Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-04-09

The Works OF WILLIAM II. SEWARD, in 3 vols.
REDFIELD, 10 and l12 Nassau street. New YORK, 1923
Edited by GEORGE IL. BAKER.


Edited by GEORGE t. BAKER.
The works of WILLIAM II. SEWARD are able works. No
reader Of the National Intelligencer needs TO be told
however that in his general views upon certain public
questions the author of these productions entertans
opinions differing widely from our own
As statesman, a scholar of refined cultivation,
and liberal promoter Of the public welfare, aecordng
his peculiar opinions WM II. SEWARD stands deservedy
high before his countrymen His public papers give evil
dence of great inteectof study taste, and generous
feelingsand the warmth of his temperament appears in
all that he says and does.
In his preface the Editor informs that in this coec-
ton Of Mr.. Stewards works it is intended
To present the public only with his more elabo-
rate speeches and writings but also with his occasional
and unstudcd efforts The principles and measures Of
public policy which he has maintained receive clear
illustration from the latter class of his productions
from his systematic and finished performances They
accordingly important, at time when the political
views of Mr. Seward have become the .1bec of discus
sion in every quarter Of the Union"
The Editor of these volumes, though by no means
unconscious of his slight qualifications for important
task has attempted to collect and prepare for publication
the ewing works of William Ii. Seward. desire to
aid in disseminating the doctrines and principles they
contain as well as to preserve them in permanent FORM
must plead his apology For number Of years it has
been his wish to bring these works befor the public He
has only waited for the time when they could be pro-
duced without exciting suspicion of personal parti
objects That time in his opinion, has arrived
cit is, however, perhaps too much to expect, even
now candid hearing from all parties Nothing says
Mr.. Seward in of his letters that do say,
that be said done by my friends is suffered to
pass without exciting alarms lest it may have an ambi-
tious design that almost despise.
ssTo the friends of republican principles and of the
claims of justice and freedom everywhere the Editor be
eyes these volumes will be welcome, and to such they
respectfully dedicated To the friends of Mr. Seward
also, they viii be acceptable, complete retutaon of
the various Misrepresentation of his and opinions,
current in the community supplying wantlong felt and
frequently expressed To many Of these friends the Ed
already indebted for assistance and
in his undertaking, for which he avas himself of this
place to express his Acknowledgements.
The SPEECHES AND DEBATES SENATE OF THE
UNITED STATES form complete record of Mr. Stewards
efforts in that body down to the close of the thirty
Congress Several speeches delivered after the first volume
of these works had gone to press will be found in the
third volume.
'The FORENSIC ARGUMENTS in this volume include Mr.
Stewards pleas in the of j. Fenimore Cooper
Greedy McElrath in defence of William Freeman in
the Of Jones Van Zand under the Fugitive Slave
Law Of 1893 in the of Many Treadwell patent
case and in defence of Abel Fitch and Others in the
celebrated Railroad Trial at Detroit Several others,
possessing almost equal interest had been selected for
place in the works. but the limits already prescribed made
1t necessary to omit them Among these may be named
an argument in the of Wilson Rousseau invoy
ing the merits of the Woodwork Patent and Opinion
delivered by Mr. Seward while member Of the Court of
Errors in the case of Parks vs. Jackson
9 Three ENGRAvINGs accompany these Volumes Por-
trait of Mr. Seward his Birth Place, and his Residence
at Auburn"
The Biographical Memoir in the first volume is well
written and full of interest Its closing paragraphs
worthy of consideration by every independent thinking
man.
Among the Forensic Arguments of Mr. Seward may be
found matters of thrilling interest the general
reader. The trial of William Freeman, IAN IDIOT for
mi nth ha
sci, will be read with deep feeling
On the goth July, 1852, Mr.. Seward addressed the
Senate of the United States upon the SURVEY OF THE
ARCTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS Near the close of his re-
marks may be found the following eloquent passages:
''Sir have you locked recently at the China trade 1t
reaches already millions in value annually Have
watched the California trade? Its export bullion alone
already exceeds fifty millions of dollars annually and
yet the mineral development of that State has only be-
gun The settlement Of the Pacific coast is in state of
sheer infancy There is speaking relatively neither
capital labor there adequate exhibit the forces of
industry that might be employed in that wonderful region
Nor is California yet conveniently accessible The rail-
way across Panama is not yet completed The passage
through Nicaragua perfect that which leads through
Tehuantepec is not begun; have yet extended,
far to the Mississippi the most important and
necessary of them ALL the railroad across our own
country TO San Francisco The emgrant to the Atlantic
coast arrives speedily and cheapy from whatever quarter
of the world while he who would seek the Pacific shore
ertheless, the commercial social political movements Of
the world in the direction of California. Sepa
rated it is from by foreign lands impossible
establishing there a custom-h house. a
mint dry dock, Indian agencies and ordinary and
traordinary tribunals Of justice. Without waiting for
perfect safe channels strong and steady stream Of
emigration flows thther from every State and every dis
rct eastward Of the Rocky Mountains Similar torrents
Of emigration pouring into California and Australia
from the South American States, from Europe ard from
Asia. This movement is not sudden accidental or
irregular convusve one but it is one for which men
and nature have been preparing through four hun
dred years During all that time merchants and princes
have been seeking how they could reach cheapy and
peditiously Cathay, China, the East, that inter-
course and commerce might be established between its
ancient nations and the ones Of the West To these
objects Da Cana, Columbus, Americas Cabot, Hudson
and other Daygaor devoted their talents their abors
and their lives Even the discovery of this continent and
its islands, and the organization of society and govern
ment upon them grand and important as these events
have been were but conditional preliminary and anc
larry to the sublime result in the act Of
matonthe reunion of the civilizations which, hav
ing parted on the plains Of Asia four thousand years ago.
and having travelled aerward in opposite directions
around the world, now meet again the coasts and
islands of the Pacific ocean, Certainly no mere human
event Of equal dignity and Importance has ever occurred
upon the earth. 1t will be followed by the equalization
of eondton Of society and the restoration Of the unity
of the human family We see plainly enough why this
event could not have before and why II has come
now. certain amount of human freedom, certain
amount of human intelligence, n certain extent of human
control over the physical obstacles such reunion
necessary. All the conditions have happened and con-
Cured Liberty has developed under improved forms Of
government and science has subjected nature in Western
Europe and in America Navigation, improved by steam
enables men to oustrip the winds, and intelligence con-
veyed by electricity excels in velocity the light. With
these favorng circumstances there has also sud
den abundance Of god that largely relieves labor from
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