New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-02-11


Of the Pacific slope, noble, gallant New Jerse,
alone excepted, as conclusive evidence of tbt
determined hostility of the Northern masses TO ON
institutions. We believe that he conacientfougl,
ehleftalns me opinions which he has SO often and
80 explicitly declared and that having hepr
elected on the issues thus presented he will hon.
estly endeaVor to carry them into execution
"hlie now we have no fears of serYiie nsurrec-
tion, even OF partial character, know that his
inauguration as President of the United States
with our assent, would have been considered by
many of our slaves as the day of their emancpa-
ton; and that the 4tli Of March would have wit
messed, in various quarters, outbreaks, which
although they would have been promptly SUD.
pressed, would have carried ruin and devastation
TO many Southern home, and have cost the lives
Of hundreds of the misguided victims Of Northern
Negrophilism.
Senators, six States have now severed the links
that bound them to g Union to which we were all
attached, as well by many ties of material we'll.
being, as by the inheritance Of common gories in
me past, and the well founded hopes of still more
brilliant destinies in the future Twelve seats are
now vacant on this floor. The work is only vet
but begun. 1t requires no spirit Of prophecy to
point to many, many chairs around us that will
SOON like ours, be untitled and If the weird sisters
OF the great dramatic poet could here be copiured
up, they would present to the affrighted vision of
those on the other side of the chamber, who have
so largely contributed to 81 the deep damnatjon of
this taking off, glass to show them many
more" They who have SO foully murdered The
Constitution and the Union will find, when too late,
like the Scottish Thane, that, for Banquos issue
they have filed their minds" i" they have but
placed upon their heads fruitless crown, and put
barren scepter in their grippe, no son of theirs
succeeding"
In taking leave of the Senate, while we shall
carry with US many agreeable recollections of in
tercourse, social and official, with gentlemen who
nave differed with US on this, the great question of
the age we would that we could, it fitting language,
express the mingled feelings of admiration and re.
greet with which we look back to our associations
On TINS floor with many of our northern cole agues
Ihey nave, one after the other, fallen in their he
rolc struggle against blind fanaticism, until nov
but few-aas! how few remain 10 fight the battle
OF the Constitution. Several even of these will
terminate their official career in one short month
and Will give place to men holding opinions diamet
really opposite, which have recommended them to
the snttrages of their States. Had we remained
here the same fate would have awaited at the next
election the four five last survivors Of that gal
liant band; but now we shall carry with us at
least this one consoling reflection, our departure
realizing all their predictions of i'll to the Republic
opens a new era of triumph for the Democratic
party Of the North, and will, we firmly believe
reestablish its lost ascendancy in most of the non
slaVeholding States.
Mr.. Benjamin. Nr. President, if we were en-
gagged in the performance of our accustomed egis-
lahve duties, might we'll rest content with the
simple statement of my concurrence in the re-
marks just made by my colleague. Deeply i'm
sion, J. cannot remain insensble to the duty of
recording, amongst the authentic reports of your
proceedings, the expression of my conviction that
the State of Louisiana has judged and acted well
and wisely in this crisis of her destiny.
Sir, it has been urged, on more than one occa-
sion, in the discussions here and elsewhere, that
Louisiana stands on an exceptional footing. 1t
has been said that whatever may be the rights of
the States that were original parties to the Con
stiution-even granting their right to resume, for
suttlcent cause, those restricted powers which
they delegated to the General Government in trust
for their own use and beneft-still Louisiana can
have, no such right because she was acquired by
purchase. Gentlemen have not hesitated to speak
of the sovereign States formed out Of the territory
ceded by France as property bought with the
money of the United States, belonging to them as
purchasers; and, although they have not carried
their doctrine to its legitimate results must CON
cude that they also mean to assert, on the same
principle. Merght of selling for price that echicb
for q price 1cdS bought.
shall not pause to comment ON this repuIsive
dogma OF party which asserts the right of Dro-
perty infree born white men, in order to reach its
cherished object Of destroying the right of proper
ty in slaveborn black men-still less shall detain
the Senate in pointing out how shadowy the distnc-
ton between the serve condition of the African and
that to which the white freemen of my State would
be reduced, if it indeed be true that they are bound
to this Governmental ties that cannot be legitimate
ly discovered, without the consent of that very ma
jority which yields its powers for their oppression
founded. deny that the province of Louisiana
or the people of Louisiana, were ever conveyed to
the United States for a price as property that
could be bought or sold at will. Without entering
into the details Of the negotiation, the archives Of
our State department show the fact to be- that al
though the domain, the public lands and other pro-
perty of France in the coded province, were CON
veyed by absolute title to the United States The
sovereignty acds not conUeyed ,other1Uise than IN
trust.
hundred fold, sir, has the Government of the
United States been reimbursed by the sales of pub
lie property of public lands, for the price of the
acquisition; but not with the fidelity of the honest
trustee has it discharged the obligations as regards
the sovereignty.
have said that the Government assumed to act
as trustee or guardian of the people of the ceded
province, and covenanted to transfer to them the
sovereignty thus held in trust for their use and ben
eft, as soon as they were capable of exercising it,
WHAT the express language of the treaty?
Ths the coded Territory shat be incorporated
BE- according the pncp Of The Feoera tionstint6n 10
The enjoyment Of IN the right advantages and of
arg The reliE o which they profess "
And sir, as if to mark the true nature of the
cession in manner too significant to admit of
the treaty stpulates no price
and the sole consideration for the conveyance as
stated on its face, is the desire to afford strong
proof of the friendship of France for the United
States. By the terms of separate convention
stipulatlng the payment of sum of money, the
precauon is again observed of stating that the
payment is to be made, not as consideration or a
price or a condition precedent of the cession,
but it is carefully distinguished as being conse.
quence of the cessi0n 1t was by words thus
chosen, sir, that James Monroe and
Thomas Jefferson marked their understanding of a
contract now misconstrued as being a bargain
and sale OF sovereignty over freemen. With what
indignant scOrn would those stauuch advocates of
the inherent right of self.goyernment have re-
pudated the savish doctrine now deduced from
their action!
How were the obligations of this treaty fulfilled?
That Louisiana at that date contained slaves held
as property by her people through the whole
length of the Mississippi valley-that those people
had unrestricted right of settlement with their
slaves underegal protection throughout the entire
coded province-no man has ever yet had the
lardhoOd to deny. Here is a treaty promise to
protect that property that s]nUe property, in that
Territory. before it should become State That
ibis promise was openly violated in the adjust.
nent forced upon the South at the time of the ad.
mission of Missouri, is matter of recorded history
The perspicuous and unanswerabe exposition of
Mr. Justice Catron, in the opinion delivered by him
n the bred Scott case, will remain through all |
line as an ample vndication of this assertion
If, then, sir the people Of Louisiana had right,
which Congress could not deny, of the admission
nto the Union with al the rights of all the citizens
If the United States it s in vain that the partisans
If the right of the majority to govern the minority
With despotic control attempt to establish dis |
lnction, to her prejudice, between her rights and
hose of any other State. The only distinction
which really exists is this: that she can point to
preach of treaty stipulations expressly guarantee