The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-03
The Meeting or Congress To-Day state oi
the Country-Union or Disunion.

The last session Of the Thirty sixth Congress
begins to-day. II is constiu.ionally limited to
some ninety days duration, and yet its proceed
ings for Union or disunion, for good or evil,
may affect the destnies of the American people
for generations to come. All eyes from every
quarter of the confederacy are turned to Wash.
ington, for the universal impression Is that the
President and Congress can, II they will, aud
probably will, do something that may operate
to save the Union and to restore harmony be,
tween the North and the South.
For some days past the newspaper reporters
at Washington have been representing Mr.. Blu
chanan as exceedingly perplexed in reference
to the opinion Of his annual Message upon the
question of the right of a sovereign State to the
sovereign right Of secession. But our das
patches of last evening inform US tina! the Pre-
sident will be conciiatory but frm; and we
presume that after recog nizing the existing
perls of disunion, be will appeal 10 the wisdom
and patriotism of Congress, to provide rene
dy, If possible, for the menacing sectional dis
cords and excitements Of the day. II was said
that the delay in the preparation of the Mes
but it appears that Mr. Cobb has resigned his
place az Secretary of the Treasury
1t Ia intimated that the President will re
commend a new compromise between the cou-
ficting slaveholding and non slaveholding sec
tons of the Union through revision Of the
federal constitution. Upon this subject the
constitution itself provides, that "the Congress,
whenever two-thirds of both houses shall deem
1t necessary, shall propose amendments to this
constitution, or, on the application Of the lie
gislatures of two thirds Of the several States
shall call convention for proposing amend
ments, which, In either case, shall be valid, TO
all intents aud purposes, as part of this consti
tuition, when ratified by the Legislatures of
three. iourihs of the several States, or by con-
yentions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or
the other mode of ratification may be proposed
by Congress"
Here it will be seen that Congress has no
power to call constitutional convention until
application shall have been made for 1t by two
thirds Of the States; and that Congress can
only propose to the States amendments 10 the
constitution through a vote Of twothirds Of
both houses. Can this vote be secured In this
Congress upon propositions to amend the con
stituton on the subject of slavery that will be
satisfactory to the South? No. What then I.
The two houses may pass resolutions recon.
mendipg State action on the subject, ard the "a
peel At all obnoxious Northern State laws against
the Fugitive Slave act; they may also provide
additional safeguards to slave property; they
may restore the Missouri compromise line, aud
extend II TO the Pacific Ocean; but the questions
still recur, can these things 10 this Congress
be done Or, IL done, will they suffice to ar
rest dissolution Of the Union?
Assuming that these proceedings, or Others
Of conciliatory character, may prevent the
destruction of the confederacy, they can only
be effective from immediate action thereon.
The South Carolina State Convention on the
secession isfue meets on the 18th December,
and as early az the 18Th it is expected that the
proposed ordinance will be passed declaring
the State an independent Power to oil intent-
and purposes. After the passage Of this ordi-
nance, We fear that II will be easier for South
Carolina 70 draw all the other Southern States
70 her aide than 70 restore South Carolina TO the
Union. The secession Of that State, then. be
ipg the immediate and paramount difficulty,
what IL The course that patriotism would sug
gest to Congress to ward of this dagger?
A little delay, little time from South Caro-.
lima for reflection, is the first necessity. Bu,
how Is Il to be gainedf We eau think OF no
better plan to secure this point than the ap.
poin,ment OF q joint committee of the two
houses Of Congress, representing every other
State In the Union, to repair 10 Columbis, South
Caroline for the purpose Of a conference with
q committee Of said State Convention on the
day OF Its meeting. and In behalf OF q recogai-
ton Of the Union yet little longer This
peace committee itself might possibly fail; but
the tremendous interests az stake. Of all the
people OF all the States, are certainly worth
this experiment Of selfpreserva,ion. The plan
agreed upon yesterday In Washington was to
stave CT debate In the House on the Presi.
dents Message and refer II at once 10 special
committee Of thirty three, one from each State,
In order 10 reach settlement Of the question
before II In too late for the South TO recede.
~ aho taet VI Auis khrae PVih VI airuhlOu, "
would be here waste Of time TO consider the
probabilities, In this Congress, OF the admission
Of Kansas, OF the passage OF the Homestead bill,
Of Pacific road bills, tariffs or anything else
In the ordinary routine of legislation. Even
the regular appropriations for the stand
Ing necessities OF the government be.
come secondary issue at crisis
Ike this /; and II IL possible that the
session may terminate without the usual bills
Of supplies TO carry on the machinery Of the
several departments. 10 this event, one Of The
FIRST demands upon the incoming administration
Will be an extra session Of Congress, calling for
special elections In most Of the southern States,
proceeding which, however impers'ively re-
quired, would only increase our existing sec
tionsl endorsements.
We are In the midst OF clouds asd darkness,