New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-05-20

rying your flag over a land Of which the people
will not recognize it as theirs. Your own city
furnishes forth, as Git instruments for this wicked
war, regiment of desperadoes, noted because
they have committed innumerahle crimes and are
supposed to be capable of the greatest vilNanes-
wretches whom you fear at home, and launch out,
with their whettGd knives, upon the women aud
children of the South. Your conservative
chants open their purses freely to equip these mis-
creants for the work of theving and slaughter;
and your Christian preachers give it their pious
benedctions. And this is done in a" Conserva-
tve' city, in the nineteenth century in conflict
of which there is now but one element-whether
people kindred to you shall be let alone in the
possession of their own property aud the protec-
ton Of themselves.
might heap proofs on proofs of this sort, which
occur now every day, which have satisfied the
most doubling that it was well done to detach our
selves from association with people which gives
its conservatism up at once utterly, before the
clamors of furious mob.
That the same conservatism surrenders calmly
to the tyranny of the Government as to the blind
fury of the mob. Your President calls out armies
to subjugate States Institutes hockades, stops
commerce by his sole fat, and kindles the flames
of civil war; without warrant for these acts, in any
part of your Constitution. If heswere not minister
ing to popular frenzy too wild to be controlled,
who is trampling all civil rights with the
foot of military dictator. But this is your affair,
not ours. If you at the North are content from
your vindictve feelings towards us, to submit to
Y,
deavor to instruct you that there is safeguard
left for your own property or rights We profit by
them, ID finding new Justification for foresight
in separating ourselves from such associations.
Your inquiry, in what way we expect to do bet
ter without the North, is already substantially
answered. We cannot do worse than live under
such domination. At worst, it would be better
to die in the open fields, with arms ia our hands,
than be sm0thered in the dark. in the house of
treacherous friends. But we shall not die, and we
cannot be conquered.
We have all the materials for erecting strong
and stable Government, We are cured of the am
biton of having splendid Government. The
experience of the late Union is warning, to last
us fer generations, against the lust for grandeur.
We want to restore the simple Republican virtues
of the old time, which have been totally lost in the
infinite Corrupti0ns generated at Washington by
Northern politics. We shall have few laws. few
establishments, light expenditures no jobbngs,
and u homogeneous and cnntented people.
ALI this is possible, and the only obstacle which
we find is your enmty. The unreasoniug North
declare to US us that Southern independence can
not stand, and shall not stand against the physical
power which can be precipitated upon us. Their
pride revolts at permitting us to 60 away frG N
them in peace. They rave rs though it is dis
honor to their flag if they shall not keep us under
their Government by force; and you yourself ap-
pear to have yielded to the impulse for
domination, when in your last inquiry you desire
to knew whether the people of the South actually
think the people of the North to have dwindled
from their ancient renown to be "poltroons and
drivelers." The only sense in which this is to be
understood is that, in your opinion, to consent to
the peaceable withdrawal Of these States would
be ignominious to the North. In other words, it
is matter of pride at the North, to show that
they are our masters.
This is the same assertion of the right of COM
mand over interiors which we had to resist within
the Union, and which drove US ont of it. We de-
clded that it is better to meet it with free limbs,
independent people, than TO struggle against it,
manacled by forms which used to weaken u.s.
T wi between ppDnln nd
pie, we are better OIL as we are for asserting
equality.
But we reasoned that, il there be any sincerity
at all in the plea often presented to us, that it
is not dominion over which you wanted, but the
clearing of your conscieuces from the resppn.
sibility of slavery, and removing it entirely beyond
the Government OF which you are part, You would
be constrained, after the first burst OF dtsappont
nent in the loss of political power is over, to see
that it is best, on your own grounds that should
part in peace. II you act otherwise and infIct
upon upon us, because we Withdraw slavery
entirely from yonr jurisdctioE, you confirm in
our belief of your insincprity and unfreudliness
and of the wisdom OF taking our own protection
upon ourselves.
But we have reasoned further-that our total Sc
paration from you removes some Of the fuel which
has kept up the anti-SlaVery excitement among
you. Slavery can no longer be pretented to he
domestic question with you. Itcan no longer have
the controlling place in your domestic politics.
While the South was within your Government, your
demagogues had theme on which they could d.
late, and rouse the populace TO frenzy before
which timid men of thought gave way in hopeless
ness, and to which the ambitions pandered for
power. BY use of it, they got control of immense
revenues. fat jobs, and good offices. There was
no hope for this rage of anti slavery politics to
cease. whilst there the South TO be cruelty ex-
perimented upon, or an interest of slavery left,
which could be offered up sacrifice. The rage at
our escape from this iuGessant persecution, shows
how highly we were estimated as the material for
party uses. Now that we take ourselves from the
Hnfu NOR dam
find some other topics for domestic contentious.
The slavery question is converted into public
one, with another relati1n-nne of war, for the
suhugaton of an independent people, or peace,
commerce and friendly intercourse with them
1t ought to be peace. The Northern conscience
ought be at rest and Northern parties appeased.
If 1t be otherwise the fault is not 1t cannot
be otherwise without great crinle, and the crime
il not ours. We ask to be let at0ne and to walk
in the paths of peace, by ourselves. Whatever
resisGs this by force, encourages fratricidal
war to suppress freedom of action, or to punish
us with fire, slaughter aud devastation for the
making of that choice, ia heinOuS offence against
Justice, humanity, religion and liberty-all that
lifts the civilization of this continent above the
barbarism of Africa.
But OF all this we shall be gutless Every man
in the South, if he marching to his DEATH
may If his hands fearlessly toward Heaven, and
Say with the calmness of the great Reformer in the
presence Of prosecuting council, ~ cannot do
otherwise, so help me God! p"
I had not designed extending my letter to this
great length, but my heart is in the subject and it
has grown under my pen, insensibly to myself. [
have written without preparation, and with entire
freedom conscious OF No design to give offence
even to your prejudices, but DESTROYS to make, in
response to your inquiries truthful exposition of
the state of mind at the South.
Yon may derive from it these conclusions-tbat
cannot return to the same Government with
the North we cannot 80 live 10 peace with you !;
desire TO live apart from you ; but in peace
with you, if You will. We have no wish to invade
your Territory, assail your flag or harm your peo-
plea We fluid no fault with your enthusiasm for
the Stars aud stripes as the emhlems of your own
Government. We content that you should
cherish them and support them with your best
blood aud BREATH But not content, and
will never allow that you shall plant them on
territory, embleus of sovereignty or of con-
quest over Us. We have a country and flag of
our own to which our affections aud our duty are
pledged. We shall rally to them unanimously !;
and, not to speak boastingly, hut with the camness
of uubOund-d trust ID q righteous cause, all the
power OF Lincoln, upheld by the wild hordes he
can muster 10 the North, and aided by the lavish
contributions of your migrate merchants, cannot
prevail against US.
1t Is Amazlng TO me that any " solid thinking"
man among you should desire to prevail in this
strife. II you could succeed in overrunning and
sahduing the South, your work would only be be-
gun. The hundreds of millions which it will have
Gust you in treasure, and the hecatumbs of lives,
will be but nhnitessima fractions of what it will
cost you TO "occupy and poSsess'' it. What was
won by arm must be maintained by armies.
There will he, of cnus7, no more States. You
will have UbliterAted them YOu will have subiect