The Washington herald., 1909-02-07

the steps OF the Capitol than buy or beg
q peaceful Inauguration
But Mr.. Lincoln's words neither hasten
60 nor retarded the secession Of the
Southern States The effective public
sentiment OF the South was that avozeo
by Senator Mason. OF Virginia. in q
casual debate with Trumbul on Deem
Der 2 1856, when he said that the election
OF ANYBODY by the Republican Party
would result In a dismemberment OF the
Union The candidate he added. might
De a man OF straw, the principles he
represented we're the only things the
South would take account OF.
Mr- Lincoin's record was that Cf a man
opposed 10 the extension OF slavery Irto
the territories Of the United States. II he
had spoken az the Springfield meeting OF
November - and had said that ne was
willing 10 divide the unoecupied and IN
organized territory between freedom and
slavery by geographical line he would
have rent the Republican party in twain
and disabled II from offerings any efec-
tual resistance 20 any other demands OF
the secessionists. Would such a deciara-
ton stopped ;he secession movement?
Evidently not They had demanded not
division Of existing TERRITORY. as the
Crittenden plan provided. but the right
TO take slaves 70 ali Territories and hold
them there as property until admitted 10
the Union as States That was Jefferson
Davis minimum. Would the granting
Of half their demand four months before
Mr.. Llncoln's Inauguration accompanied
by an explosion and paralysis OF the Re-
publican psTty) have moderated their
claims? Nobody who reads the history
thing.
Would Vet Have stopped II.
Would the granting OF all that they
had claimed before the election ot Lin
coin have stopped secession after his
election2 Not IL Mason spoke the truth
In his colloquy with TrumbuH. South
Carolina took steps TO secede before LIN
coin was elected and il never paused an
instant. II did not act upon any abstract
theory about equal rights in the Terri
tories" It's motor was one Of internal
combustion II found apt expression in
the speech OF Senator W-igfsll, OF Texas,
a native South Careliniau. vino said:
I say TO you that we cannot live in
peace, either in The Union or out Of il,
until you have abolished your abolition
societies"
Now. II anybody fancies that It was
possible to stop secession at this stage
by soothing words. or verbal promises, |
or Crittsnden compromises. he must be- |
lieve either that South Carolina would /
have taken back track. or that the other |
cotton States would have looked on quiet |
" at the coercion OF South Carolina by /
a Republican administration.
To one looking back at the Republican /
national convention Of 1850. it is evident 1
that the choice for President from the !
outset lay between Lincoln and Seward. /
No other candidate had the ghost of a ]
chance We are now able 10 say that II /
Seward had been President instead Of /
Lincoln there would have been no armed 1
TO the withdrawal OF such 4
States as then desired 20 seeede. /
Il was Stewards conviction that the policy 1
Of peace and noucoercion would have
Quieted the secession movement in the 1
border States, and that the gulf States 1
would then have returned homeward ike /
repentsnt prodigal sons His proposal /
10 Lincoln to seek a quarrel with four
European nations which had done us no /
harm IN order 20 arouse a feeling Of /
Americanism in the Confederate states 1
was an outgrowth or this conviction. II !
vas an immoral proposition. akin TO that
of Bismarck when he used France as
IN anvil on which 10 weld Germany to-
sether. but It was not an unpstrioiic one,
since II was bottomed on desire to pre-
serve the Union without civil war.
Traces Of this idea are found in the /
speeches Of Jefferson Davis before his