It would have opened anew the old struggle for equality between free States and slave States, and would in all probability have led the country to war within three years from its adoption,--war with Mexico for the border States of that Republic, war with Spain for the acquisition of Cuba.

This would have followed as matter of policy with Southern leaders, whether they intended to abide in the Union, or whether they intended, at some more advantageous and opportune moment, to secede from it.

If they concluded to remain, their political power in the National Government would have been greatly increased from the acquisition of new States.

If they desired to secede, they would have acquired a much more formidable strength and vastly larger area by the addition of Southern territory to which the Crittenden propositions would not only have invited but driven them.
While these propositions were under discussion, Mr.Clark of New Hampshire offered as a substitute the resolution with which Messrs.
Washburn and Tappan had closed their report in the House,--a resolution of which Mr.Clark was the author, and which he had previously submitted to the consideration of the Senate.

The test question in the Senate was whether Mr.Clark's resolution should be substituted for the Crittenden proposition, and this was carried by a vote of 25 to 23.