The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-06-17
Abolition and Secession Still Da ngerous-
Tho Remedy.

ADOlAt1On ana Secession Still Dangerous
Tho Remedy.
The elements Of fierce hostility to the ad-
ministration of Andrew johnson are actively
fermenting. We see them in various manifesta-
tons, among Northern abolitionists and South
ern secessionists. The war is at an end; the
rebellion has been PIT down; but the malign
influences of abolition and secession, which
rushed the two sections into the war, are still
alive, and still possess the eprit and the power
for mischief. The dangers which surround the
administration and menace the country are
apparent to all observers; but the remedy is
within the hands of the people, and it becomes
their duty now to apply the remedy, and to
save the country from its disorganizing politi-
clans, in the same spirit of patriotism which has
subjugated half million traitors in arms.
The Southern secessionists and their allies In
the field Of war have been vanquished; but in
the field Of politics they are marshalling for
another fight The Northern abolitionists have
secured their great ultimatum-the abolition Of
slavery; but they are still bent upon using
the poor negro as a football Of political
agitation and discord. Four years of ter
rible war have practically done away with
the old ideas, hobbies, platforms and cleo
pioneering clap-trap Of the old parties; but even
this fiery ordeal has not cured the old political
party leaders and party hacks, North and South,
of their vicious habits or their corrupting and
demoralizing propensities. Henry Clay and
the conservative men around him, in the Con-
gress of 1850, effected compromise on the
slavery question which was satisfactory to the
country. The people, North and South, in
1862, endorsed this compromise with an unmis-
taxable emphasis in the election of "poor
Pierce" But the Southern secessonists and
their Northern followers, including poor Pierce,
regardless of the popular voice, undertook to
upset it, in that fatal Kansas-Nebraska bill.
Here was the opportunity for Northern aboli-
ton reaction, which was seized upon with such
avidity as to give us in the Kansas border
. rufian conflict the opening skirmish of the late
rebellion.
With this taste of blood from Kansas the
Southern secessionsts and their Northern allies
went to the Charleston Convention ravenous
for more. They deliberately broke up the de-
moCIutiC purity, ahu CicdTeu tue uuCk tut tno
election of Abraham Lincoln on q platform
excluding slavery from the Territories. "Only
this and nothing more" Upon the miserable
excuse Of this election the Southern secessionsts
declared their "rights" sacrificed in the Union,
and proceeded to set up their Southern confede-
racy and TO arm themselves for war. President
Buchanan gave them free rein, instead of haul
ing them up on the spot. On coming into
Office Mr.. Lincoln found himself in position
full of the greatest difficulties and dangers.
He had to combat the rash councils of his abo-
| liton advisers, as well as the rebellious move
ments of the secessionsts His duty was clear
to maintain the sovereign authority of the
United States but had he followed the early
instructions of the abolition radicals he would
have had the North in state of civil war as
well as the South. He had to fight against the
two extremes of the secession and abolition
factions He fought them both, and by his fol-
lowing in the wake Of ripening public opinion,
step by step, in regard to slavery, the loyal
masses of the loyal States carried him, with
the army and navy, triumphantly through the
struggle, emancipation and all.
Such was the course, and such the experience
of President Lincoln in putting down the re-
bellion. The same dangers from the abolition fac
ton and the secession faction are now threaten
ing President johnson in his political work o
reconstruction. We too that the Northern