The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-06-10

the most Iamentabe incapacity to deal with, or
even to understand, the momentous crisis in which
the country has been involved the hour when
he was inaugurated, he and his Cabinet have been
guilty of one continued series of blunders wrongs
and usurpa,ions. Their proceedings have been
marked throughout by the most inconceivable
lack of craftsmanship, the most unparalleled du-
plicty, the most objectionable effrontery, and the
most perverse obstinaey. Not for one single in
slant do they appear as facts have subsequently,
shown, to have comprehended the perilous stua-
ton of the nation. His predecessor in Office had
seen clearly enough the character and probable
consequences of the movement in the South; and
when Mr.. BUCHANAN urged Congress to take some
steps to conciliate the Southern people, and TO
compromise the dispute between the sections, he
did so because he knew that the very moment the
Executive resorted TO coercion it would plunge
the nation in bloody war; and seal the doom OF
the Republic. Many of the ablest men in the
North had also added their voices TO that of the
late President in earnest appeals to the dominant
party to make some concessions TO the fears
and just demands of the South before it should be
too late. They reminded Mr. LIYcoNs ad-
herents on the floor of Congress of the danger of
treating the complaints of the people of the slave
States with contempt, and depicted with singular
accuracy the inevitable results of such course.
In one of these speeches which happens to be lying
by US, and which, in its tone and views, is SINH
lar TO many which were delivered in the earlier
part of the last session, we find language which
proves how fully many Northern representatives
realized the extent and imminency of the danger
which threatened the nation. In January, Mr..
PENDLEToN, of Ohio in addressing the House,
said:-
Gentlemen tell us that they must maintain the Union
yield to no man in my devotion to the Union. My
sttuents-the people of the whole Norhwest-have for
it an unalterable attachment, y
But, sir, money armies, BLOOD will not maintain the
| Union Justice, reason, peace may.
Gentlemen pray you learn prudence from the herosm
OF your ancestry pray you learn wisdom from your
countrys history. Fifteen States of this Union
you oday with their complaints. Hear them They tell
you they have grievances Redress them They say they
have fears for their safety Alay those They
.hey nave appehenslons OF wrong Assause them Cen
tlemen, remove every of agitation irritation
however unfounded you deem it, They may have COM
United acts of passion and wrong. Apprehensiye of
armed coercion, exasperated by domestic
security they may have seized forts and arsenas
taken possession of our arms and in cases have
treated harshy citizens These acts are wrong; but
forbearance, equanimy fitting attributes power;
and moderation in victory is the test of that wisdom and
worth which deserve it. Remember that the men who
You bone of bone and flesh of orr flesh.
they are our fellow and orr brethren Whether
justly or unjust their dsconents have taken deep hold
of their hearts Let beg you to grant all their
reasonable demands You do it without loss
PRIDE without loss of seespect without loss of
l beg you, in Gods name do it?
Gentlemen, to-day you must make your choice To-day
lay aside all thoughts Of war; and cultivate the arts OF
peace. To-day determine upon course of Cancellation
and compromise If do not if you insist upon draw
ing the sword and dipping in your brothers. Blood
you insist upon this unnatural and uuholy war
to wage it to the last extremity for you that every
wound which inict upon the Southern people every
defeat to which subject them every degradation YOU
may have the power to make them endure, will
frankie in their breasts until they out the last stain
in your blood and mne it may be- in that of cur chill
| dren.
| To these brave and wise words the Southern
| representatives added their circumstances and
warnings. But upon the ears of Mi. LINCOLN and
his advisers all suggestions and exposuaons fell
unheeded. They insisted to the last that the ex-
element in the slave States was but the clamor oil
few dissatisfied politicians; that the crisis was
purely artificial; that the threat of dissolution Of
! the UNION was absurd that the storm would blow
over in thirty days, and that if revolution was
attempted the overwhelming majority Of UNION
men in the South would sweep the agiators from
the face of the earth. Matters did not. however
take the course that Mr. LINCOLN evidently ex
pected, and when he entered upon his Office he
found that the Confederacy was rapidly becoming
| dislntegraed. But the momentous events thai
had SO recently transpired apparently produced nc
impression upon his mind. statesman would
| nave gained wisdom, mere politician would
have acquired discernment from being brought
face 10 face with facts as stubborn as those which
confronted MI LINCOLN. But he chung with dooged
'enaclty to his narrow notions and blind projects
| lie stl saw no reason 10 make any oyertures
| TO the South or 10 conciliate its PEOPLE. HI
still dsregarded their dissatisfaction and Amounted
to the high places in the government, the most OK
IRENE adherents of a faction whose threats ani
calumnies had originally alienated and angerel
the South. He was still satisfied that the UN1o,
men there constituted the majority; that they de
sired the aid of the federal forces that no candi,
statesman really contemplated the dissolution O
the UNION as possible thing. He, therefore, de
termlned at all hazards TO coerce the South int
obedience, and to resort 10 illegal and unconstitu
honal measures for that purpose, on the presump
ton that plant Congress would for the sake Of
the end sanctify the means. He thought success
against the saveholdng South would be accented
by The North as a justification for his assumption
or arbitrary power. Instead, therefore, of calno
upon the new Congress to decide between com.
promise and war, he determined that question
himself Then he found the aid of CONGRESS- was
necessary, and he summoned it; he discovered
tnat tie Southern people were stronger and more
In earnest than he imagined, and he called an i'm
mense army into ext stence He has thus forced
large and reluctant minority in the North 10
become parties to war of which they dsapprove,
and has burthened them with a debt which thew
would not willingly have incurred, and he has
arrayed in united hostility to this government al.
most every Southern State All this he has done
IN 1iagrant defiance of the Constitution, and the
consequences of his policy will be the certain dis
solution of the UNION and the slaughter of thou
sands OF the American people. This, then is the
government that we are invoked to uphold, For
such results we are asked to sustain the Admins
tratlon. For the subjugaton of our brethren,
and IN a contest which the representatives of the
people have not authorized, we are supposed TO be
bound to follow our national flag. Ought we to
publish to the world the fact that such a govern
ment as Mr.. LINCOLN is tolerated in a land which
once produced statesmen and had a Constitution 2
Arewe under any obligation to follow him further
upon his war path? These are questions about
which Marylanders cannot long hesitate,