New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-03-18
Am Appeal ron JUsTIcE.

We scarcely expected the Baltimore American,
paper which has some reputation for veracity and
candor, to publish such medley Of untruths as is
contained in the following brief paragraph
DowNRIGIT REPUDIArIoN.-The State of Louis
ana has taken possession of the Custom House
building, and allows the Government to run the
mails in that State. It has also seized tho bullion
of the Government in the Sub-Treasury, and has
returned drafts on that bullion protested, which
were given to the builders Of the Custom-House
for their pay, and to the contractors Tor carrying
the mail. Thus it refuses to allow the Govern
ment to pay for work done on the Custom House
with its own money, which the State now claims
as its own property, and for the carrying of the
mails within the State. The course Of the Seces-
sionists is thus diagngting every honest man, as
well as every patriot, and must ultimately cause
dissatisfaction at home. The amount Of these
drafts was $500 goo.
The plea of ignorance is not regarded as sufl-
cient excuse for misstatement made by public
journal; because it is the duty Of every conductor
of newspaper TO inform himself fully Of the facts
Of case before he undertakes to present them to
the public. But, in this instance there is no occa-
sion for any ignorance, because the facts have
been repeatedly published by all the papers Of this
State From the out-and- out Abolition press OF
the North we expect nothing else but misrepre,
sentaton and falsehood. From the Baltimore
S~tNS'I
fence Of our course, at least just and truthful
presentation Of the facts
| We repeat, then for the twentieth time, that
Louisiana has settled fairly, and means to settle
fairly, with the Federal Government for every dol
lar, and every dollars worth of public property,
that, for her own protection and the protection OF
her citizens, ahe took possession of and that Louis
lana has paid citizens of her own, who were crcdl
tors of the General Government money which that
Government wished to take away, and tried to take
away, leaving those creditors to get thcir pay aS
best they could. The Convention of this State, in
| one day, appropriated about eighty thousand dol
lars to pay certain creditors of the Government al
Washington, and they are paying every just CLAIM
! against that Government, and will continue to dc
| 80 as long as the money holds out. The American
states that the "amount" of drafts sent from
| Washington to buildcrs Of the Custom-H0use ana
| mail contractors was three hundred thousand dol
lars. This is wholly incorrect. The Government
sent draft here for that amount, directing tht
money to be carried away-moyed off to Washing
ton, Instead of paying their creditors, they &C
| tually attempted to take away the money wicl
those creditors had right to look to for their pay
To protect her own citizens, TO whom the Fedora
Government was in debt, Louisiana took the none.
and paid it over to them. The Federal Govern
mont attempted to remove the money, leaving
those creditors to get their pay the best way theI
could, and probably not at all. Now, then this il
a true representation of the facts of the case AM
unless the Baltimore American aspires to the bat
eminonce " Of the Abolition press, which con
stantly, and persistently, and wiluly miarepre
sens every thing done at the South, it will max
haste to rctract its ungenerous article, and 90 th
people of this State that simple justice which the
have right to expect.