday They
AsdW Mr.. Lincoln and received from him Il written
ESSSlsWer-whicb we copy from Washington paper.
Ia q zWar-aniFeTsal and determined war The L.
"a 1rs OF Virginia in behalf III peace are treated
sE8 lth scorn and contempt The forts and ayRenaIs
a the seeded dBtaes are TO be.Captured the revc-
8ue to be collected by force of arms and abs,,-
lite and unlimited power claa8ad in substance fri
sNle Executive over the people and States Of the \
9$onfederacy. The question is @emnved from the 4
u brum of argument to the field of battle. It is
R berty or DeathI
# The Commissioners will make their report this
# lornDg. If the Convention is equ4: to the ocea-
#pn--and we do not doubt it-ths day will be the
N#favest in the annals of the commonwealth. Ou
~ occasion since her ,eXistence--not Egen whan a |
Ply Governor was driHen to his ships ff1m the old
R ptol at williamsburg this oiGi State so |
lch need the united hearts and hHnds Of all her |
slldren. We ferventy trRst for her pFesant well |
Re and futnre glory, chat al her sons may cluster
87und her to shield and defend her. While SHE has |
y en- pondering schemes OF peace, her eiAamies
II VIC been silently planning campaigns and 0slEani-
NE armies for her euhugaIian aud ruin. But sith
wa HeiGs- Union among ourselves we can safely