The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-05

cupies in regard to this question. He may alf0
read in them the condemnation that will await
him if he again exposes Europe to the horrors
and anxieties of war without having securely
calculated all the chances Of the struggle.
The Crisis and the Remedy in the North
and tn the south.
The conservative masses Of the people, North
as well as South, have become fairly aroused to
the conviction that in this most critical period
of our nations history, no remedy whatever is
to be looked for from their representatives in
Congress. A background of incapacity, stu
pidiiy, imbecility, gross ignorance and habitual
venality only presents in stronger relief such
weakness and cowardice, on the part of the ma
jority Of the members of the United States
Senate and House of Representatives, as has
but one or two parallels in the history of con-
situtional governments. At moment when
the discretion, judgment, patriotism and pres
tige are needed of statesmen, similar to those
produced by the country in the days of Wash
ington and Jefferson there is only to be found
desolate blank in knowledge and sagacity at
the source from whence sound and healthy le-
gislation should proceed. Each incumbent Of
Office, North and South, for the term of two or
six years, lives in deadly fear Of mourning un-
popularity among the populace of his own dis
trict or State; and even the few who possess
the ability are wanting in the moral courage,
independence and freedom from local domin-
ion which are indispensable for the
comprehension of those broad views of
interstate policy which must be developed to
heal the present and avert the impending evils
that menace the prosperity OF the confedera-
ton.
Such is the humiliating prospect which greets
citizens of the United States in the halls of the
Capitol. If they turn their eyes to the present
and incoming administrations, an equally
sickening state of affairs is presented to view,
without the slightest hope of remedy. The wise
recommendations Of Mr.. buchanan in his an
nual Message, and the decided stand he has
taken with regard to the South Carolina Com
missioners, commend themselves to the favor OF
the nation; but Congress burrows forward
in its molehill, and refuses to adopt his sug-
gestions, and to strengthen his hands to stay
the downward descent towards disintegratiOn
and anarchy. Mr.. Lincoln occupies himself
with figuring out Cabinet; and in awarding
spoils he may not be permitted to distribute,
while not man of his adherents gropes at any
interest beyond such as is Individual, or shows
an appreciation of the gravity of the mo-
mentous questions Of the hour.
Yet clear, unmistakeable, demonstrated,
stands the inextinguishable love of fve-sixths
of the population of the United States for the
Union. Neither abolition fanatics and perse-
cutors at the North, nor fre-eating logocrats
and mobocrats at the South, can quench the
patriotic fire which was kindled during the
dependence. The ashes of expiring fossilism
in Congress cannot smother it, nor can it be
extinguished by either the aggressions of
South Carolinian rebels or the Faneul Hall
thrangues which have provoked them to frenzy.
1t is the great ro1 popali, which will
unfold blessings and unity to the confedera-
ton, and build an enduring fabric of national
greatness upon the ruins of the sectional agita-
ton which has been created by narrow minded
sectional tyranny on the one hand, and undi-
gested, crude, unconstitutional resistance Of
wrong on the other.
Let the people, therefore, speak. OF the FIVE
milIinns nf v~s~-~ - thA limited States. il is
within bounds to say that four millions three
hundred thousand are conservative in sen!i-
ment and prepared to concede to the South
their reasonable demands. A constituent con-
vention Of the Southern States is already inn
pending. The effervescence which has resulted
in mob rule, violence, the seizure Of national
fortresses, custom houses, post Offices and
arsenals in South Carolina, is generally disap-
proved of, even in slaveholding communities.
If similar acts are committed elsewhere they
will be isolated and irresponsible, ana the
popular voice will fail to sanction them. The
general idea at the South, as is .apparent from
o study of the advices from the separate States,
is that each aggricved member of the confede-
ration should secedc, but that, once having
passed acts Of secession, they should leave rela-
tons with the federal government as they are,
and have recourse to a constituent convention
of the Southern States, to decide upon future
definite action.
1t is from such Southern constituent con-
coed 1t will be assembled, necessarily, to the
comparative exclusion of the small fry Of mere
sectional politicians, and the guarantees which
il asks will be sensible, reasonable, and such
as must commend themselves to the common
sense Of the masses of the people in the Gen.
trail and Western States. They will insist upon
the recognition of the property rights of their
citizens everywhere; upon the necdful stipula-
tons which intolerance has hitherto denied;
upon full liberty to carry slaves into the CON-
mon territory, and upon the recognition of uni
versal federation of opinion respecting slavery
as a social institution in the several States Of
the Union They will submit these different
conditions, as amendments to the constitution,
to the Northern States, earnestly inviting their
acceptance of them, and assigning period,
similar in principle to that which was appoint