The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-03-22
The Policy Of the AdministratiOn-Isi 1t
Coercion or C0nciIfatiOns

rates favored shippers.
The Policy Of the AdministratiOn-Isi 1t
Coercion or Conoiltstions
The tenor Of the telegraphic dispatches from
Washington, within the last few days, has been
peaceful Mr.. Lincoln and his advisers are
DESTROYS of again fostering, for while, the
hope that government has resolved upon o con-
ciliatory instead Of coercive policy, towards
the seeding States. They want money, and
they also require time to mature the aggressive
schemes that have been resolved upon. 1t has
become clear that the Morrill, tariff will yield
no revenue; and, unless Wall street can be
hoodwinked into advancing the thirty-seven
millions, Of which the late Congress authorized
the loan, the treasury will soon be depleted.
Our capitalists and moneyed men, eschew the
thought of civil war, and will not lend dollar
to perpetuate interstate discord. The COM
pulsory evacuation of Fort Sumter, has afforded
an opportunity Of making capital out of a
retreat, of which the administration is, there
fore, glad to avail itself nor, as the prepare
tons for reinforcing the Southern forts, and
collecting the revenue by means of armed
vessels, are incomplete, does the President
imagine that he is losing anything, by time
saving course Everything" he said, in his
inaugural, "is to be hoped for from delay"
and the republican journals Of the North, are
still at pains to announce, that an eternal ite-
ration of honeyed phrases is all that is needed
to deceive the public.
To fathom the intentions of the Washington
government, it is necessary to consider their
acts, and not their words A retrospect of the
events of the last three weeks, must convince
every observer that its affectation of moderate
views is hypocritical. Mr.. Lincoln speech at
Indianapolis, in which he maintained that it
''would not be coercion to retake forts and
properties, or to collect duties on foreign i'm
portations," and that it "would be no invasion
to march an army into South Carolina;'' the
menacing phrases of his inaugural; the bitter
representations of members Of his Cabinet;
the absolute power that has been transferred
to General Scott, in the War and Navy Depart
South, of the troops from Texas; the recall Of
our land and sea forces from the Gulf of Msxi-
CO, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific; together
with thousand unexplained and uncontra-
dicted causes of distrust, have engendered an
agitation which the administration could have
allayed, bya single authoritative utterance.
The fact is, that, with every disposition to be
coercive and vicious, it has been physically
powerless to display the venom it is possessed
with. 1t desires war, but has been, thus far,
compelled to pursue peace. 1t would have
gladly sent provisions and men to Fort Sumter
but, having been forced to relinquish the at
tempt, it declares that it would be "cowardice
not to reinforce Fort Pickens." 1t yearns to
fight with the cotton States; but it shrinks with
terror from the prospect of being driven out of
the District of Columbia, by the militia of
Maryland and Virginia. Mr.. Seward may be
individually anxious for Cancellation; but he is
thrust to the wall by his colleagues, who have
practically overcome his proclivities for peace.
The people are not deceived by the vague,
unofficial dicta of irresponsible persons in the
national capital, whose declarations will be
disavowed, as soon az it is for the interest
of the administration to throw off the mask it
has assumed. The prospect opening upon the
North, never was darker, gloomier, or more
desperate, than it Is at the present moment.
North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Arkansas,
and Kentucky, have been, heretofore, held in
check, and prevented from joining the cotton
States, by the assurance that their reasonable
demands should be granted. Not one measure
has yet been adopted, however, by the Lincoln
government, to satisfy them. Seven members
of the confederacy have been driven from the
republic; Arkansas has taken steps to join
them; and it is probable that seven more will
follow, as soon as they shall have learned that
they have nothing to hope for, but deceit and
cajolery. They are already discouraged; and
the speech which was delivered by Mr.. Brock
inridge, in the Senate, on Monday last, proves
that, prepared as moderate, sober minded, in
teligent men, in the border slaveholding States,
are, to accede to any minimum Of amendment
to the constitution, which might secure their
rights, they are becoming painfully impressed
with the conviction that Washington counsels
are inspired by rabid abolitionis.s, of the Mas
sachusetts school Of politics, from whom no
good can be expected.
"Irrepressible conflict" has thus succeeded
in developing the outlines Of fearful shadow
over the land; and the important question now
is, whether it shall be permitted to acquire
bloody substance. 1t has still to be decided
whether the patriotic, upright, order loving
masses Of the North, are prepared for the con-
tingency Of internecine strife, which shall
bury their prosperity in ruins. Are our COM
mercial, manufacturing, financial, and agricul-
tural interests, to be sacrificed, at the beck Of
few fanatical demagogues in power 1t is
clear as MONDAY, that not one out Of ten Of
the voters Of the nonslaveholding States,
endorse the Infamous policy which was ini-
tiated by the Wades, Garrisons, Phillipses,
Summers and Tappans Of the North, and which
is being carried out by such men as Lincoln,