Now  what  Is  to  be  done  ?  You  have  brought  the  Issue  to  Its  present  pof nL
As  a  matter  of  necessity  and  of  policy,  you  seek  to  throw  the  whole  blame  of
the  controversy  upon  the  North.  If  we  had  not  resisted  your  claims,  there
would  have  been  no  sectional  contest.  That  Is  perfectly  true;  and  It  Is  aNo
true,  that  if  you  had  not  made  these  claims,  we  should  not  have  resisted
them.  But  since  you  have  made  them,  nnd  since  we  do  resist  them,  the  con-
flict must  go  on  until  one  party  or  the  other  recedes,  or  is  defeated.  I  see
no  possible  way  of  avoiding  this.  But  a  great  deal  may  be  done  towards
creating  a  conciliatory  disposition  on  both  sides  —  towards  inducing  each
party  to  lay  aside  something  of  Its  passion,  something  of  Its  obstinate  adhe-
sion to  Its  own  views  on  mluor  matters,  and  to  canvass  the  grounds  of  the
controversy  lu  the  light  of  principle,  of  the  Constitution,  of  the  highest  good
of  the  whole  country  and  of  all  its  parts,  ^instead  of  the  prejudices,  the
arrogance,  and  the  pride  of  any  section.  So  far  as  my  experience  and  read-
ing go,  they  teach  me  that  very  few  controversies  between  communities  or
Individuals  have  ever  arisen,  that  did  not  rest  aufund  on  a  misunderstanding,
—  and  that  did  uot  grow  into  formidable  proportions  more  from  the  Introduc-
tion Into  them  of  minor  exasperations  from  alien  causes,  than  from  any  In-
herent Impossibility  of  agreeing  on  the  precise  point  Involved.  I  think  it  is
HO  to  some  extent  In  the  present  case;  and  that  the  first  duty  of  each  section
Is  first  to  adjust  or  sweep  away  all  minor  points  of  difference,  —to  calm  the
fever  of  passion,  to  open  wide  the  door  to  a  mutual  knowledge  of  each  other's
real  sentiments,  wants,  and  purposes,  and  to  bring  to  the  council-hoard  a  real
wish  to  find  the  path  of  honor  and  safety  for  both.  What,  then.  Is  tbe  dn^
of  the  North  In  this  respect?

Its  first  duty,  In  my  Judgment,  Is  to  manifest  Its  ilrsire  to  nccommodsttt  J
the  rational  and  conservative  men  of  the  South  by  wlialr'vcr  coucessioiia  lu
compromises  their  actual  necessities  may  require,  g

wltiiout  surrendering  the  vital  principle  which  Is  Inrolvcd.     In  regard  toM
Fugitive  Slave  lawi  tot  example,  the  North  BboDM  UDquaaaai


432  AFPENDIX.
