New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-10-08
THE SITUATION.

whole country is in the balance and the
watch theresult, without feYerish excitemen
it's true, but with the deepest concern. Tn
4 vindictveness Of sectional feeling has sui
jected them to the injustice of being tempe
rarily elected from the congressional councils
Their voice is no longer heard in the leg
islatiye halls of the capitol. In common wit
EVERY other section they have representativ
+. in the chief executive, but they can give n
official expression of their voice in the genera
Legislature to sustain the wise acts of tn
President Mere spectators of the contest il
which their own interests and the welfare 0
the country are SO deeply involved, they cal
only give expression to their regret at the mac
4 passions of the hour, and applaud the her
culean efforts of the chief magistrate to stem
the wild torrent of fanaticism, and preserv,
to the people of the whole country some re
mains of that liberty which it cost SO muc1
to acquire and which has been the boast of 81
many generations
The influence Of Capitalization has not ye
robbed the people of every vestige of that in
herent right to local Legislation which has beer
so long enjoyed. Sectional war is waged, it il
4 true, against the enjoyment Of that right In
roads have been made upon it. The right has
been seriously impaired; but supported by the
executive regard for the Constitution, this pre-
negative Of the people, though it has been in,
lvaded. has not yet been oyerthrown. The as.
saults of dominant faction whose ambition
will dare any act Of temerity which may tend
! trA -
stantly directed against the bulwarks of con
stitutional liberty. These have been shaken,
but they find still strong support in the
President whose courage and assiduity are
lappled to repair the breaches already made
and to strengthen the safeguards of liberty,
which are so constantly assailed.
Conflicts Of authority fare not infrequent.
Federal Legislative encroachment treads more
and more heavily upon the rights formerly
conceded to tine local authority. New Eng
land has thrown down the barrier which for
merly separated these distinctive authorities
and is attempting to overthrow the whole
fabric of State government (which has hereto
fore sheltered individual rights from the
storms Of sectional passion and unreasoning
fanaticism. The judiciary, now as in every
previous time Of our history, still combats
these Entertainments upon established rights.
That great conservative power. at least is not
sectional. Its voice may occasionally be
drowned amid the tumult of conflicting
passions, but. in every lull Of the
storm its pleadings are heard in
behalf of the sanctity of Demonstrations, But
it too often happens now, that its announce
ments are but the voice of entreaty and oil
protest, and are no longer the authoritative
exposition Of principles which must be OBJ
served. When Marshall enuneiated from
his high position a living principle and issued
he mandate of the court, it went forth, com
handing respect and obedience from all. /
10 organized battalions were under his CON
rol; but such was the respect for the sane
ity of the ermine, and such was the regard
Or law, that an entire people stood ready
0 enforce q mandate which was but the ex-
'ression of their own will, in confornaity with |
he Constitution Of the country. Individual
lights were then secure. "A Washington. b
Jefferson or Madison would have been the |
irst to bow before the majesty of the law and
10 execute its constitutional interpretations,
But now, alas, it is different. Since Mr..
Lincoln, defed the mandate Of the chief ius-
ice and placed himself above the Constitu-
ion, individual will has asserted its supre-
macy over the wishes of a whole people as
in the fundamental law which was
for the guidance Of. all. A sup
posed military necessity, which regards rather
he comfort, on the supremacy of an indivi-
lual, has too often superseded the more lust
IDEAS OF public welfare as expressed in the
law Of the land, The voice Of JUS
ice has been often silenced by the roll Of the
iruin, and the mandate. even. of the chief
ustice, has ceased to command respect
syen from the junior lieutenants and the rank
md file Of colored regiments
But while the ambition of faction thus
openly disregards the restraints which the
Constitution has imposed upon power as a
to the rights of the citizen, the I
anne spiritof revolution whiohha Slapped the
of State authority under the Con
ititution, ii one section, is actively employed
n melting other State authorities to defiance
# the general law Radicalsm is organizing
throughout the North armed instruction
tegainst the general government, as means
# forcibly subyerting Constitution which
hey have NOT. the means Of legitimately
hanging, The legitimate executive of the
ountry will not be tool in their hands to
the country under the ruins of re-
publican government He asserts and persists
u maintaining the rights Of the people. He
abors to vindicate the Constitution and to
maintain it in its purity. He is, therefore, an
bstaele IN the way Of the revolution; but an
bstaele which the reyolutionists seem re-
oIved to remove.
This seems to us to be the situation. II
surrounded by clouds Of portentous black
ess. The liberties Of the whole people are
stake but the Northern people only are
ae actors in this great drama. Letus hope
aat moderate counsels may prevail through
ut the land, and'that the dark clouds which
ow bear SO ominous an aspect may disap-
ear without bursting in storm which would
lreaten with destruction the very founda- I
ons Of society.
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FossILs IN RED SANDSTONE, 1t is stated