The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-07-18
Seward on Greeley.

In the Serate, Wednesday, animated debate tool
place between Mr. Johnson of Arkansas and Mr. Seward
arising from the vindcation which the former gentleman
deemed proper TO make of the conduct of his colleague
Rust in the assault upon Mr. Greeley Mr.. johnson sait
OF Rust
He is a member of the House of Representatives o
this country He is my colleague in that branch Of Con
gress He i gentleman, and is certainly one of the
uniformly magnanimous, generous, and highly hon
orabe and that lives upon the whole wide earth
have known him from my earliest manhood and during
his earliest youth and this my experience With refe
TO him during the whole time
Mr.. Seward replied 10 Mr. Johnson's vindication Of
Rust
In the course of the debate yesterday it will be
recoeced that the honorable Senator from Virginia.
(Mr Hunter allndng TO the matter Of Mr. Sumner stated
as matter Of grievance against the state oil Massachu
sets that she had converted what had been personal
difficulty into public matter she had taken
which had that tendency. went on To show that Mas
sachUsetS not responsible for having converted
what he had called personal quarrel into public one,
and that the fact of the assault Mr. sumner having
become public question: subject of great magni.
tude resulted from Its nature circumstances and ante
cedents, and foresight the consequences which must
follow il. BY way Of illustrating rap dy As thoughts
ocarred TO my mind, its nature and circumstances.
tecedents and consequences Of that assault spoke OF
the TACT that EDITOR OF newspaper had been assaulted
without sufficient preliminary notice TO put him his
personal defence ant beaten down in OF the
leading 10 The Capitol for the Assumed offence Of words
written concerning what had been done by member Of
the House OF Representatives in his official capacity
remember, was going illustrate, two or three
years sgo, when the Kansas Nebraska bill before the
Senate, entertained very bal opinion Of that billan
OF which II ia his duty to oppose In adj
dressing the Senate found it necessary characterize
the strong terms but guarded myself against
mputng such character whatever to the author of
the or its motives. ! did precisely for the
that bad no doubt myself at the time that the
author had unpatriouc unjust motives, and con
seeded 70 BIN. precisely claimed for myself inea
Of motive as do every other person engaged in pubic
duties. freely concede the purity Of motives to
the colleague OF the senator ar Rust in the transaction
referred although that transaction at all
bered by me He i entitled by his position to that ac-
IA 80 character
just what given him by the senator for know he i
man q truth and high honor while am personally I'M
acquainted with bis colleague (Mr Rust have, there
fore not sanctioned the article Of which he complains,
and have reason for doing 50 nov.
That Is my understand ~ OF this whole case In the
frs, place taxing the which had received OF the
transaction the assault made without sufficient pre-
Urinary notice A. question Of fact, IL the circum-
stances remain a. then understood, my opinion i tue
still II II the facts misunderstood, it
viii be modified according 10 circumstances, more or
other notice than had understood was given
In regard the other branch OF the question,
slider the article Of which complaint made Of the editor
Of the 7tIane being IN bad taste excessive exrava
giant and severe | regarded H. however, not at
tack the motives the character OF the member who
had introduced the measure which condemned al
though may have been IN error on thai subject so
thought that the assault him sufficient excuse
In that way. Beyond that, the honorable Senator
knows, and everybody knows, that Il is my iutg.
ment my opinion, my rule 81 action that the in
Of justice, Of right and Of truth require freedom
OF the press and freedom Of speech and debate and that
whatever errors nav be committed in the exercise OF
that freedom they counter balanced In their effects by
the good which results from discussion. think all
the world knows do, that II Is not right for any person
citizen member of Congress- or in any official station
resort 10 personal retaliation for the vindcaton Of cha
rac,er assalleG in debate. through the press.
This being 80, the Transaction appeared to
which iuexcusIbe. referred 10 the fact no ~cver
historical neither mste nor implied, in
tended any reflection on the assaiant ~ that but
simply gave il az Il understood By OF the
antccedent circumstances by operation Of which. with
other causes deeper and wider had been excited
concerning the transaction between Mr. sumner and Mr
Brooks.