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

The very interesting and important intell-
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
deeply concerned and exercised about the pro-
bable consequences" This Is but a common
place scrap Of intelligence, and yet we derive
some satisfaction from it. because il shows that
the imperturbable Indifference hitherto mani
tested by Mr.. Lincoln in regard to these "rcvo-
lutionary events" has at length given way to
serious reflection upon the responsible position
in which he stands before the American people
But ii appears that not only has Mr.. Lincoln
been brought to thoughtful frame OF mind
upon the dangers which besct the Union, but
that from his mcdtations he has been almost
persuaded, for the sake of the Union, to come
down from the Chicago platform. Thus, it 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 Crittenden 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 ana reconciliation. This is
good. but il il neutralized b. what follows:
for We are admonished from Springfield that
neither Mr.. Lincoln nor his friends have any
longer any faith in the availability Of any
Union saving compromise, experimenting, rs
b. 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 retrsce their
steps" Thus. il appears, Mr.. Lincoln infers
that the question 9TH his administration will
not be how 10 sorestall secession but how to
deal with il q IN accomplished, irrcyocsble.
stubborn fact
Here. then. !. The great difficulty in the way
Of q compromise the belief, OF the plea, that il
i 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
confedcracy will soon be established, which
will prove 'tle most successful government on
earth" senator Seward says il is too soon
and that h. will not BE- ready to
engage in he work OF q constitutional
| comproni,e until these eccentric seccs-
sion aud di-union movements shall have
| ended" Meantime, be considers Southern
coniedcracy only glitiering mirage Of the
desert Of Utopia and the Union 20 strong aud
indispensable 10 all concerned that il will re-
cover itself, and ihat these eccentric secession
movements" are mere nulli,ic- calculated only
"a load 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 the first ques-
ton before il will not be how to save the Union
but how 10 deal with The seeded States. From
Mr.. Lincoln, too, and from Mr.. Seward, the
same answer has been given substantially, that
the Union aud 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 4th Of March, and then.