Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-04-29
Ube Grel, a1:teaa5
SPEECH OF CARL SEIZURE. OF
WISCONSIN, IN FANEUI. HALL,
BOSTON, APRIL Is. 1859.
BURLiNGToN:
FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 20 1859.

" 'a''o4NStNs IN g. \ NEltt. Z. \ 4.
BOSTON, APRIL is, 1859.
When was old enough to read and dc
crlptions OF this country and books ON Anne
ican istory fell into my hands, the uii,urin
OF my imagination acquired the colors Of n
atty, and i began to exercise my brain wit
the thought. what man might br and bC
come, W en- left perfectly free to himself
And sun later, when rip'nng into manhuo
looked up from my school books int, th
STIR and hustle OF the world. and the lrii,,,ra
tones OF struggling humanity struck INV g.,
aud thrilled my heart, and saw INV natin
shake her chains in order tp huisr T. en-. ar
| heard " gigantic. universal shout for lii
ertv r'sing up to the ski and at last, aro
| having struggled manluly and dicncllcd tL
| earth OF Futhcrland with the blood nr r,.n
: sands oi p"hlH beings, | saw that nation
crushed down again, not only hy or.,ya,l
| ming armies, bat by the dead wc,.lt of Gus
toms and institutions, and notions and l.,i
udiccs which past centuries had h.ai. u ,i.i
| them and which a moment OF ,n,lu., g.,
| however sublime could not dc,tluv.-,r.u
consoled an almost dcspundcnt heart witt
| the idea OF II youthful people and Of oririnu
institutions clearing the way for an untram.
meled development Of the ideal nature oI
man. Then turned my eyes iustinctiyrl,
across the Atlantic Ocean. and America and
Amcrlcanism, MS | iancicd them, apncarcd
To me as the last repositories f the i6urs OF
all true friends ofhumanity fApnllusc.1
l say all this, not us though indulred i'm
the prC sumptuous dclusion, that NV p irs,r.
al feelings and experience could be Of any in
tercst to You, but in order to sh W vou, what
America is to the thousands of thinkinrmon
IN the old world, who, disappointed in their
iondcst hopes and depressed by the saddest
experience. cling with their last remnant Of
confidence in human nature to the last suot
on earth where man is free t1 follow the road
to attalnablc perfection. and whore. unbidss d
ny the disastrous influence of traditional mo-
tlons. customs and institutions, he acts ON hi,
own responsibility. They ask themselves
was it but II wild dclusion when we thought
that man has the faculty to BE- free and to
govern himself? Have we been frhtinr.
were we ready to die for Il mere phantom. for
mere product of a morbid Imagination .
This question down trodlen humanity eric,
out into the world and from this country
they expect an answer.
AS their advocate, speak to you. will
speak OF Americanism as the great repre-
sentative Of the reformatory age. AS the creat
champion OF the dignity Of human muiurc.
as the great repository of the last hopes Of
suffering mankind.
While the coast of Virginia is settled by "A
motley immigration led and ruled by men Of
ideas and enterprise, the sturdiest champions
OF principle descend upon the stony shores of
New England: (Applausc.) While the
southern colonies are settled under the aus
P'ces OF lofdiy merchants and proprictarics.
original democracy plants its stern banner
unDD DlVmputb Enrt NJ
camille speculation, ar>tocratic ambition and
stern virtue, that seeks freedom and nothing
but freedom, lead the most different CLASSES
of people, different in origin. habits and per-
suasion, upon the virgin soil, and entrust t.
them the task of realizing the great princi-
pies OF the age. Nor is the priyilcgc con-
lined to one nationality alone. While the
Anglo-Saxon takes possession of New En-
gland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. the
trcnchman plants his colonies in the soil of
French Florida and the interior of the conti-
nent; the liollandcr locates New Neither
lands on the banks Of the Hudson; the
Swcdc, led there by the great mind Of Oxan-
stern, occupies the banks OF the Delaware,
the Spaniard maintains himself in pcninSu-
lar lorlda, and II numerous immigration Of
Germans, who follow the call of religious
freedom, and of lrlshmcn, gradually flowing
in, scatterS itself all over this vast extent ut
country. Soon all the socii! and national
elements Of the civilized world are rcpry.
sented in the now land. Every people, every
creed, every class of society have contributed
their share to that wonderful mixture out
Of which is to grow the great nation Of tie
new world. 1t is true, the Anglo-SlXon cs.
tablishcs and maintains lis asclndancy, but
without absolutely abSorbin. the other ma
tional elements. They modify each other
and their peculiar characteristics are to be
blended together by the all-assimihting
power Of freedom. This is tho original Of
the American nationality, which dld not
spring from one family, one tribe, one c>un-
try, but Incorporates the vigorous elements
of all ciyilizcd nations on earth Gap
pluuse.)
This last is not without great importance
1t is an essential link in the chain OF hstori-
cal development. Tho student of history
cannot fail to notice that when new periods
Of civilization break upon humanity the pco-
pie of the earth cannot maintain their ma
tional relations. New IDEAS are to b, carried
out by young nations. From time to time,
violent, irresistible hurricanes sweep over the
world, blowing the most different clements
Of the human family together, which by min
elliH OLllcT, anu INC general
confusion then becomes the starting point of
a new period Of progress. Nations which
have long suhsisted exclusively on their own
resources, will gradually lose their own orig
inal vigor and die the death Of decrcritud1.
But mankind becomes young again By its
different clements being shaken together, by
race crossing raccand mind penetrating mind,
(Applausc.)
The Anglo-Saxon may Justly be proud Of
the growth and development of this country,
and 1t he ascribes most Of it to the undaunt-
cd spirit OF his race, we may not accuse him
of overweenng f-glorfcation. lie possesses
in an eminent degree the enviable talent of
acting, when others only think Of promptly
executing his own ideas and of appropriating
the ideas of other people to his own use.
Applause There is perhaps no other race
that at 50 carly day would have founded
the stern democracy Of the Plymouth settle
ment, no other race that would have defied
the trials and hardships of the original set
tiers life so victoriously. No other race
perhaps, possesses in so high degree not only
the daring spirit Of independent enterprise,
but ut the same time the stubborn steadla-st
ness necessary to the final execution of great
designs. The Anglo-Saxon spirit has been
the locomotive of progress; [applauSel but
do not forget that this locomotive would be
of little use to the world. if it refused to
draw its train over the iron highway. and
carry its valuable freight towards its destina-
tion that train consists of the vigorous ele-
ments of all nations that freight is the vital
ideas of our age that destination is uniyer-
sal freedom and the ideal development of man.
Cheers, That is the true greatness of the
Anglo-Saxon race; that ought to be the
source Of Anglo-Saxon pride. esteem the
son who is proud of his father, if, at the
same time, he is worthy Of him.
Thus, ! say, was founded the colony Of
free humanity on virgin soil The youthful
elements, which constitute the people Of the
new world, cannot submit to rules which arc
not of their own making they must throw
off the ietters which bind them TO an old de-
crept order of things They resolve TO enter