Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-12-15
THE TRUE ISSUE.
SPEECH OF WILLIAM II. SEWARD
Delivered at Rochester. Monday. Oet p. ls55.


The siii'e and contentious concerning
Slavery. which gently disposed persons
do haIIilual!v tcprrca:P. is no'hing nv r
,han The ripening of the cinflicr which
the fathers themselves not only Illus re-
garded with f.vor, but which they may
be said To have instituted.
IL is not TO he denied, howe that
thus far the conrSe of rha, contest has
not bren according 10 their humane an
IIcip atoms and wishes. In the field of
Federal politics, Slavery, deriving un
looked fIr advantages from comme rcial
change: and energies Unforeseen from
the f,ciities of combination between
members of the slavehol!'ing els and
oiher property classes, early allied, AMI
has al length made stand, not merely
10 retain its original defensive position.
hut In extend lis sway throughout The
whole Union. Ii is certain that the
>laveholIing class of American ciiizanS
indulge This high ambition. and that they
i.rive encouragement for it from the
rapid and eiT;cii political successes
which they have already obta;n The
plan cf operation is this: BY continue d
appliances of patronage, and threats o.
Ii,union they will keep maj nriIy fLvo-
able 10 I.ese designs in the Senate.
rh-r. each State has an eqIai represent
a'ipn. Through that maj rriry they W Il
defeat. as iIev host can, the admission al
Free States Under the protection of the
Judiciary they will, on the principle OF
the Dread Scout case, carry Slavery IN
- all The Territories of the United
States. now existing and here after to he
organize |. B. the action of The Prcsi
dent and the S'naie, using the treaty
making power. they will annex foreign
>laveholiina Sales. in flvorabli. con
iupcrure they viii induce Congress Ia re-
peal the act Of 1 6 Is, which prohibits the
foreign slave trade, and 50 they wiIl i'm
n.rr from Africa, al the cost # only
SO head, slaves enough To fill mp IN
interior # the continent. Thus relative
" Increasing the number Of ave Sia'es.
hey will allow no amen ian n. 10 The
Constitution pr-i.:di:i.l TO their interest:
,nd 81, having permanently established
their power, Ihev expect The Federal
Ju licIarv IN nullify all State laws which
shall interfere with internal or foreig1
commerce in slaves When the free
States shall be sufficiently demor IiiZ ID
- tolerate these designs, they reasona-
blv conclude that 5 avery will be accept
Ell bv those S sles themselves. shall
not stop TO show hov speedy or hnN
Accomplishment Of these slaveholdinI ;
schemes would hiring upon the c1unirv.
For one, should nni remain in The coun-
try 10 test the sud experiment. Having
scent my manhood, ihoIgh not my who'll
life. in a free S,iie, no ariS.ocracy of ANY
kin I. much l-Ss an ariSIocracv of slave
hoIIerS. shall ever mike The laws 0f III
land in which shall he c1ntsnted 10 live.
Having sen iie soci ty around me G.i!er
sally engaged in agriculture, M nuflc-
lures. aud trade. which were inuoc, nj
AMI benelieen,, | shall never b. Grni
Z,u of State where men and women
are reared as cattle. and bought and s3hi
as merchandise. When that evil Gav
shall como; and all further effort AT re-
>i>tance shall be impossible, then, il ,hero
shall be no better hope for redemption
than | can now foresee, shall say with
Franklin, while looking abroad over the
whole earth for new and mlre congsnial
home, "Where Liberty dweils, there is
NV country"
You will tell me that these fears are
evlravagant and chimerical. ans wcr,
they are so, but they are so only because
the designs of the slave holders mnst an4
cln b. defeated. But it is only the
possib iiy Of defeat that renders them 81
They cannot be defeated by mac ivity.-
There is no escape from them, comPlti-
BILE with n0n-resistance. How, then, and
in what wav. shall The necessary resis
tance be made? There is only one way
The d amacratic party must be permI-
nenIly disloged from the Governmen, -
The reason is, That the Democratic
party is inextricably committed n the de
signs of the >iveholderS, which hav.
described. Let me be well understood
| do mol charge thai The Democratic can.
;iijates for public office now before the
people are pledged, much less thai the
I Democratic masses who support them
really adopt those airocioas and danger
Gus designs. Candidates may, aud gen.
orally do. mean TO act justly, wisely and
patrioiically, the ministers and servants
not the d.cialors, If the power which
elect; them. The policy which a party
shall pursue at 81 future period is only
gradually developed, depending on the
occurrence # events never fully FIRE.
known. The motives of Iaen, whether
acting as electors or in any other capaci
ty, are generally pure. Nevertheless, iii,
not more true that '.Hell is paved with
good Intentions" than il is that earth is
covered with wrecks resulting from in.
nocent and amiable motives.
The very constitution OF the Demo.
cratic party commits il TO execute all the
designs of the shareholders, whatever
they may be. 1t j. not party of the
whole Union, of ali the free States and
Of all the slave States in the North aud in
the Northwest; but ii is sectional and
local party, having practically its sea-
within the slave States, and counting its
con tituency chiefly and almost exc'u
siveiy there. Of all its representatives
in Congress aud in The Electoral Col.
leges, two thirds uniformly come from
these States. It's great elemen; Of
strength lies 10 the vo.e of The slaveiol
ders, augmented by the approximation OF
'nree-fifihs oil the sllves. Deprive the
Democratic parry Of this siren sth.- .-alA ii
would be helpless mauority, incsplols
! Ct continued organization. The Demo