The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-31
The Prosident ELECT snd tho Crisis-War-
like News from Springfield


President elect in some compromise arrange
ment in behalf Of the Union and the peace Of
the country, were too good, it appears, to be
true With the receipt Of these advices at
Springfield, the republican newspaper there
accredited as the home organ Of Mr.. Lincoln
Indignantly denies the soft impeachment as to
his conservative inclinations We are thus told
that "in Abraham Lincoln the country will
have a republican President who will give
them republican administration" and that in
stead Of being committed to the border State
compromise or any other, "Mr. Lincoln stands
immovably on the Chicago platform, and will
neither acquiesce in, nor advise his friends TO
acquiesce in, any compromise that surrendcrs
one iota of it,"
In confirmation Of this unwelcOme intelli
gence, our Springfield correspondent, in the
same emphatic tone, assures us that Mr.. Lin
| coin will adhere to the doctrine of the restric-
ton of slavery upon which he was elected,
"until he becomes convinced of its fallacy not
by threats, treason and rebellion, but by his
own sense of justice J" and that she will hold
himself altogether aloof from attempts to inter
NEEDLE with the strife Of Congressional factions,
and the troubles Of the present administration,
until he shall have assumed the reins Of gov
ernment." Following up this ultimatum, our
correspondent next, abiding to the Cameron
| Cabinet imbroglio, says that "the anti Cameron
feeling has been greatly strengthened here
abovts (Springfeld) by his late somewhat nys-
tical acceptance of the compromise ideas of his
democratic colleague !" that "his Cabinet pros
poets arc not improved by this unexpected
exhibition of backsliding, and that it is abso-
lutely certain that the President elect most
decidedly disapproyes of Bigler's plan" of
paciGcation.
We are thus relieved of all doubt concerning
the views aud position of Mr.. Lincoln on the
subject Of Union saving compromise. He
was elected on the Chicago platform, not by
the democrats and their allies, but by their ad
versaries, the republicans, aud no win be q
republican President In the interval to his
Inauguration he will not interfere in the pro-
cecdings of Congress or of Mr. Buchanans
administration; and when invested with the
duties of the Presidency, If moved to a compro-
mise at all, it will not be ''by threats, treason
| and rebellion, but by bis own sense of duty"
On the other hand, we have been over and
over again assured that the first duty and the
first object Of the incoming administration will
be to enforce the laws and restore the au-
thority and integrity Of the general govern
ment, before STOPPING to compound with the
traitors who have conspired TO overthrow it.
In theory this line of policy is consistent and
correct; but in practice We must deal with the
stubborn facts which surround us Let us look
at these facts. Six States have withdrawn from
the Union, and they stand before us to-day
each in the attitude of an independent repub-
lie. During the present Month. however, they
viii have organized themselves under she gene
raj government OF Southern confaderacy, and
ut least two additional States viii have oined
them IN this organization. Meanwhile, " a
Last resort for Union lnd pence, The Legislature
Of Virginia, in behalf OF the border slave states
and ne States OF North Carolina and rennessea.
next adjoining, has appointed a Cnaas Con,prs-
mise Border state Convention, to meet IN
" lshington next Monday, in view Of the mb-
nission to Congress Of some adjustment calc,s-
lated to retain in the Union the border slave
States and 70 reclaim the seeded States. We
believe, too, that If compromise emanating
from said Convention shall be contemptuously
rejected by this Congress, the alternative Of
border slave State alliance, offensive and de-
fensive, with the seeded States will so speedily
follow that on the day of Mr.. Lincoln's insu-
guration he will find il in existence.
Thus the enforcement Of the federal laws in
South Carolina, for example, will be met with
tie armed resistance Of the united South;
and thus, in the very outset, the new admins
ration will be called 10 choose between a ruin
Gus civil war and the recognition of . sou.hcrn
eonfederacy. We fear that the President elect
has not sufficiently considered the pressure and
power OF this Southern revolution-that he has
been too much controlled by the rabd anti
slavery elements Immediately around him, and
has given too little attention to the sagacous
suggestions of such wide awake republicans as
Gen. Cameron The issue is simply between
the Union and the Chicago platform. The
one or the other must be abandoned. To re-
tain even the border slave States in the Union
there must be a compromise made, in their be-
half, and before the 4th Of March, for after that
day it will be too late.
Let Mr.. Lincoln consult the history of the
Roman republic, and in the frequent eonces-
sions from the patricans TO the plebeians, for
the sake of peace, he will discover the ex-
amples which should guide him in this crisis.
Let him beware, on the other hand, of adopting
the coercive policy Of the French Bourbons,
policy which, even with the rest of Europe
combined In arms against France, resulted In
the final expulsion Of the Bourbons. Above
all, let Mr.. Lincoln remember that the re-
bellious people Of the South are not our enc
mics, but our brethren, and that they can only
be brought back to the common family altar
through Cancellation and promises Of good
treatment for the future Finally, il the Presi-
dent elect is beyond the reach of compromises.