The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-04-16
Extraordinary Letter from WNIiam H.
Seward.

MT DEAR SiR-Your letter of the oath inst, in which
others to place in nomination before the people of
the county OF Chausuque, candidate for the ONCE
of member of the Convention which has been called to
the Constitution of this State has been received
Ifsver should become so miserable to distrust
mankind my habitual confidence would be revived by
some act Of friendship the part Of the whg citi
zens whom you represent Here Is trust, sought by
the most eminent in the State and to be confer
are many as we'll qualified for it as am and yet, il Is
urged upon me, If were not already buried under
similar kindnesses coming from the same quarter Il
would be ungenerous to accept such offer under such
circumstances and no man can find good motive
for an ungenerous act Every personal reason which
sts Years have brought with them increase Of the
number and the need for whom labor.
admit that the Constitution must be revised, thorough
~ revised The State OF New York lies in the gate Of
the continent and has long been receiving full tide Of
men, OF knowledge and money, from all the other Anne
rican States we'll from Europe in addition to nau
raj increase. Enjoying the instruction Of half dozen
colleges, Ave thousand churches. twelve thousand
schools and many libraries the State has alarmed s
antiquated guardians by complaints that its condition 10
uncomfortable and its energies cramped by the Const
tuition assigned to quarter OF century ago. But all
parties sgrse not only upon the necessity Of revision
part Of the community hesitate to adopt the principle Of
universal suffrage and weakly imagine that democracy
by laws Of naturalization and registry acts operating
the exile and BY prescription Of color excluding the
African. But the progress already made in exploding
these errers gives earnest of complete triumph
Of democratic wing principles in the Convention.
The property qualification is already renowned and
the opponents OF universal suffrage have fallen back
upon the PLEA of the hopeless debasement Of the African
race. With the aid of mistaken phsnthropsts, they
hore to defeat the Of the coored
by the arce Of submitting article for that purpose
to the people separately from all other amendments to
the constitution. Let them try that Whom God do
votes TO destruction, no first makes mad" The apollo.
gsts Of slavery in New Hampshire recently separated
kindred question from all other issues, in popular
Universal suffrage in this State ID not local ques.
ton. Slavery CONTINUES in the South because the
groes there represented in the public councils and
very while Northern allies dsfranchise free negroes
whom nature would obge to cast their votes for free
dom. The evils Of the compact have become inolera.
ble The free States Increasing in population and in
wealth seventy6vs per cent than the sIavehoding
states have fallen into hopeless minority. Their in
terests sacrificed at home, and betrayed abroad
We have reached new stage in our national career
1t 10 that Of territorial aggrandizemant Extend ursdic
ton in element Of national strength il the moral
don of the people be sound Of national weakness IL
that condition be unsound. Slavery has impoverished
the States where exists much, that they inca
pable Of endowing schools, maintaining mails construct
ing roads, supporting armies With principles in
gard to revenue which always prevent the general go
yernment from es.abl hing proper defences the slave
reign injustice and aggression The people have in
the President 70 maintain the American title
the whole Of Oregon The President thereupon requires
the consent of Congress for proper notice Great Br
tain Congress debates and he states until the effect Of
the notice 4 q, soge,asT lost lis slavery that doth
without dscontented citizen subject within her
borders, would be stronger alone than all the twenty
eight states. Massachusetts, defed England seventy
years ago. She has only statesman who would dare
to commit her to such conflict now and he belongs to
the revolutionary oge rather than to this.
want no war-I want no enlargement OF territory
sooner than il would come if we contsnted with
:" masterly inactivity" l abhor detest
slavery. would not give human life Tor all the
continent that remains to be annexed. But cannot
exclude the conviction that the popular passion for ter
ritoral aggrandizement 10 Irresistible Prudence, jus.
tce cowsrdce, may check it for season, but will gain
strength by its subjugaton An American navy hover
ing Vera Cruz An American army the heart Of
what Mexico. Let the Oregon question be settled
whom it may it will nsvertheless come back again Our
barriers Of the NORTH and encounter Oriental civil
lzaton on the shores Of the Pacific The monarchs Of
Europe to have rest while they have colony
naming this contincnt France has alrsady sold
Spain has sold out. We shall how long before
ngland incnes to follow their example. II behovei
US, then, to qualify ourselves for mission. We
must dare destiny. We do this, and can only
do IT, By early measures which will effect the abolition
OF slavery, without precpitancy, without oppression
without Injustice to shareholders, without civil war
with the consent Of mankind, and the appreciation
Heaven The restoration Of the right Of suffrage Il
freed 10 the first act and will draw after it, In due
time, the sublime catastrophe Of emancipation.
But this act has already opened. There need oi
upon the stage have the sslCconcet to be-
leve that could be at all useful The people Of Chau
tauque county have obliged many times and always
without solicitation They must now grant me ono favor
upon request which is, to leave me in peace at home
could consent to bs q candidate for public Office.
lam, very respectfully your obliged
anu '''V WILLIAM LILLIAN H. SEWARD.