The New York herald., 1850-05-15
The Crisis-Tbc Great Debatc-The Cabinet
The Obstacle.


The great debate on the slavery question began
m the Senate on Monday. Mr.. Clay commenced
she discussion with one Of his brilliant, remarkable
and powerful speeches-a speech which, accord
hg TO all accounts, equal in force and pa
triotism TO those Of his best and palmiest days.
Yerging on the confines OF four years, every
patriotic heart mus, swell when il sees the great
statesman Of Kentucky. after half century Of
services still standing up for those great and para
mount constitutional principles, established by the
founders Of the republic, and developed by a
growth that has ouistripped every country under
the sun.
As IL is Said by a revolutionary contemporary at
Washington-the R,puhiic-we are really and
truly in " the beginning Of the end :" but whether
that crd IS merely the commencement Of another
oenuiy'- march Of glory and greatness for this
stie hood Of republics. or whether II be the be-
cir ng Of a fatal sectional dssenson. leading to
". urt elton, disorder, and future border wars
whether the first picture or the last is 10 be the
result II this debate, depends entirely on the pa
irotism and probity Of the present Congress--on
the intelligence and awakening spirits Of the
American people. We fear for the result. The
slcmcnts Of the disturbed atmosphere at Washing
ton look black and fcreboding. Yet sometimes,
in the midst Of the gloom which surrounds the cap
tai. we think in the noble efforts of such men
az Clay. Webster, Case. hauCGm. and others asso-
ciatcd with them in this great and novel movement
I'VE think we CLEANS Of brightness and FAIR
weather ahead The dangers which menace the
settlement If the great question Of the day. have
hitherto originated in the horrible aud blasphemous
fanaiicism Of the North, which has been graphi-
cally represented, to the life, by Glrrison's anti
slavery topyt, in the recent conventclcs held in
this metropolis. under the inspection Of Captain
Ryndcrs and his voluntary police. To this has
been added the cxcitablc hut well-founded resis-
tancc produced among the Southern people, by the
attacks organized in hc free States, upon Southern
social institutions A large portion Of tn repre-
seniativcs and people of the North cry aloud for
the Wilmot prouso and nothing less, It would
seem, viii satisfy them An equally large portion
Of the Southern people very naturally demand the
Missouri comrromse--the line of 36 3O--and con-
hdenlly point to past legislation for historical pre-
eedents for the settlement Of this disturbing qucs-
hon on such basis. The delnl Ids of the Northern
fanatics are unreasonable; while those Of the South.
though more reasonable, even in their excitement.
ere equally difficult in their execution. Bat above
and beyond these difficulties in the present, crisis
INTO which the country has been p-ecpitatcd 1t is
found that the creates, Of all obstacles presented
by the cabinet. selected ~ General Taylor himself
end now installed apparently in permanent power
at Washington. This cabinet have forced u'on
cur noble President policy which, by admitting,
during the present session, California alone, leaves
the oor territories, and the whole d sturbing ques
hon, as nucleus cfgrcatcr excitement and Of more
nenacing dangers than even that which has been
hitherto exhibited The policy ihus promulgated
by the cabinet under the sanction Of General
Taylor's NAME, is he policy " The ianaiics-tbc