The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-01
The Meeting or COnEress-The Kevolu-
tionary Dangers OF the Times.

We stand upon the threshold OF the most
momentous events in the history OF modern
civilization. Our Tbirty-sixth Congress reas-
sembles on Monday next; and % its constitu.
tional Limitation is the 18th Of March, it will
have only three months for the consideration Of
the weiehty concerns that will come before the
two houses This is brief interval for work
considering the exigencies of the day; bat,
under the extraordinary condition Of things at
this crisis, between the North and the South,
we fear. not so much that the session will be
too short for its needfl measures of legislation,
as that II will be too long for the credit of our
popular Institutions
In no instance since the day of tia Declare
ton of independence, from which this Union
started into life, have we had the meeting Of
any Congress marked by the daogers of disso-
luton and revolutionary acts Of violence
which will confront the two houses with their
meeting on Monday next Our readers will
remember the fearful scenes of sectional ex-
element in the House al the last session, pend
ing the desperate and proctacted struggle
for the Speaker, and how narrowly, on seve-
raj occasions, the government escaped
a revolutionary explosion frem bloody
fight of the factions. Then, however, the
pro slavery HotspuTs of the South and the abo
lition fanatics of the North were restrained, to
a great extent, by considerations Of policy
bearing upon the Presidential canvass Now
the Presidential election has been decided, II
has driven the South TO the wall, the Southern
States are at the fever heat of revolution, and
their representatives, in many cases, will return
to Washington no longer impressed with the
virtue Of submission, but ready to seize the
first provocation for a bloody reckoning.
We are not, therefore, disposed to be very
hopeful of good results from any compromise
movements in this Congress. Various PROPOSE
tions for sectional reconciliation will doubt
less be submitted, including one or more for
amendments Of the constitution, or for a new
constitutional convention of all the States or
for the restoration of the Missouri compromise.
But within the last few days the manifestations
of the disunion spirit in the cotton States
have almost convinced us that the day Of COM
premises is forever gone, that nothing now can
prevent dissolution Of this Union, and that
re dissolved, the only alternative of peace
will be the organization, with the consent
of both sections and of all parties con-
cerned, Of the slaveholding section and the
non slavehol ding section, each under govern
ment OF its own.
In this arrangement Of a peaceable separa.
ton he residrary effects of the present general
government might be equitably divided, after
the fashion Of the division of the property of
the great Methodist Episcopal church, with its
separation upon the slavery issue into the
church North and the church South. This
separation Of this church, which Mr.. Calhoun
considered, In bis dying speech in the Senate,
the swapping Of one of the strongest cords Of
the Union, suggests the peaceable mode of &C
quiescirg in dissolution Of the government
itself. In the event, therefore of this dissolu-
ton. which now seems to be inevitable. II IL to
be hoped that the example of the Methodist
church will be adopted by the statesmen and
people Of the North and the South in their or
eanization of u Northern and q Southern
confeaeracy.
Meantime, in an editorial article which we
transfer TO this paper from the Independent, q
republican politico-religious journal Of this
city, our readers will perceive how small Is the
mere incident Of Lincolns election in the gres,
chapter of this Southern disunion agitation.
In this frank exposition OF the sen.
iimsnts aud programme Of the re-
publican party. the journal 10 question
Gays that although Lincoln IL elected, the gi
gan,ic iniquity slavery s,ill stands, hostile to
the spirit Of he constitution and the known
policy VI IFS trainers; hostile to the whole genius
OF our free Institutions hostile to every principle
and precept of Christianity an organized, un.
mitigated system Of wickedness," and that
while that sys.em stands we cannot let II
alone" Mex, We are told what Congress can
do towards the suppression OF this system Of
wickednsss," aud that meantime ~ IL our duty
to labor for its exterminaion by all the moral
means thar God has put in our power, by argu
ment. by testimony, by The pulpit ard the
press. by business and social the Helper book
Influences
Tbis il re correct definition OF the "irrepres
sible couaict proclaimed by Mr.. Lincoln and
Mr. Seward aud in virtue Of which the repub-
lican party oil The North has reached the Pr.si
deucy, We carnot deny this conflict. bu, we
cannot recognise j, Si.hout admitting that TO
restore The South to the Union In the desirable
relations Of peace, the deep seated and widely
dirused moral and religious hostility Of the
North sgsins, slavery must be reversed-that
the stupendcus and csssant labors on the side
Of the Northern anti slavery agitation Of thirty
years must all be uudone, and that the NORTH.
ern mind must be e.educa,ed to the recog
milton Of slavery ss necessity TO the Union
and TO Southern society.
In this gloomy aspect OF the question, he rs.
pee, 10 which il is generally regarded in the
South. can We hope that Southern dlsnnion msn
will lock upon any offers Of compromise IN aug