The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-02

were fair and rates quite steady, while immediate and
available room scarce
MIR. Seward, MIR. Charles f. Adams and
Mr.. Senator Mason ON the Crisis-Is 1t
Peace War:
Mr.. Seward, as the appointed oracle for Mr..
Lincoln's administration, has been again illu-
minating the Senate with his confidence in the
Union, and his hopes of our happy release, by
some means, in some way, and at some time
hereafter, from our present revolutionary diff
culties. If, in his first Senatorial exposition in
his new character, he abounded in 'glittering
generalities," and in vague, shad0wy and dis
tant glimmerings of compromise, in his
second effort he still more closely adheres to
the diplomatic rule of Talleyrand, that words
are not intended to convey, but to conceal
ideas.
The suggestive text Of Mr.. Seward on this
last occasion was the monster petition from
the city of New York, bearing thirty-eight
thousand signatures in favor of the Crittenden
or border State compromise propositions; but
beyond some explanations OF the length of the
memorial, and of the character Of the signers,
and their political influence, all that he had to
say upon the subject was, substantially, that
the time has not yet arrived for compromising
He graciously introduced his petitioners to the
Senate, complmented them for their patriot
ism, and blandly bowed them out again. They
represented the commercial interest, great
interest, entitled to respect; but the agricaltu-
raj, manufacturing and mining interests were
also entitled to consideration; so that he could
not yet decide to be governed by the wishes of
the commercial interest. In other words, our
rural districts are stronger than the city of
New York.
In very carefully guarded and roundabout
way, Mr.. Seward next declares that the de-
mands of the Southern conservatives for a
Union saving compromise before the Inaugural
ton of Mr.. Lincoln are inadmissible, because
they are unreasonable. After the expiration of
the ninety days of this session of Congress, of
which sixty have already passed away, Mr..
Seward thinks "there will be time enough for
the restoration Of all that has been lost, and
for the re-establishment of all that is in dan
ger" Horace Greeley comes more directly to
the point when he says that before the repub-
lican party shall stoop to compromises with
traitors, we intend to try the experiment
whether we have a government or not. But i'm
due time, says Mr.. Seward, after the inaugura-
ton Of Mr.. Lincoln, by speaking, by voting,
by lending money to the government, and, if
necessary, by fighting, the friends of the Union
will restore it. To be sure, since the admis
sion Of Kansas the question Of Southern slave
ry In the Territories has ceased to be prac-
teal question, for from the remaining Terrific
ries slavery stands forever excluded by the
laws Of nature but still the republican party
cannot think of concessions to slavery now as
the price for the permission to them to assume
the reins of the general government.
These are not the words, but such,
we apprehend, is the true meaning, ofMr. Sew
ards last conciliatory speech. Mr.. Senator
Mason, Of Virginia, lost not a moment in pune
turing this beautiful bubble. He asks what
does the Senator from New York propose?
Anything In the way of a compromised No.
Anything acquiescing in the propositions of the
memorial presented? No. His votes and his
declarations, over and over again in committee,
have been uniform and consistent against those
propositions. But upon what resolution has he
voted afiirmatively? Upon the resolution of
Mr. Senator Clark that the constitution needs
no amendment, but that the true remedy for the
evils Of the day lies in obedience to the consti-
tuition and in the enforcement of the laws. But
pushed to the utimatum of war, Mr.. Seward
explained that be would only resort to war to
restore the Union, after the failure Of q consti-
tutional national convention as the last resort
of peace. His course then would be war, and
in war, "to stand by the Onion, to stand or
perish with IL"
Such, then, at this late day Of this important
session of Congress, all important in the matter
Of Union-saving compromise is the
policy of Mr.. Seward-mssterly inactivity for
the present, compromise hereafter, or, failing
in that, the maintenance Of the Union by force
Of arms. On the same day on which this
unsatisfactory speech OF Mr.. Seward was de-
Tered In the Senate, Mr.. Charles Francis
Adams, son OF ex-President John Quincy
Adams-the same Charles who ran for Vice
President on the Buffalo free soil ticket with
Martin Van Buren, in ls4s-made. all things
considered, remarkably conservative Union
speech In the House. He does not stand in.
credulous Of the necessity Of present acuou in