The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-03-10
Mr.. Stewards Speech.

Mr.. Stewards Speech.
The special assignment, being the bill for
the admissian of Kansas under the lie.
compton Constitution, was taken up, snI
MIR. Seward addressed the Senate.
Mr.. Seward said that the question Of
slavery in the federal territories, which are
the nurseries of future States, independ-
emily of its moral and humane elements.
involves dynastical struggle of two an.
tagonistical systems, the labor of slaves
and the labor of freemen, for mastery in
the federal Union. One Of these systems
partakes Of an aristocratic character; the
other is purely democratic. Each one of
the existing States has staked, or it will
ultimately stake, not only its internal wei.
fare, but also its influence in the federal
councils on the decision of that contest.
Such a struggle is not to be arrested, quel-
led or reconciled by temporary expedients
or compromises. He said that the adj
mission of new State is not necessarily,
or even customarily attended by other en-
barrassments or alarms. We have already
admitted eighteen new States, without Sc
rious connections, excepting in the cases
of Missouri, Texas and California. We
are even now admitting two others, Min
nesota and Oregon and these transac-
tons so on so smoothly that only close OBJ
servers are aware that we are thus coDsol-
idating our dominion on the shores of Lake
Superior, and almost at the gates of the
Arctic Ocean. 1t is manifest that the
apprehended difficulties in the present case
have some relation to the dispute concern
ing slavery which is raging in the terrific
! ry of Kansas. Yet it must be remember.
ed that nine of the new States which have
been admitted, expressly established slave
ry or tolerated it, and nine of them for
babe it. The excitement, therefore is due
to peculiar circumstances. He thought
there were three of them, namely
First-That whereas in the beginning
the ascendancy of the slave States was alb
solute, it is now being reversed.
Second-That whereas, heretofore the
national government favored this change
of balance from the slave States to the
free States, it has now reversed this poll
cy and opposes the change.
Third-That national Intervention in
the territories in favor of slave labor and
slave States is opposed to the natural, So
cial and moral developments of the repub-
lie.
In arguing these propositions Mr.. Sew.
ard said that Nebraska was resigned to
free labor without struggle, and Kansas
became theatre of the first actual nation.
al conflict between slavehoding and free
labor immigrants. who meet face to face
to organize, through the machinery of re-
publican action, civil community. In
this first hour of trial, the new system of
popular sovereignty signally failed-fal.
ed because it is impossible to organize by
one single act, in one day, community
perfectly free, perfectly sovereign, and
perfectly constituted, out of elements un-
assmilated, unarranged, and uncomposed.
Free labor rightfully won the day. Slave
labor wrested the victory of itself, by fraud
, and violence. In speaking Of the opinion
pronounced by the Supreme Court Of the
United States in the bred Scott case, Mr..
Seward said" In this ;ll-omened act, it
forgot its own dignity, which had always
been maintained with just judicial Jealousy,
They forgot that the province of court
is simply gus deere and not all jus
, dare They forgot, also, that one foul
sentence does more harm than many foul
examples, for the last do but corrupt the
stream, while the former corrupteth the
fountain And they and the President
alike forgot that judicial usurpation is
more odious an intolerable than any 9th.
er among the manifold practices of tyr.
, amy"
Having traced, step by step, the history
of Kansas affairs, Mr.. Seward then gave
\ concise account of the national interven-
E ton in the territories, in favor of slave
labor and Slave States since 1920, adding
E mo wonder that the question before US
excites apprehension and alarm. There is
, at least a north side of this chamber Of
representatives, north side of the Union
| as we'll as south side of all these. Each
of them is watchful, jealous and resolute.
If it be true, as has so often been asserted
that this Union cannot survive, the decis-
r ion by Congress of direct question in
volving the adoption of Free State into
< this Union. which will establish the ascen.
q dency of Free States under the constitu.
ton, and draw after it the restoration OF
| tuo luuuSuSC VI ilSCuOm III tue uOmestlS
e and foreign conduct of the government,
then the day of dissolution is at hand"
o The Supreme Court of the United States
t attempts to command the people of the
a. United States to accept the principle that
E one man can own other men, and that they
D must guaranty the inviolability of that
false and pernicious property. The peo-
pie of the United States never can, and
: they never will, accept principles 50 IN.
. constitutional and so abhorrent. Never
never. Let the court recede whether il
recede or not, we shall recognize the court
and thus reform its political sentiments
and practices, and bring them into har-
j., mony with the constitution and with the
laws of nature. In doing SO, we shall not
only reasume our own just authority, but
! we shall restore that high tribunal itself
to the position it ought to maintain, since
SO many inalienable rights of citizens, and
= even of States themselves, depend upon its
|, impartiality and its wisdom.
u Tf NO., NJ SayarJ so;1 g, ot..,o.,