The Washington union., 1858-03-06
MR. sEwARp,s SPEECH


able that the argument Of Mr.. Seward to which al
llson Is made, Was at least very remarkable in ar
r4ngement, detail, and conclusion Mr. Seward is
Of decided ingenuity Of mind he is not man of
talent edoes not in this speech retail facts events
does he reach conclusions from the parts or
points OF the Kansas case. lie takes ur the whole
sabect and refers all it's incidents and details 10
single grand theory, which becomes Imposing from
its very magnitude, and impressive from The genius
he does NOT fail to display in enforcing the concu-
sicns Of his argunscnt Hcncc have in the speech
Of Mr. Seward elaborate historical effort, run
ming down into the utmost particulars of the ter
rtorial affairs Of Kansas, carefully keeping in
I the foreground the main point upon which all
his deductions rest-sAaf The goues,aenf established
there mer fhs authority Of Congress ra suprise ad
rsuPatfoa. This is the ornersione aud the foup.
dation of has argument. To establish this point he
was driven TO minute historical detail supplying
emissions with bold assertions and manufacturer,
testimony out Of infcrences drawn therefrom. II il
not IN our hne TO hound Mr.. Seward through the
endless labyrinths which he has traced with so
much patience and We may add so little regard 10
the facts he has hbored TO conceal or pervert. We
prefer, for the sake Of the argument and b hiring
Mr.. sewsrds position 10 the test, to admit the ex
istence of the election frauds charged against te
organization Of the territorial government. In the
same way, and for the same purpose we admit that
the controlling party in that organization. enacted
UNJUST and njustitable laws but on these premises
we deny that the government established was so
radically wrong as to Justify either the epthet of
usurpatlon, or the effort at revelation, which Mr.
Seward is compelled to defend and support This
s the vital error in Mr.. Stewards position We viii
restate it, in order 10 bring it distinctly before the
country, that we may publicly charge Mr.. Seward
with the responsibility and the crime of maintaining
rebellion as remedy for what at most in all elective
governments, can be only temporary evil
Mr.. Seward alleges that the first elections in Kan
sas involved immense frauds, committed by border
citizens voting at the pods, thus defeating those
whom he claims TO have been the boan fde residents
of the new Territory. That the party prevailing in
the FIRST Legislature fixed the period of three wears
the term Of Office, thus perpetuatng their power
that length Of time This is the utmost grievance
that is urged. Mr. Seward raises on these Premises
the standard Of rebellion and nsurrccton and JUST
ies Of oren revolt against the laws of Congress
aud the government of the Territory
Mr.. Seward win admit that the organization of
new Territory with few inhabitants like that of Kan
sas situated on the utmost frontiers Of our country
and almost without the pale Of civilization presents
of essential difficulty in arranging for and Sc
curing anything like just and impartial election
1t is not always easy to prevent frauds in older and
wellgoyerned communities it is certainly far less 50
/ in countries which are, for the first time subjected
to laws, magistrates and all the details of civil gov
ernment- But Mr.. Seward is an ineorrigble perfec-
tionist. lie viii make no allowance for circum-
stances lie viii follow frauds with revolution He
will not let the people of Kansas other comnuni-
ties wait for recurring elections and then by watch
faness, energy and fidelity TO the government seek
to apply the remedy which that government has pro-
vided. Mr. Seward and his friends prefer insurree-
ton; and they have the folly to confound casual ir
regnlaritcs Of the nature referred TO at the polls
with usurrason and the wiezedness and criminal
ity Justify for such contemplate cause a con-
4 certed effort to overihrow the government of the
United States. We prefer to call things by their
4 right names There civil institutions the
earth that could be maintained for a single year ur
I der the principles asewed In Mr. Seward's speech.
The great city of New York would whirl like fy-
wheel under such political rule. What in this
age Of manhood and business; in this age of practi
4 cal and of human progress /; in this age Of
Christian fellowship character and truth up
olution the rightful and appropriate remedy for
meagre election frauds, committed by handful of
fronticrsmen, just the government is extending
over them the shield of Its laws, We shall next ex-
pect TO hear it proposed that the Gospel shall be
proragated by the sword, and that ignorance slall
! be punished . crime
But ii appears Mr.. Seward has no idea Of confinnc
his revolutionary doctrines TO Kansas. After re-
viewing many events connected with the first two
years of the territorial government, he thus refers to
the circumstances attending the election Of the pres
4 ent Chief Magistrate Of the Union:
At this iuIlcure the federal administration came
in under President who had obtained sncr,ss by this
intervention at the polls Of third Fartyan ephemcral
organization built upon foreign and frivolous issue
which had Just strength enough snd life enough give
TO slavery party the aid required 10 produce that
untoward result
4 Here, too, is practical grievance at the polls
\ producing "untoward result and on broader
seld which, according his theory Of political dis
eases and remedies demands revolution. In the
case of Kansas, il the Mssourians that did the
mischief; in the presidential elections it was the
intervention the polls of third party-sn