The national Republican., 1861-01-26
A CHAPTER UPON ADJUSTMENTS.

fore, entirely useless as means OF meeting |
present difficulties. The whole number Of
States being thirty.three, the assent of twenty.
FIVE, being three fourths, is required for any
amendment of the Constitution. Five States |
have already seeded, and still another, Louisi.
ana, is expected to secede this week. The two
Pacific States cannot be reached and heard !
from, within the time within which, 1t is said,
that the Union will be dissolved, if an adjust.
ment is not. consummated. This leaves but
twenty-five States, the precise number neces.
sary to concur in constitutional amendments,
and their entire unsnimity is therefore re.
qured, which it is a manifest absurdity to ex.
pect.
1t may be said, however, that although the
actual ratification of Mr.. Crittenden's constitu
tioual amendments cannot be obtained for
some months, yet that the States threatening
to secede would be induced to pause, if those
amendments were proposed by Congress to the
States. This is mere assertion, and one
which is repudiated by the secessionists them
selves.
When Mr.. Hunter had concluded his seces-
sion speech made few days since, in the Sen
ate, he was asked by COL Baker if Virginia
would wait until the States had voted upon Mr..
Crittenden's amendments7 He replied, that
he did not kno,c. Col Baker then pressed the
more searching inquiry, whether he would use
his influence to induce Virginia to wait in the
contingency named. He could not reply to
this that he did not .tnoo. But he replied,
that he ,oould not ans,oer the question.
In every point of view, Mr.. Crittenden's policy
of proposing amendments of the Constitution,
seems more incomprehensible, the more it is
examined. At the best, they could not be ef.
fected in season to meet the emergency, the al.
legged existence of which is the only apology
for proposing them at all.
With an evident view to this difficulty, Mr..
Crittenden afterwards suggested the extra con.
stitutoual expedent Of taking the sense of the
country by an aggregate popular vote. But
even such vote could not, within any decent
regard to appearances, be precipitated before
the 4th of March, and the idea of taking it at
any time can only be tolerated upon condition
precedent, with which Mr.. Crittenden cannot
comply, viz: the furnishing of assurances and
guarantees that all parties to the pending con.
troversy will abide the result Of the vote.
Manifesty, if Congress can do anything ben.
eticial, it must be something which it is in the
power of Congress to consummate. And we
are persuaded that, so far as the Republicans
are concerned, there has been no lack Of dis
position to go to the farthest extent Of concil
iatory legislation consistent with their princi.
pies. But they have been met with such an
extravaganza of demands, and their offers Of
Cancellation have been SO rudely repulsed, that
they have, many of them, ceased the eudeavor
to adjust the pending difficulties, from the be-
lief that it is idle and vain.
1t is said by Cassius NJ Clay, of Kentucky
by many in Maryland, and by a few in Virginia
that the adoption Of the measures proposed BY
the committee Of thirty three, and especially thu
admission of New Mexico, would afford bash
upon which the Union men of those States coult
sustain themselves. But they should not for
get, if these measures fail, it is not because Re
publicans have not offered them, but becaus
they have been rejected on the other side. Mr.
Adams of Massachusetts, and Mr.. Ferris, o
Connecticut, both of whom voted on the com
mittee for the admission of New Mexico, nov
withdraw their support from that measure, be
cause the Southern gentlemen on the commit
tee, and in the House, reject it as peace. offer
ing. And what is true of Messrs. Adams ant
Ferris is true of others.
The whole subject is one Of difficulties, ant
is entirely too large a subject, to be fitly dis
cussed within the limits of a newspaper article
But we should fail in the discharge of duty, if
did not distinctly declare our dissent from tn
views of the New York Tribune, and Of Messrt
Washburne and Tappan of the committee Q
thirty.three.
The election of Republican President, witt
the complete revolution Of political power whicl
it involves, is an event, the magnitude of whcl
we even yet hardly appreciate. 1t does no
change the platform of the Republican party
but it modifes its practical duties. Many thing
become safe with a k@ry..|.haa President, ~hic
, would be unsass pgsk ,s. Exsessirs power
the hands IT s.r .tssa.s A.4 he front ~hic
we bore u A. .r.st~ss'.s2 foe, installed j
power, il not the frDb, which We should bear
the same foe defeated and dislodged from h
strongholds.
t If the Republican party, in all its actions i
E all the States, in all its Conventions, and in tn
+ language of all its writer's and speakers durn
, contest now of the duration of the revolutiona
i struggle, has committed no error, and has dor
nothing and spoken nothing which ought to |
. taken back, it is an instance Of perfection raj
' in the history of mankind.
, If anybody can take pleasure in humiliatir
the pride of the South, by refusing to do VIII
M mr.; n; nla Eorh;ds IN ha dana ond ,,orol, G