The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-03-19

AT all events, with the ultmatum of the Sc
ceded States before him, Mr.. Lincoln should
now, without wasting delay, indicate the poll
cy of his administration.
what Is tine Policy of the Ad,ntnistra-
tion :-Is AZ Peace OF War:
The whole country is inqniring what is the
policy of the administratiou-wh whether it is
peace or war or whether the administration
has any policy at all, and the President is not a
political Micawber, waiting for something to
turn up" All are at loss to understand what
Mr.. Lincoln means to do about the forts
whether his vacillstion results from cowardice,
or whether 1t does not indicate design to give
peace and prosperity to the country once more.
Pressing as is the emergency, the only thing
that has been done at the White House for the
last fortnight is the payment Of stump orators
for their services in the late campaign. The
distribution of spoils takes precedence of the
greatest interests of the nation, and even of
the very question of the existence of the GO
vernment which now trembles Ia the balance.
There has been for the last few days great
talk about the surrender Of Sumter and
from all accounts it appears probable that the
President aud Cabinet will swallow up all their
courageous talk, and all the biaster of their
party, and order the evacuation of that
fort But in order to cover up the
cOwardce of this measure, which the
republican journals regard as ga military
necessity, and not political conces-
sion," orders have been issued for The rein
foro ~ nh K,
suspect, and Pensacola is the destination of the
sbips-of war which have sailed hence for the
Gulf The mystery maintained at Washington,
coupled with the concentrated movement of
armed vessels Southwark, affords strong grounds
for believing that Mr.. Lincoln's stump speeches
on his way to the capital, ana particularly his
great stump speech on the day Of his Inaugural
ton, did not mean peace, bat war, if they
meant nythipg at all, and that Mr. Douglas is
altogether wrong in the Interpretation he has
given the inaugural. There is too much cause
to fear that the intention OF the Cabinet il to
produce collision at Fort Pickens knowing
that the troops of the Confederate States will
not permit Its reinforcement without san
culinary resistance, which they are now ID a po-
sition to render.
The administration are well aware thsta bat
tie in Pensacola Bay would arouse the war
spirit Of the whole South and the whole North,
no matter IN whose favor the conflict Nigh.
be decided. Their object, therefore, ia
to gradually bring on civil war; and
the Fort Pickens expedition ia to prepare the
way for the raising Of money to carry it on by
the vote of the new Congress in extra session
The last Congress did nothing but pass stock
jobbing tariff for the benef Of stockholders
a measure which is disgrace to the country
and to the age. An extra session of the new
Congress will probably be called, in order to
obtain the sinews of war at the expense of the
pockets and the blood Of the people. The
settled purpose appears to be to drift the
country insensibly into civil strife, and to in
auguratc reign of terror, in which, as CARR
son predicts, "blood must flow like water"
Senator Chandler declared in his place in the
Senate during the last days Of the session, that
the republican party were ready to "stand in
blood;" and in letter to the Governor of
Michigan he subsequently declared that "blood-
letting" was necessary to the existence of
black republican rule, and that without it the
government "would not be worth a rush."
This is the common sentiment Of all the radi
calls Of the party who sway the counsels of the
Cabinet at Washington. They hold that the
victory they won in the Presidential election
would be Of no value unless they can now use
it to let blood and to raise servie Instructions
in every Southern State. 1t is thus they intend
to achieve the ultimate extinction" Of slave
ry, and to overthrow the government establish
ed by Washington and his compatriots Of the
Revolution, and either to reduce the country
to the condition of Mexico-torn to pieces by
anarchy and military chieftains in intsrnecine
confict-or to erect upon the ruins Of liberty
and democratic institutions military despot-
ism, claiming kindred with the absolute gov
ernments Of Europe, supported by the bloody
bayonets Of mercenary standing armies, instead
of the willing hearts Of free people.
EFFECTS OF SEcEssIoN-FA ny THE
WHoLEsALE.--In another column will be found
an extract from newspaper, together with a
letter from gentleman in Abbeville, South
Carolina, which afford fair indication of the
extent to which the most exaggerated state
ments are fabricated, for the purpose of preju-
diciDg and misleading the minds OF the people
in regard to affairs at the South. Pretending to
be resident Of little country town, some in.
dividual has gathered together series of the
most improbable events, which have been cum
ningly posted of to small se;tlementin Texas,
and then left to work their mission. Lies, like
however, come home to roost; and,
the letter has fallen into the hands
of gentleman well calculated to ventilate the
facts to the uttermost He shows conclusively
that the statement in question, like thousands
Of others which have been so industriously cir
culated throughout the country, are "trilcs
light as AIR, which have not the slightest foun