The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-03
since the opening Of the session Congress and
its committees have done nothing but what Is
calculated TO bring down securities Of all kinds,
and to promote revolution and civil war.
Imminense OF . National Catastrophe
Is there mo- Hope from Congress and tho
Administration:

We are hourly importuned with inquiries
whether, through the imbecility and cowardice
of Congress, the last step is to be permitted
which shall rend the United States into thirty
three or more helpless, discordant fragments,
or whether, in accordance with the energetic
attitude of the President towards the Com
missioners from South Carolina the Senate
and House Of Representatives can yet
be induced to throw of their culpable
save the country There is certainly not
an hour to be lost. South Carolina has de-
clared itself independent, organized regime
of terrorism, committed acts of warlike az
gression upon federal property, virtually CON-
menced hostilities against the central govern
ment, and the highest consideration of Con-
gress seems to consist In paltering over the pro-
priety Of Major Andersons occupation OF Fort
Sumter, and in catering to the personal vani-
ty of its members. Alabama, Florida, Missis-
sippi, Georgia and Louisiana will have follow
ed South Carolina into the red sea of secession
within few days; and with the remainder Of
the slave States withdrawal from the Union has
become only question of time and expedien-
cy. An armed organization exists in Maryland
and Virginia, prepared TO march from forty to
fifty thousand mon into the District of Colum-
bia on or before the 4th day Of Larch,
and to prevent, at every hazard, the inaugurs-
ton of Abraham Lincoln as President Of the
United States. Is such moment one for
triain9? Is not delay or hesitation reasonable
under the pressure of 80 terrible an emer-
gency?
Since the opening of this second term Of the
present Congress, the country at large has
awaited, with the most intense anxiety, the So
luton, by its representatives, of the difficult
problem what course ought to be pursued to
allay ir1itated sectional feeling and restore
peace TO the Union. The Presidents annual
Message-well meant and aiming to pour oil
upon the troubled waters-only complicated
issues 1t exposed the folly, wickedness and
dangers of extreme cornsels aud ultra
measures, and called upon each good citizen
to aid in averting the perils and preventing the
disasters with which passion, selflnterest and
Northern and Southern demagoguism menaced
the country II was, unfortunately, too late
for such an appeal, and 1t did no good. 1t
neither conciliated the fre-esters Of the slave
States nor diminished the clamors Of republi-
cans at the North. Since then the tinkering of
buncombe, with here and there a faint effort
to rise to the dignity Of craftsmanship, has
daily warned the people how little Is to be ex-
pectcd from the weakness, ignorance, selfish
ness and petty vanity Of their national repre-
sentative; but not one substantial step has
been taken to preserve the integrity Of the con-
federation. The elements Of disorder have
been becoming more and more heated, and tho
Juggernaut Of history Is hourly asserting some
new fatal claim to truth, In spite Of the ''let
there be peace" theories Of those who will never
believe there is danger until destruction actual
ly oyertakes them. The crisis, met wisely, might,
Notwithstanding the dark clouds that have OBJ
scured the political horizon, have proved even
tually beneficial to the Union. II unskilful
pllotage and evil counsels continue to prevail,
no modern Cassandra can depict In gloomy
enough colors the horrid picture Of disaster
which inevitably awaits US. Mr.. Buchanan, in
his reply to tho South Carolina Commissioners,
has now spoken In q manner worthy OF the Chief
Magistrate Of great country, and he ought to
be supported by every good citizen.
The time has passed for either the Senate or
the House of Representatives to imagine that the
downward whirl into q maelstrom Of national
destruction IL to be prevented by mere words.
To insure peace requires strength. The animus
Of the government cannot be too forbearing
too concilistory; but its religious depreciation
Of disunion and civil war, with their attendant
horrors, must proceed from sincere and unsus-
pected patriotism, and not from weakness. We
call, therefore, upon Congress to pass an act
at once, without the delay Of o day, empower
ing the President to order out sixty thousand
militia for the defence OF the District of Co
lumbia against invasion and insurrectlon--ten
thousand from each of the adjoining States Of
Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New
York and Kentucky II requisite, let New
Jersey and Delaware furnish an extra con-
tingcnt After the threat which has been
openly made that the duly elected President of
the United States, from the 4th Of March
next, shall not be inaugurated; with the
evidence before the public, broadly
minated by the press Of Virginia, that revo-
lutionary conspiracy Is organized to sieze upon
and occupy the District Of Columbia; with On
excited background Of thirteen other slave
States. frenzied into hatred Of the institutions
Of the North, painting to avenge real or ina
gined injuries, aud ready to throw their whole
strength into the scale In tho case Of civil war,
il would be madness--worse than madness-to
leave the seat Of government undefended, and
TO make future sectional hostilitics . matter Of
necessity, or dependent upon the capriccs Of a
mob.
IL the efforts Of the administration shall be
seconded, and Congress will display the requi-
site Hrmness and decision-such nerve and
character as would have sparkled forth under
like circumstances in the time Of General An
drew Jsckson--a way may be opened to save
tho country and To restore peQrp to the Union.