The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-25

| We are now in the eighth week of the crisis,
ana nothing has been yet done towards giving
I peaceable solution. In a few weeks more,
should the same inactivity prevail among the
friends Of the Union, the time will have passed
10y forever for reconciliation between the two
belligerent sections, and nothing but miracle
can prevent long and bloody civil war.
| In this trying hour, from ''the congregated
wisdom" OF Congress do we look in vain for a
ray Of hope to enlighten the gloom which covers
the nation like q pail. The Committee of
Thirty-three in the House adjourned for a week
without coming to any vote, though time is so
precious, and every minute brings the North
| and South nearer TO collision; and, in fact,
we know not the moment when hostilities may
! commence The Committee of Thirteen in the
Senate have failed 70 agree upon any terms of
peace. The republican members declared they
would make no compromise and chad no qua
rantees TO offer" They rejected unanimously
the reasonable propositions OF Mr.. Crittenden-
a conservative statesman, who stands between
the extremes Of the sections. Under these cir
cumstances Mr.. Toombs, Of Georgia, a member
Of the committee telesraphed on sunday even
ing to the people Of that State in hese words:
Il have put the test fairly ard frankly. 1t is
decisive against you now. tell you, upon the
faith Of a true man, that All further looking 10
the North for security for your constitutional
rights in the Union ought to be instantly abaa-
doned. Ii is fraueht with nothing but ruin to
yourselves and your posterity Secession By the
| 4th day Of March next should be Numbered
rom the ballot box by the unanimous voice of
Georgia on the I'd day Of January next. Snch
| voice will be your. best guarantee for
| liberty, security tranquility and glory"
| No doubt this settles the question of speedy
acc, ssion in Georgia; and, indeed, it seems
| settled in all the Southern States. II any
| Union or conservative sentiment exists in OPP
/ position 10 immediate secession. ii is either
! silent or coupled with a condition which in
wolves not peaceable secession, but the carrying
| Of wan INTO the heart Of the North. TIE Rich
mond Wig, for instance, prefers that the
| south should fight in the Union" aud think,
| secession "a tame and cowardly SUBMISSION
| Il says:--"We should at least first make an
effort to obtain redress of our grievances in
the Union, and, failing SO to do. we should not
wait for the North to commence war upon the
| South, but the South should Immediately de
! clare war against the North Suca, We believe,
has been the uniform practice of nations and
| individuals heretofore. And we prefer con.
forming to the usual practice still to running
away from our rights and waiting declaration
Of war on the part Of our aggressors." This is
| the kind of conservatism that exhibits itself at
the South. The sectional spirit has become
there identified with patriotism, and the
J revolution is, with every rising sun, be-
coming more intensified and more thorough
| ly organized and consolidated. And yet
| Mr.. Seward tells us in his speech that
South Carolina is only humbugging us; that
| the secession spirit at the South was stronger
| on the night Of the election, on the 9th Of No
| vember, than it is now; that during the last
fifty Gays the passions and preju Ices OF the
South have become Modified, and in sixty days
'ncre the atmosphere will be all bright and
serene. If the passions Of the people in the
| Southern States have gradually become molli
fled since the election, and the secession spirit
has grown weaker from that time, they have
taken an extraordinary way Of showing it.
As Mr. Seward is in high degree responsible
for the revolutionary condition Of the South
and the deplorable consequences to the trade
| and commerce and general business interests
Of the North it is his cue to make everybody
believe that il all amounts to little or nothing
now, and that by the 4th Of March every ves-
tige of discord shall have vanished. But let
no man at the North lay this n,itering
JUNCTION to his soul. 1t would b.
dangerous, fatal delusion. The
revolution PUSHES on like a food, and there Is
none to arrest It's progress. The great din
Guilty with tbcpoliticians il that they have been
SO much in the habit of speaking for bun
combe" they cannot break it of, though the
cleo on Is over, and though an appalling dan
ger resulting from IL starcs them In the face.
| and the occasion demands the wisdom Of states
men, not the clap-tiap Of the demaeogue. u
instead Of jocular mcrrment and such amb
| guous language as reminds one Of Talleyrands
maxim, that speech was given to man TO con
ceal his thoughts, Mr.. Seward would come on
plainly and squarely and tell the country
what he and his party intend 10 do in view Of
the portentous signs Of revolution and pre-
paraiicns for war OF the South. he would be
only dscbarging solemn duty which be owes
to himself, to the State Of New York and the
country at large.
But there il nothing to be hoped from TIE po
| litical leaders. The people must act for them
| selves and take measures to call conventions in
every Northern State. This can be done in thu
course Of the ensuing month and the South can
offers Of friendship. Cancellation and compro
mise as the Northern States may offer; and If. In
! the meantime. the President elect will endorse
these concessions, then II l. TO be hoped that
The sun Of the 4th Of March will not rise in
blood and that Mr.. Lincoln will be the Presi-
dent, not OF the Northern fragment Of a broken
I-r,iora hut uf the ihirfx rniiad g4aaa.