agua. Why not? said
Lincoln, also. What protection against such an extension of boundaries?
Was the limitation of slave area to be on one side only, the Northern
side? And here at last, for Lincoln, was what appeared to be the true
issue of the moment. To dualize the Union, assuming its boundaries to be
fixed, was one thing. To dualize the Union in the face of a movement for
extension of boundaries was another. Hence it was now vital, as Lincoln
reasoned, to give slavery a fixed boundary on all sides. Silently, while
others fulminated, or rhapsodized, or wailed, he had moved inexorably to
a new position which was nothing but a logical development of the old.
The old position was--no extension of slave territory; the new position
was--no more Slave States.(2) Because Crittenden's Compromise left
it possible to have a new Slave State in Cuba, a new Slave State
in Nicaragua, perhaps a dozen such new States, Lincoln refused to
compromise.(3)

It was a terrible decision, carrying within it the possibility of civil
war. But Lincoln could not be moved. This was the first acquaintance
of the established political leaders with his inflexible side. In the
recesses of his own thoughts the decision had been reached. It was
useless to argue with him. Weed carried back his ultimatum. Seward
abandoned Crittenden's scheme. The only chance for compromise passed
away. The Southern leaders set about their plans for organizing a
Southern Confederacy.

XIII. ECLIPSE

Lincoln's ultimatum of December twentieth contained three proposals that
might be made to the Southern leaders:

That the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law which hitherto had been
left to State authorities should be taken over by Congress and supported
by the Republicans.

That the Republicans to the extent of their power should work for the
repeal of all those "Personal Liberty Laws" which had been established
in certain Northern States to defeat the operation of the Fugitive Slave
Law.

That the Federal Union must be preserved.(1)

In presenting these proposals along with a refusal to consider the
Crittenden Compromise, Seward tampered with their clear-cut form.
Fearful of the effect on the extremists of the Republican group, he
withheld Lincoln's unconditional promise to maintain the Fugitive Slave
Law and instead of pledging his party to the repeal of Personal Liberty
Laws he promised only to have Congress request the States to repeal
them. He suppressed