The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-19

eoou 10 DC IOunu In eltner the present or IN }
incoming administration; nor do we see any
signs Of action on the part of the separa e
States which strike us as cheering. Unless tie
people begin to act Or themselves, throwing off
old alliances and bygone distinctions of party,
all is lost. Neither is there time to be thrown
away Elections for State officers and for mem
bers of Congress will be shortly held in three
of the New England States-in New Hampshire
on the 18th day of March, in Connecticut on
the 1st day of April, and on the Sd Of April in
Rhode Island. Since the 9th of November last
an immense reaction has taken place east of
the Connecticut river in favor of conservative
legislation, and such compromises, under the
form OF amendments to the constitution, as the
slaveholding States demand. Let the South,
on the one hand, have patience; and, on the
other, let the issue be fairly put in the elections
to be held in the three States above named:
"Shall the Union be preserved, or shall it be
dsintegrated, with every probability of civil
war;" If patriotic Northern citizens will
turn their eyes exclusively to the importance
of placing this question fairly and in all its
bearings before the people, we have conf
dent hopes that an appeal to them would not
be made in vain, even in New England
What Go the South ask for? They require no
more than was guaranteed to them by the com
mon law of the country at the time the consti-
tuition was framed. Shareholders OF Massachu-
sets and South Carolina visited each other re-
ciprocally in 1887, carrying with them their
bond property, AID knowing that il would be
respected. Special local legislation has since
destroyed this right. The South do not seek for
its entire recovery, but that, when necessity
shall require short sojourn al the North Of its
citizens. they may not be robbed Of what they
own. Until within fifty years the Territories
like the States, were included under a common
slave code. No individual action Of Northern
States can infringe upon that code constitution
ally, and it is proper that attempts to do so
should be restrained, ana that the Soutaerner,
like the emigrant from the North, should be per-
mt,ed to carry his possessions, of whatever
kind, into that portion of the national domain
which equally belongs TO all. These points
and that there should be that perfect
tolerance of slavery, as social institu-
ton, which is readily granted by sect to-
wards sect in the world of religious
freedom-are all thatit is necessary for the
people of the North TO guarantee to their
brethren south of the Potomac to secure end
less tranquility and the dissipation of every
cloud that hangs over the horizon.
Let the intelligent, conservative populations
of the North bestir themselves while there is
yet hope. If the issue we have suggested il
put before the masses they will at any rate be
compelled to meet it. Upon them will rest the
responsibility Of deciding whether the country
is to be preserved or destroyed; whether the hal
cyon days Of the past shall return, or whether
commerce, manufactures, trade, agriculture,
capital and the value Of real estate and securi
ties shall be buried in one common ruin. The
South can afford to remain quiet until they
shall have become witnesses of the last effort
that is being made by their friends here. If it
succeeds the cause of rejoicing will be CON-
mon, and their patience will be rewarded. If
it fails there will still be abundant time to
put on the habilimcnts of mourning for the
death of the greatest nation of modern times.