ll
persons_, in every State, owe a paramount allegiance to the United
States, the rebel masters, as well as their slaves--the Government has a
right to their services to suppress the rebellion; and to acknowledge
the independence of the South, is to ignore the existence of the slaves,
or to treat them, as the South do, as chattels, and not persons. In
acknowledging, then, Southern independence, the independence of the
_masters_, England expressly recognizes the doctrine of _property in
man_. Such a war, proclaimed by England and France against the United
States on such grounds, would be a war of their _Governments_--not of
their _peoples_, and could have but one termination. As to our
recognition of the independence of Texas, it was long after the decisive
battle of San Jacinto,--when the Mexican army was destroyed or captured,
together with the President, when he acknowledged their independence,
the Mexican Government, by accepting the advantages stipulated by him,
in fact, and in law, ratified the recognition. It was after all this,
when the contest was over, not a Mexican vessel on the coast of Texas,
nor a Mexican soldier upon her soil, that we recognized the independence
of Texas. The case, therefore, is widely different from the present. Let
it be remembered, that we hold, not only the mouth of the Mississippi,
its great city, the whole of the west bank of that imperial river, but
all the east bank, except two points, thus dissevering Texas, Louisiana,
and Arkansas from the rest of the South. Now the area of these three
States is 373,000 square miles, and that of all the remaining seceded
States, 396,000 square miles. In holding then the west bank of the
Mississippi, we have severed the great artery of the South, which is
death.
With these additions, easily supplied, our readers have before them
the whole of Governor Walker's letter,--ED. CONTINENTAL.
EDITOR'S TABLE
READERS: It were much to be wished, for your benefit, that the stalwart
form which has so long presided at our Table, should take the accustomed
place at our Banquet, again to serve you with the invigorating fare fit
for men; the dainties of delicious flavor suited to the taste of the
young and lovely; or once more to pour the accustomed draughts of old
Falernian, sunned by a warm heart and matured by a vigorous intellect,
into the goblets you are now holding for our September festival. For
aught we know, he may even now be trea
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