Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-11-01
TlIE I.1T.E EizL1( 1(4ENCFP
The Great Rochester Speech
WILLIAM H. SEWARD

le1's o. Free and Shcs Lst52,LiP1 jIag3s,b o5
'..'r <ti5'H9emi'n'-4he "a tteoly NJ tbe Eai5eEs
-"I s 1fs27"0t'e 'aeaSGRs as Ms Sisc,0tiYfeN
- 'ss.o's %ttect spread 0etorc dc people for
at4s t'tieEl3retatio:t. - = 'aSS''f'''S9
tELtow ClTI2.Ns-1ho unnistakoablc ont
breaks of zeal which occur all aronnd H.,
Ihat you are earnest meH-a4ld svel,.c. man mn,
!. l.et us, therefore, at least for tiInn ,7S.s
ny ailsecondaFy and collateral questions. ybetL-
CT OF a personal or of a general nature and
GSls'9er the main subject of the present canvass
artYor, to speak moro accu-
r"tely' !hc party which wears that attractive
nam @hathe-is IN possession of the federal srovern
meAf. The republicans propOse to dislo6aa
I.aS ,i party, and dismiss it from its hirh trust
ne mann SUBJECT, then, is whether the demo
cratic party deserves to retain the onfitloy3oa Of
!he american people? In attempting. to prove
II unworthy, think that I am. not 9ctuated Inv
preluolccS agaInst that party or by preposses-
SONS IN tavorot its adversary for have learned
by some experience, that virtue and patriotism,
wee ana seinshness, arc found in all parties and
that they differ less in their motives iTan II, flo
Ioilc!es they pursue. Our country is a tI,potrn
winch exhibits, in full operation, two raIicoIIy
diEefent political syStemS-thCs ono rCstinor ~,
the bass ot serVile or slave lahCr; the ctLer on
the basis OF voluntary labor Of ircemcn. The
i;'i"EeFs Who are enSiavcd arc all negroes, or
persons more CT less purely of African derivo-
ton but this is only accidental The nrinci
pic ot the system is, thatlabor in every society.
ny Wh"msoeVcr performed, is necessarily unin-
teiteetnaI. grovclling and base, and that the
Iah.teF, equally for his own good and for The
Nrtiitie 0f tlc State, ought 10 be cnslayed The
Mhhc lab9ling man. whether native Grforcirncr
- net ensiavcd only because he cannot, ms vet.
lc reduced to bondage. You need not he tuId
now thatthc slave system is tile Older of the two
ana thiit"ncc 1t was universal. The emancipa-
lion "t car oEvn MISUNDERSTANDING and Eu-
lttI ~ 8lrFHV-.
nerT"d "i i've hundred years The great nc
i'"faii''h ot human society which ulGdcraI times
GAhi9t, rs manly due Ia the substitution Of the
system et voluntary labor for the old one oi
Serylie labor, which las already taken place
The African slave system is ana which l., ;ts
origin ard lis growth. has been altogether for.
ci%n from tn habits of the races which cUlon-
lzed these States and eStablished civilization
here 1T was introduced ontIris new continent
as an engine OF conquest, ard for the establish
ment OF m"n9rchical power by the Portuguese
ana the SpaIUarGS, and was rNnidly extended
by them over oil South America Central Am
erlcil, Louisiana and Mexico lis legitimate
fruits are seen in the poverty, imbeciIitv and
anarchy which pervadeall Portuguese and Sran-
ISL America. The free labor system Is uf Ger
man extraction. md it was established in our
country by ci0fgrGilts from Sweden Holland
Gcrnany. Great Britain and Ireland We lust
iy ascriDe to its influence the strength, wealth
greatness, Intelligence and freedom. which tie
wh"!e American ueoplc now enjoy. One of the
chief Clements of the value of human life is
freedom IN the pursuit of happiness.
The slave system is not only int6fcrtlrt @un-
inst and inhuman towards the Iaborer whom
only bcc;itSe he is q laborcr, it leads down with
c!i2.:.E and converts into merchandise, but
s'areciy less so to the irGemen, to whom only
het.luse Ie IS a lIUorer frcm necessity, it-dcncs
!ncilltcs for employment and whom it expcls
from the community because it cannot cnsavc
and convert him into merchandise also. 1t is
necessarily impruvidcut and ruinuus because
as general truth, communities prosper and
flourish, or droop ans! decline, in justth degree
t.@- they practice or neglect u practice. the
primary duties Of justice and humanity The
free labor system conforms to the divine law of
equality, which is written III the hearts and con
sciences of men. and therefore is always AID
everywhere tenihcent.
The slave system is one of constant danger,
disgrust, suspicion and watchfulncss It 1ebases
ii!nse whose toll alone can produce wealth and
resources for defence tile lowest degree Of
WHICH human nature is capable to guard against
Duuny and insurroctiGn and thus wastes cncr-
s'cs which might otherwise be employed in
uoiial dcvelopemcnt and aggrandiZement. The
Tree labor system Cducates al alike and iyy oficn-
ing all the fields of industrial employment and
all the departments of authority to the uncbeck.
cd and equal rivalry of all classes OF men, at
once secures universal contentment, and brings
INTO the highest possible activity all the phySi-l
CdI hifill ana social energies Ot the Whole State
in States where the slave system prevails the
masters, directly indirectly, secure all roliti
Gai power, and constitute ruling arstocrucY.
In the States where the free labor system pre-
walls universal suffrage necessarily obtains, and
the State inevitably becomes, sooner or later,
rennbitc of democracy. Russia yet maintains
slavery, and is a dcspotisn. Most Of the other
European States lave abolished slavery and
adopted the system of free labor. 1t WIS the
antaSo;,'stlc political tendencies of the two sys-
TONS which the first Napoleon was contempIa-
ting when he predicted that Europe would ulti-'
llna.eiy lie either all Cossack or all republican.
AeFeF did human sag:.city utter a more preGg-
Haut truth
lhe two systems are at once perceived to be
homogeneous But they are more than incon-
7"cons-they arc Incompatible. They never
have permanently existed together in one coun-
ny and til"y never c;i:.. it would be easy to
"smonstrate this impossibiitY, from the ire
rGnci!abc contrast between tleir great princl-
PIES aud characteristics. But the experience Of
mankind has conciusveiy established 1t. Slavery
rs i.;ne aircaly intimated. existed in every
State in Europe. Free labor has supplanted it
"Terywherc, except IN Russia and Turkey. State