The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-30


| held responsible.
public now. With the close Of Mr.. Buchanan's
administration, legislative and administrative
| Union must cease unless prompt and ener-
| getic measures are taken by those'w who have
| created the mischief to undo it, If Mr.. Seward
will emulate the example Of the Duke Of Wei
lington and Sir Robert Peel when England
was threatened with danger; if they will re
verse dicta that have produced result which
| all good citizens Of the United States and
especially OF New York deplore; if they will
| boldly, tearlessly and openly advocate sach
| amendments OF the constitution as the ext
eencies OF the time demand; il, casting off
| party shackles, they will look to the require
ments of the nation alone, they may yet stay
| the progress Of disorder, and restore unity to
| the nation. But no time is to be lost. The
effects of delay will soon be fatal; and, in
fatuated by the willo.the wisp mania which
has become contagious, both the North and
the South will plunge 80 deeply into the dis
union vortex, prepared for them by persist
ence in Massachusetts, agitation, that extrica-
ton from it win become impossible.
The Fourth OF February-A Compromise
Convention and a Southern Confederacy
Congress.
Monday, the 4th of February, is destined to
be memorable day in the political history Of
these disunited States For the purpose of
framing provisional government for their
projected Southern confederacy, the seeded
States, on the day designated, are to meet in Q
general Congress at Montgomery, Alabama;
and on the same day Union Compromise Con-
| vehtion of Commissioners from the border
slave States and free States, and from such
other States as may choose to come in, will as
semble in the city of Washington.
The list of delegates appointed to the Mont
| gomery Congress and the Commissioners from
| The several States already chosen to the Wash
| ington Convention we publish this morning.
! The schedule in both cases comprehends
large proportion of our most conspicuous
public men of the present day. The Mont
gomery Congress was nominated by the IN
| tractable disuni0n State of South Carroll
ma; and the Washington Convention, as peace
Offering, comes from the General Assembly of
| that great conservative Commonwealth, the Old
| Dominion. Its purposes have been stated
| in the resolutions on the subject. If
the Convention, after "full and free
conference, shall agree upon any plan
of adjustment Qor the restoration of
the Union) requiring amendments of the
federal constitution for the further security Of
the rights of the people of the slave States"
such adjustment is to be submitted to Con-
gress for the purpose of having the same
voted upon by both houses with view to its
submission to the several States, according to
the federal constitution. On the other hand,
if the Convention shall fail in this enterprise,
| the Virginia Commissioners are to report the
| facts 10 their Governor, so that the State may
shape her course according to the exigencies
of the crisis.
| In this connection, the meeting on the same day
of this Southern Confederacy Congress, and of
this Washington Border State Compromise Con-
vention, is not an accidental coincidence. The
Legislature of Virginia, standing as mediator
between the seeded States of the South and
the republican party of the North, has deli
berately chosen the day of the Montgomery
Congress for this compromise Convention,
and SO that Virginia may be able to join in
season the cause of the South, should she fail
| ia this last resort for the Union The object
is to arrest, if possible, the organization of
| Southern confederacy through this border
| State diversion of compromise Convention.
Failing in this, it is still hoped that this Con-
vention may initiate compromise which will
arrest the secession of the border slave States,
and put them in aposition whereby the cotton
States may be reclaimed. To this end the
Virginia Legislature has submitted the Crit
tenden resolutions as the basis Of satisfactory
adjustment.
What, then, is the prospect New York will
be represented in this Union Conference of the
border States, and Mr.. Seward will, or should
| be- among our Commissioners. Illinois, a Dor
der free State, and the State of the President
elect, will be represented, and we are glad to
hear, with his consent and cooperation. Nay,
better still, it is given out from sources entitled
to credit that Mr. Lincoln himself is at last in
clned to try the saving virtues of compro-
mise. All this is encouraging; and when it is
| known, too, that the alternative to the incoming
administration must be an intermediate CON-
promise, or the speedy secession Of Virginia
and the border slave States and their union with
a Southern confederacy, one would naturally
conclude that we are sure to have compro-
| mise.
| But still we are not sanguine Of any such
thing. The Washington Union Conference may
adopt treaty Of peace on the basis of the Crit
tenden amendments to the constitution but
| then. before II can be submitted to the several
| States for their ratification, it must be endorsed
| by two-thirds vote Of each house of Congress.
| And what are the chances in those two houses?
The present House Of Representatives, in
full, would stand III republicans against l23
Of all other parties; and yet the republicans, by
majority vote Of III at the last session,
elected their Speaker. Now, the secession