Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-11-04
Mr.. Stewards Late Address.


on Thursday October Goth, Hon. WILLIAM II.
SEWARD delivered an address Of very uncom-
mon excellence and interest.
After Il graceful introduction, and un ap-
propriatc and eloquent tribute to the memo
~ of Hon. James 'lNllmadgc, the President of
the association, lately deceased, whom hc de-
clarcd, more nearly than any other citizen OF
our time. to have realized the description of
the happicst man in the world, given to the
frivolous CRI.srs. hy the great Athcnian.
" lie saw his offspring and they all survived
him At the close Of an honorable aud pros
porous life ON the field Of civic victory, he
was rewarded with the honors of Il public
funeral, by the State that he had enriched.
adorned, and en!argcd,' he passed on to Il
consideration of his subject, " Ihc true baS'S
/ Of Am0 icon hd,fadncc.''
'.nr pll men and mtions, " he said. Amer
,aH.- .Ii '.I- Republic have at uuue t'.p least
"NcuSr i1r a want Of Independence and the
most need for assuming and maintaining it..
:" mike France and England, we are homo
gcmcous people. occupying a compact and in
diviSiblc domain. peculiarly adapted to inter
nal commerce. seventeen times greater than
that Of France and an hundred times more
extended than that of Great Britain, While
it spreads Eastward and Westward across the
cuntncnt nature has not intcrpOsrd, nor has
man erected. nor can ne raise. barrier ON
the North or ON the South. that can prevent
any expansion that shall he found necessary
provided only. that our efforts t. effect it shall
he. rs they ought to he. wise. peaceful. and
D,l il, t,,r
ritorial greatness. But while all of her vast
population are not merely willing, but even
SupcrSttious subjects of an unmitigated dcs
pOtiSm, more than fUur-tifths Of them are
prcdial slaves.
If such Il population could, within amy
short period. rise up to II state Of compara-
tive social elevation, such IA change would i'm
mcdiatcly lead to soditionS that must incvta-
bly, result in dsmemhcrmcnt Of the Empire. :"
lie dwelt ON the conditions of independence
furnished by our broad domain, which affords
us eXhaustlcss supplies ofall the metals, coal,
salt, the cereal grains. tobacco, flax anI hemp,
and all the materials for architecture.
whether for peace or war, on land or sea-.
For nothing save II few spices and dyes need
We resort to other soils and climates More
over
'.Thc circumstances of the age are propi-
touS to us. The nations on this continent
are new. youthful and lratcrnal. while thoSr
existing ON the other, are either lying in
hopeless dchascmcnt or are preparing to un-
dcrgo the commissions Of an indispensable re-
generation. What power then need we fear !
What power, if we We're in danger, cold
| yield Us protection or even aid While our
constitutions and laws establish political
equality, they operate to produce social
equality also, by preventing monopplics "i
land and great nccumulations of wealth and
80 they afford incentives t. universal activity
and emulation. Why then should not the
American citizen, and the American Rcpuh-
| lie. he consciously indcpcndcnt in all things
as in all things they are safe and free -
But though far from supposng that we are
>ignally deficient i'll independence, which as Il
national. hereditary, and popular sentiment
we annually celebrate and glory III, he men
toned occasions where we are apt to neglect
the exercise of the virtue
We hold in contempt, equally Just and
profound. him who imposes. and him who
wears Il mcnial livery and yet think that
we are accustomed to regard with no great
severity. the employer who cxactS. or the
mechanic, clerk or lahorrr. who yields. poll
teal conformity in consideration of wages.
We insist, as we ought. that every citizen III
the State Should be qualified by education for
citizenship; but we are by no means unani-
nous that one citizen, or class of citizens,
shall not prescribe its own creed. in the IN
struction of the children of others. We CON
struct and remodel partisan formulas and
RI
almost as much diligence and versatility ar
the McNicans and we attempt to enforce con
lormity to them, with scarcely less OF zeal
and intolerance. not indeed, by the Sword
but by the greater terror Of political pros
criptiun. We resist argument not alwaN'
with argument. but often with personal de-
numclatlun, and sometimes even with com
hincd violence. We differ, indeed. as to tn,
particular errors Of political faith. that Shal
he corrected by this extreme remedy; but
nevertheless, the number Of those who alto
grthcr deny its necessity and suitlhlcncss il
some eases, is very small.
We justly maintain that free Press is tn,
palladium of liberty, ana yet mutually pros
cribing all editorial Independence that il
manifested bv opposition to our own opinions
we have only attained Il Press that is free il
>. s.'',-" that every interest, PARTY. faction
u
: Ii it he still maintained, notwithstanding.
these illustrations to the contrary that rntir
social independence prevails then. | ask
why is it So necessary to preserve will
! jealousy, is we justly do, the ballot. in lie,
Of open suffrage tor il every citizen is rcall,
; free from all fear and danger, why should h,
, mask his vote more than his face BE
licyc me, fellow citizens, independence alway
lnguIshcs in t." very degree that into
lcrancc prevails.
We smile at the vanity Of the factory gr
at Lowell, who, having spent the srcula
part of the week in making calicocs for tn
use Of her msophisticatcd country women
, diSdainiully arrays herself on Sundays eXclu
sivcly in the tintS of European dyes, and We
we are indifferent to the fact that besides
universal consumption of foreign silks cS
Guiding the silkworm from our country, W
e purchase in England alone hundred I'M
}. fifty millions Of yards of the same muslins
+ We sustain here and there Il rickcty, or IL
hest Il contracted iron manuiactory Will
. we import iron to make railroads over on
I own endless ore fields, and We carry our pre-
= udicrs against our struggling manufactures