The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-13

The Crisis i'm Cengress-Tho Real Issue
and tho Prospect.
In the numerous propositions of compre-
mise on the slavery question submitted in the
House Of Representatives yesterday, the read
er will perceive that that which holds the most
prominent position is the enforcement Of that
clause Of the constitution which relates to the
restoration Of fugitive slaves. But in the de-
bate of the preceding day in the Senate the
reader will discover that good faith in the mat
ter Of the Fugitive Slave law is not the remedy
for the crisis
Mr.. Iverson. Of Georgia, who speaks the pre-
dominant sentiment of all the "cotton States"
in tho debate referred to, said:-"We have Flu
gtive Slave law which is sufficiently guarded
to accomplish all the objects for which it was
designed If there was proper public senti-
ment in the Northern States. No better Fugi-
tive Slave law could be devised by this Con
gress or any other. 1t clothes the judiciary
and executive Of this government with ample
powers to execute the laws" The trouble
does not lie in any defect in the law. at lies
in the fact, to which no man can shut his
eyes, that vitiated paNic sentiment in
the Northern States is so strong against
slarry that no enactment for the
restoration Of fugitive slaves) can be carried out
uhile this state Of public sentiment lasts.r SO
much, then, for these Northern Personal Liberty
bills The repeal of all these offensive acts
will practically amount to nothing The seat
of the disease lies deeper
"What then ~ the Senator from Georgia in
quires. "Then, sir, is it proposed to appease
the Southern States by the adoption Of the doc
trines of the Congressional protection Of slave
ry in the Territories l want to know who ex-
poets such remedy from this Congress or any
other! We know that the republican party are
unit upon that question. 1t is the great shib-
boleth on which they fought this battle and
won it. II is the very principle which stands
at the basis of their political organization. 1t
is that slavery shall not advance beyond its
present boundaries, and shall never plant
footprint in the Territories of the United
States" And further says the Senator, ave
know well that, as far as a portion of the North
ern democrats douglas men) are concerned,
they are as hostile to this principle protection
of slavery in the Territories by Congresses
the republicans themselves" The con-
sequences anticipated from this other
policy Of slavery restriction are, that
under its pressure in the hands of an anti
slavery government at Washington, the slave
population Of the South will soon be crowded
from the border States into the eight cotton
States, and that then their slave population will
soon become so superior in numbers as to have
the whites completely at their mercy, and so
demoralized as not to show them any mercy
This is the danger, and this is the Southern
incentive to disunion, and q separate govern
ment, without further loss of time. The Sena-
tor from Georgia says the late Presiden-
tial contest has illustrated the feeling of the
cotton States; that "it is in favor Of Congress
sional protection and no amendments Of the
constitution" and that this protection to sla-
very in the Territories was the ground oocu-
pied, not only by the Breckenridge but by the
Bell party, South, in the late campaign. But
as Southern men do not believe that this con-
and as any concessions extorted by fear would
be Of no value, the only alternative left to the
South is secession and Southern confederacy.
Is there any escape from this alternative.
We have not the shadow of doubt that Mr.
Iverson's views are sustained by an over
whelming popular sentiment in all the cotton
States, and by very large and influential body
of men in the border slave States, IL not by
a majority of their people. The ultimatum
Of the cotton States to the North is the recog-
milton and protection by Congress Of the insti-
tuition of Southern slavery in the common Ter
however, that this concession will no. be made,
because it strikes at the very root OF the repub-
lican party, and at the root, too, of the Douglas
democratic party Of the North. And this belief
is well founded. Senator Pugh. of Ohio, the
righthand man Of Mr.. Douglas, said, in the de-
State organization, or Territory, or community,
do not desire to have the institution of slavery
my right arm will fall from the socket before
will force them to accept it,"
With the republican party and the Douglas
democratic party organized, and thus hostile,
against this doctrine Of Congressional protec-
ion TO slavery in the Territories, ii cannot be
accepted as a compromise II is out of the
question. But is there no equivalent for this
,hing2 Yes; we are told that the restoration
of the Missouri Compromise line and its extern
sion to the Pacific will do. Weexpect that this
will be tried but we fear that IL
will fail We apprehend that the Rubicon has,
indeed, been crossed, and that while our wise
men in Congress are tinkering at impractcable
and unavaling compromises, the deed Of dis
union will be contaminated, and beyond the
restoration Of the seeding States to a common
government with the North. With few more
risings and settings Of the sun, this Union, we
fear will be irreparably broken, and then we
hall have only the beginning of the end. The