Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1858-11-13

SrsAvoR SEwARn. 10 recent speech at The
city Of Rochester, seems y have ndded to NJ
stock of -aputatiou, ard exposed himselfltO The
apimadyersions Of bis opponents These how.
ever, are but the mere csrpines Of sulpll ephe
neral politicians, and only serve to show that thl
gathering stream Of public sentiment which i
surging along in its course with irresistible ant
portentous force, ond driving slavery to surren
der one position after another, render tha
chosen by Mr.. Seward the more prominent ant
impregnable The spoeehis most able exposi
ton Of The issues, which divide the two great
parties Of the country, aud presents 10 matter
y manner the ground upon which the g,eat
battle Of 1860 is 70 be fought. There is nc
temporizing about MIR. Seward. lie meets tb,
question Of slavery extension squarely. The
Republican platform Of 1856 is broad enough
for him, aud he seeks to add no new or extrau
eous planks. The speech entire should be read
by every Republican. We regret we have on
ly room for his closing remarks.
After reviewing the position Of the Demo
cratic party, past and present. upon the slavery
question, Mr.. S. said;
] think, fellow citizens, that have
shown you that it is high time for the
friends of freedom to rush to the rescue OF
the Constitution, and that their very first
duty is to dismiss the Democratic Party
from the Administration of the Govern
ment. Why shall it not be done F? All
agree that 1t ought to be done. What
then shall prevent its being done9 Moth
ing but timidity or division Of the opponents
of the Democratic party. Some of these
opponents start one objection and some
another. Let usnotice the objections brief
ly. One class say that they cannot trust
the Republican party, that it has not avow-
ed its hostility to slavery boldly enough, or
its affection for freedom earnestly enough.
l ask in reply, is there any other party
which can be more safely trusted Every
one knows that is the Republican Party,
or none that shall dspIace the Democrat
ie party. But | answer further, that the
character and FIDELITY Of any party are de-
termined, necessarily, not By us pledges pro
grammes end platforms, but 6y the public er-
agencies and tie temper of The people tchcn
they call 1t into actiUity SubServency 10
Slavery, is law written, not only on the
forehead Of the Democratic Party, but also
in its very soul. So resistance to Slavery,
and devotion to Freedom, the popular ele-
ments now actively working for the Rcpnb-
lican Party among the people, must and
will be the resources for its everrenewing
strength, and constant inygoration. ..
Others cannot support the Republican
Party, because it has net sufficiently expo
sed its platform aud determined what it
will do and what it will not do, when tri-
umphant. 1t may prove too progressive
for some and too conservative for Others
AS if any party ever foresaw so clearly the
course Of future events as to plan univer-
sal scheme for future action, adapted to all
possible emergencies. Who wouId ever
have joined even the Wing Party Of the
Revolution, if it bad been obliged to an.
swer, in l775, whether it would declare fol
Independence inl7I6, and for this noble
Federal Constitution Of ours, in 1885, aDC
not year earlier or later ? The people o.
the United States will be as wise next year
and the year afterwards, and even ter
years hence, as we are Dow. They will
oblige the Republican Party to act as the
public welfare and the interests of justice
and humanity shall require, through all the
stages of its career, whether Of trial of tri-
umph.
Others will not venture an effort because
they fear that the Union would not endure
the change. Will such objectors tell me
how long a Constitution can bear a strain
directly along the ibres of which it is com-
posed This is constitution of Freedom.
1t is being converted iuto Constitution OF
Slavery. 1t is a Republican Constitution
1t is being made an Aristocratic one
Others may wish to wait until some colat.
eral questions concerning temperance oil
the exercise of the elective franchise are
properly settled Let me ask such per
sou, whether time enough has not been
wasted on these points already, without
gaining any other than this single advan
tage, namely the discovery that only ont
thing can be effectualy done at one time
and that the one thing which must ant
will be done at any one time is just tina
thing which is most urgent and will NJ
longer admit of poStponement or delay
Finally, we are told by faint-hearted mel
that they despond the Democratic Party
they say, is uneonquerable, and the domin
ion OF Slavery is consequently inevitable
reply to them that the complete aud uni
Versal dominion of Slavery would be intol
erable enough whenSh should have com
after the last possible effort at eseap
should have been made. There would i
that case be left to US the consoling reheC
tion of fidelity to duty.
But reply further, that / know-fel
l think know better than THE resource
and the energies of the Democratic Party
which is identical with the Slave Power
do ample prestige to its trditlonal popu
larity. know further-few think kno,
better than THE disadvantages and diff
cultes Of organizing new political fore
like the Republican, Party, and the obsta
cles it must encounter in laboring withou
prestige and without patronage. But no
withstanding all this, / know that tn
Democratic party must go down, and tha
the Republican Party must rise int
its place. The Democratic Party derive
its strength originally from its adoption {
the principles OF equal and exact justice t
all men. So long as it practiced this priI
| ciple faithfully il was inVulnerable III bt