The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-05
BALTIMORE.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1861

The attention of the whole country is now con-
centrated upon the proceedings Of the Commits
soners who met yesterday in Washington to con-
slider the means by which the unhappy differences
that have sprung up between the North and South,
may be most eGectually and promptly adjusted
It is generally believed that if this Conference
should be compelled to adjourn without arriving
at any satisfactory conclusions, the inevitable and
perhaps final dissolution Of the Union must speed
lily follow. As soon as the Commissioners from
Virginia report their inability to obtain from the
representatives of the North any satisfactory con-
cessions, that State will Individually array herself
upon the side of the seeding States, and her
withdrawal will most certainly carry North Caro-
lima and Tennessee, and perhaps kentucky and
Missouri, out of the Confederacy, These States
will, in that event, at once give in their adhesion
to the Provisional Government, which is about to
be established by the Congress at Montgomery;
and he must be indeed n sanguine politician, who
imagines that new nation, after having thus de-
manled recognition in the world can be easily
induced to relinqush its lately acquired power, to
abrogate its constitution, and to return TO its for
lner provincial condition. Unless, therefore, some
the compromise they demand will be granted, the
probabilities are that before the fourth of March
another Conftderacy will be permanently formed
upon this Continent, which will embrace
all the States lying between the Ohio and
the Gulf. Never has the Republic been threatened
with so imminent Il danger as now, and it is be-
cause the people fully realize this fact that they
await with such feyerish anxiety, the result of the
deliberations at Washington
That the Commissioners will agree upon the
terms of a settlement which would be satisfactory
to the majority Of the States and TO nine-tenths of
the people, we can scarcely doubt. The Central
slave States ask for no concessions beyond those
contained in the CRITTENDEN resolutions, and we
areunwilng to suppose that the North intends de-
liberately to reject demands which are so just and
reasonable The South has the right to carry
slaves into all the territories of the UNITED STATES
and this right many Of the slave States offer to
waive, and they will surrender for the sake Of
peace, by far the larger portion Of the territories
to which none have more Legitimate tile than
themselves. Though the Supreme Court has sol
EMMY decided this important question in their favor,
they are willing TO renquish nearly all advanta-
ges they so fairly gained. Thus much the Border
slayeStates will yield and what DO they exact in
return for these concessions? They only insist
on being suffered to enjoy without molestation,
what may still be left them; and they require that
the incoming administration shall forego its
avowed purpose Of repudiating and multiplying the
supreme law Of the land. They ask the North Tor
simple justice though they might extort new con-
cessions; and they tender it price for that which
they are entitled to take without cost 1t is not,
we repeat, to be presumed that the Commission
ers from the Northern States, who are men of
more comprehensive intelligence than the polit-
clans who have heretofore had this matter in
hand will positively refuse to assent to PROPOSE
tons so coaciatory and so reasonable. The diff
fcult part of the task which the Commissioners
have undertaken, will be that dcvolving upon
them after they have agreed among themselves.
They will have TO obtain from Congress, or the
various State Legislatures some legal or legisla-
higfts THs s8utf o ugF "Haed gtAHe of sf Gtada3
as well as sufficient assurance that the contenl-
plated compromise is TO be carried cut in good
faith. Now, as Congress has had it in It's power
for two months to arrest the revolution, and has
failed to do so, and as the Republican party has
shown but little disposition to recede from its me-
nacing and unconstitutional position, ii is greatly
to be doubted whether it will be possible for the
members of Tie conference to persuade the Legisla
lures of their respective States and their reresen-
tatives in Congress to endorse now the scheme of
compromise which the latter have so steadily re-
pudiated IF the question could be left to the peo-
pie of the free States the CRITTENDEN resolutions
would, we are convinced, receive the most over
whelming majority, but they cannot be submitted
to the popular vote unless the politicians who are
in office will consent to such an arrangement. and
take the necessary steps to carry it into effect.
Unfortunately, it is to these very men that the
present trouble is mainly due, and they have little
desire to meet the issues which now confront
them. They, for their own selfish ends, coupte.
nanced and promoted the antislavery agitation.
and assured their constituents that they could
compel the South to submit to the aggressive pol
icy which they advocated They dare not 90 back
to their districts and take the consequences of their
wrong and error. Though the ship of State is
almost wreck, and though she would still ride out
the storm if these false prophets were thrown into
the wares the miserable demagogues are incapable
of such self-sacrfce and they cling trembngIy
to the vessel, hoping they viii be somehow saved
even when she shall founder 1t may be, there.
fore, that, even after the Commissioners come to
terms, they will find themselves unable to Induce
the party in power to forward their views: and in
that event the recommendations of the conference
will, though approved by the people, be wholly
unproductive of any practical effect.