The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-19
The Crisis Committees of Congress and
Their Lahors-No Cnmnrainise.


Washington
The Crisis Committees of Congress and
Their Labors-NO Compromise.
We publish this morning heavy budget of
interesting matter bearing upon the crisis en-
bracing the records of the labors and the re-
ports Of the Senate Committee of Thirteen,
and the House Committee Of Thirty-three, at
Washington, and the report Of the Senate Com
mittee at Albany, " to which was referred 50
much of the message of his Excellency the
| Governor as relates to our national difficult
| ties" all Of which we submit to the careful
| consideration Of our readers
The journal Of the United States Senate
| committee, we apprchend furnishes a cono!u-
| sYe exposition OF " the true intent and mean
ing of Mr. Seward late remarkably amiable
and conciliatory speech. He was one of this
| Senate Committee of Thirteen, and partci-
| pated, 1T least to the extent OF yea or nay, in
| its proceedings. The Crittendcn compromise
| which is considered by conservative Southern
men the least that will be acceptable even to
| the border slave Statcs-was the first thing
tried in committee; and how stands Mr. Seward
upon the record? Upon the first proposition,
re-establishing the Missouri Compromise line,
| the committee was thus divided
| YEs-Messrs Bigler OF Pa Crittenden Of KY, Dou
glas OF H., Hunter OF Va Powell OF KY and Rice of
| Ann.-6.
All democrats except Crittenden, old line
wing.
| NAys-Mcssrs. Collamer OF Vermont, Davis Of Mis-
| sssspi, nooli'ue Of Wisconsin Grimes Of Iowa,
Seward of New York, Toom0s of Georgia, and Wade OF
! Ohio y.
All republicans but two, Davis and Toombs,
non-compromising secessionists.
This, SO far as Mr.. Seward is concerned, is
specimen vote. The second proposition Of Mr..
Crittendcn, denying to Congress the power to
| interfere with slavery in those places over
which the federal government has exclusive
jurisdiction /; his third proposition, denying to
| Congress the power to abolish slavery in the
District Of Columbia while slavery shall con-
Anue to exist in Maryland and Virginia, or
either of those States his fourth proposition,
declaring that Congress shall have no power to
hinder the transportation Of slaves by land or
| water from one State to another, or to Terri
tory in which slaves are permitted by law to
be held and his fifth proposition, for indem-
nifty to the owners for fugitive slaves rescued
by mobs, or Struggled off by underground rail-
road agents in the free States, were all equally
unacceptable to Mr.. Seward Against every
one Of these propositions in their order, and
even against recommending repeal of the
ant-Fugitive Slave law Personal Liberty bills
of the Northern States, his vote will be found
recorded.
1t is thus made manifest that Mr.. Seward,
as the authorized oracle Of the President
elect and the republican party, is opposed
at this time to any concessions whatso-
ever to the "slave power" We now per-
ceive very clearly that the only point in his
late speech Of any practical value is his decla-
! ration that "when these eccentric secession
and disunion movements shall have subsidized,
| and calmness shall have resumed its wonted
sway over the public mind, say one, two or
three years hence, then, and not till them" will
| he be ready to vote for a convention of all the
| States to inquire what amendments, if any, it
may be deemed expedient to make to the fede-
raj constitution. This late speech of his has
| been aptly described as Blondn tight-rope
performance Upon aslender cord, Mr.. Seward,
with his balancing pole, has crossed the deep
| chasm which now divides the South from the
North but his bridge is useless, for it is utterly
impractcable to the undisciplined feet of ordi-
nary mortals
! Mr.. Senator Hale, in his speech on the sub
ject at the opening of the present session of
| Congress, declared that secession is revolution
| and civil war; Mr.. Senator Wade, Of Ohio, next
| in order, declares that, as a republican, he has
no compromises to make Mr.. Seward, the ap-
| pointed Premier OF the new administration,
says the same thing in words and in acts; and
| if anything more is wanted to show that the re-
publican party have shut the door against any
| compromise, we submit the vote in the Senate
| yesterday on the motion to take up the Criten-
| den propositions. II will thus be seen that
| the republican Senator's were q unit against
the motion. They all appear to share
in the opinion Of Mr.. Seward, that IL is too soon
| for compromises; or in the opinion Of Mr.. Lin
coin, that il is too late; or in the judgment Of
| Horace Greeley, that the republican party have
| effected settlement Of the slavery question,
| and are mot TO be bulicdr out Of their victory
The House Committee Of Thirty-thrce one
from each State, from the secession Of two or
three members, proceeded to business in
broken condition. AT the conclusion of their
protracted and fruitless labors, they came into
the House in three or four detachments, each
with its report. That Of Mr.. Corwin, the chair.
man, considerably diluted, embodies the COM
promise scheme of Mr.. Crttenden. The re-
port OF Messrs Tappan aud Washburne de-
clares in favor Of the constitution as it is aud
urges the enforcement OF the laws. Mr. Charles
Francis Adams, (son Of John Quincy Adams,
and political representative of his father0
was disposed, ut first, to make some con-
cessons Of principle to appease the South;
but the members from that section in the CON-
mittee having refused their support TO rcso-
| ltion declaring "a pcaccable acquicscence"