The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-17
Important News from SpringAeld-The
President Elect On tho Crisis


Important News from Spring Ne ld-The
President Elect On tho Crisis.
The very interesting and important intelli-
gence from our Springfield correspondent,
which we publish to-day corroborates the gene
raj impression that Mr.. Seward in his late
speech in the Senate, upon the present crisis,
its dangers and its remedies, fully and authori-
tatively reflected the views, inclinations and
purposes Of the President elect.
First, we are Informed that the news Of the
firing upon the Star of the West had thrown the
Legislature and the citizens at Springfield into
great excitement from the belief that this act
was the beginning of civil war; and that, though
the President elect had very little to say in rcfe
renee 10 these startling revolutionary events in
South Carolina, it is obvious that he is most
bable consequences" This il but common
place scrap OF intelligence, and yet we derive
some satisfaction from it, because it shows that
the imperturbable Indifference hitherto mani
tested by Mr. Lincoln in regard to these :" revo-
lutionary events has at length given way to
in which he stands before the American people
But it appears that not only has Mr.. Lincoln
been brought 10 thoughtful frame OF mind
upon the dangers which beset the Union, but
that from his mcditations he has been almost
persuaded, for the sake Of the Union, to come
down from the Chicago platform. Thus, il ap-
pears, that while he sticks to the republican
doctrine of the Congressional prohibition of
slavery in the Territories, and while he Is de-
cidedly opposed to the Crittendeu resolutions.
and equally so to the scheme OF admitting New
Mexico as State, with its Territorial slave
code unchanged, still, should he be called
upon, after assuming his place at the helm Of
the ship OF State to subordinate, for the sake
of the harmony and peace of the country, his
private opinions to public measures, he will
not fail to make patriotic response
To be more explicit, sinking his individual
opinions in the general welfare, Mr.. Lincoln
would sign law Of Congress, ''embodying the
propositions Of Mr.. Robinson, or even the rcsto-
ration and extension TO the Pacific coast of the
Missouri compromise line, provided he could
be satisfied il was demanded by the bulk Of
the nation. and the only means Of saving the
Union" This indicates patriotic disposition
on the part of the President elect to
compose these existing and alarming
sectional disturbances through the Offices
Of peace and reconciliation. This is
good. but il il neutralized BY what follows:
for We are admonishcd from Springfield that
neither Mr.. Lincoln nor his friends have any
longer any faith in the availability Of any
Union saving compromise. experimenting, rs
h. and they do. that mot only will all the cot
ton States follow in the wake OF South Caro-
lima, but that no peace offering OF any dcscrip-
ton will ever induce them TO retrace their
steps, Thus. il appears, Mr.. Lincoln infcrs
that the question 9TH his administration will
not be how 10 sorcstall secession. but how 10
deal with il IS IN accomplished irrcyocabe
stubborn fact
Here then, i The great difficulty in the way
of y compromise, the belief, or the plea, hat il
is too late or too soon for compromises OF any
sort Senator Ivcrson. Of Georgia. tells u il
is too late. that the Union Is irrcvocably dis
solved and hat an independent Southern
confcdcracy will soon he established, which
will prove "tlIc most successful government on
earth" senator Seward says il is too soon,
and that he will not BE- ready TO
engage in he work OF q constitutional
comprom,e until these eccentric seccs-
sion and di-union movements shall have
ended Meantime, he considers u Southern
coniedcracy only glittering mirage of the
desert Of Utopia and the Union 20 strong and
indispensable 10 all concerned that il will re-
cover itself and that these eccentric secession
movements" are mere utilities, calculated only
10 head foolish men astray
From Washington and from Springfield, from
the Premier and from the President of the in
coming republican administration, the same
conclusion is proclaimed THAT the first ques-
ton before IL will be how to save the Union,
but how to deal with the seeded States. From
MI Lincoln, too, and from Mr.. Seward, the
same answer has been given, substantially, that
the Union and the constitution will be main.
tanned in the seeded States by the enforcement
Of the laws. The case, then appears TO be
made up. There will be no compromise within
the brief interval 10 the Ali Of March, aud then.