The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-11-16
Prentice on Seward,

| Prentice on seward.
The opponents of the Democratic part
are often made happy by the severity Of
language used towards everybody North AMI
South who is suspected of affiliation Will
the Democracy, and it is perhaps no NOR
than fair that PRENTICE should be heard 4
an occasional philippe against Republican,
leaders
From the louisville Journal
We are now prepared to comprehend TIE
! general character and extent of the disclot.
ures which Forbes made to Mr.. Seward in
the interview before mentioned. Forbes, il
will be observed, has two separate and dis
| tinct grounds of complaint against the "h,l-
manitarians," as he somewhat loosely term.
the Aboltionists, seeing that he is a man OF
culture and intelligence; namely, first, tn
| necessitous condition of his family, conse-
quent, as he alleged, on the failure Of the
"humanitarans' to redeem their engage
ments to him, and, secondly, the rejection!
of his plan by the perfidious "humanitari;
ans, and the adoption of John Brown
project including 1.-The cotton speculation.
These are grievances for the redress of which
Forbes desired to enlist the favor and infu-
ence of Seward and Hale. These are the
| crooked things which he wanted them to
"put straight" The scope and force of tbs
language in which he describes his respect
i've interviews with them is now not only
obvious but unmistakable "Having mad.
several Intellectual attempts" he says, ''to;
get quiet conversation with Senator John
p. Hale, Of New Hampshire, met him ac-
cidentally on Sunday morning. could not
then enter into the details of John Browns
project; therefore confined myself to ex-
planning the urgency of sending relief to my
family" He could touch upon only part
of his grievances. Not so in his more de-
liberatc interview with ,Ir Seward. In that
he touched fully on the entire burden of hi,
complaint. 81 went" he says, into the
rhole matter, III all its 5earings"
What now, is left to inference or doubt
Assuming the genuiness of the develop
ments, which we believe is not impeachetF
even by those most nearly concerned, it Is
an offence to reason, an insult to common.
sense, gross violence to the constitution of
the human mind, to ask one to believe that
Seward was not thoroughly cognizant of
the bloody and demoniacal scheme which
old John Brown and his fellow conspiratorS
were meditating. He knew it all. This
conclusion is inevitable.
Mr.. Seward knew it all: but most Ger.
tainly he never told any part of it; unless
he told it in guilty confidence. He kept
the villainous secret but too well. Not the
! arch conspirator Brown himself guarded the
terrible mystery with more profound re.
serve. He concealed a traitors plot with II
traitors vigilance. Granting that Mr.. Sew
ards offence is nothing blacker than Grim
inal lack of courage to do his duty to soci-
ETY. and himself, yet how mean and con-
temptiblc is his position! He, the represen-
tative of the Empire State in the Halls Of
the Federal Councils, Senator of the Uni
ted States, the idol of great party, a states
man, citizen of the highest distinction, a
Christian and gentleman, bends his ear to
this tale of devilish conspiracy against the
peace and lives of his fellow citizens, and
admitting it with but passing twinge Of
cOmpunction, locks the atrocous scheme in
his bosom, and goes forth with impenctrablc
complacency, to lavish smiles and saluta-
tons on its appointed victims. Oh what a
shame is this 1t is deep enough to red
den the cheeks of every citizen in the land
| We do not say that man or a human be-
ing capable of such recreancy, such abject,
sinful weakness, is not fit to live; but we
do say he is not fit to associate on terms of
equality or any :erms with honest men.
| If Mr.. Seward cannot vindicate himself
from this damning revelation, and we do not
see how he can let him, we say, be expelled
! from the Senate, which he dishonors, and
spurned from society, which he at once en-
dangers and disgraces. The statesman
who, either from cowardice or ambition, has
consented to become custodian of a trait
or's secret, has forfeited all title, not only to
the confidence, but even to the recognition
ofhis countrymen. Let him be branded with
the mark of Cain, and scourged from the
haunts and hearts of men.