Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-09-19
more Of the Irrepres.lble Con,,,c,.
SPEECH OF Mr.. SEWARD AT LANSING MICHIGAN,
sEPTFsrRrE & 1860


More of the IrrepressibIe Conflict.
SPEECH OF MR. SEWARD AT LANSING MICHIGAN.
sEPTEnnER 6, 1860.
There were several stands from which speeches
We're made by local politicians. but the chief inter
est was conferred in Mr.. Seward. He declared that
he had not feeling of prejudice against any man
for any difference of religious political opinions.
He had not word to say against the conduct of any
politician. He wanted to speak only of principles.
The great work of humanity on this continent wss
the organization of a nation. Within the asst tw
years they had incorporated two new States, and
within the next ten years they would incorporate
four more. 1t was practically of no Importance to
any of all those who heard him whether slavery
was voted up or voted down. but to their PROSPERITY
it of much consequence, as the attainment of
independence was. They were all ambitious, how
ever that the nation which they would leave to their
postery should be as great glorious, as ever the
sun shone upon-a nation in which every man
should live safely. There could be no actual free
republicanism in the world when all the members
of society were not free. He showed the necessity
of an emigration of free men in building up a ma
ton, and asked what would be the result II such
emigration were prevented. Foreign nations would
send their eonyicts here they had formerly done
What kind of labor would they have then-such la
Dor as their ancestors had in South Carolina and
Georgia. They would have African laborers. brought
here by Boston and New York merchants. They
had got this free emigration because in 1881 their
fathers declared that neither slavery nor lnvolunta
ry servitude should ever exist II the Territory of
MICHIGAN Was there man now in this State who
would wish to have slave here? (Crles OF mo,
NON Slavery and freedom cannot exist in the
same State; they Incompatible; there is an cir
repressible conflict" between them (Laughter)
Introduce slavery and you expel freedom; intro
duce freedom and slavery will sooner or later die.
1t has been always my policy to take care that eve
nv new State should be free State and lcN favor
as Iona as cdn 10Th the limits # constitutional action,
the decrease and dini1tlon OF African StdueTy ~ Ga
The Safes (Applause.) That is the whole question.
If am wrong, then am egregiously wrong, and
Won may abandon me and my alternatives. If l
am wrong in pronouncing slavery inexpedient you
will Of course accept it.
When did you ever read or see of State peoped
exclusively by freemen that was in any danger at
home or abroad? Never. Is there a slave State or
State that ever was a slave State on the continent
of America and which still retains any vlstage OF
slavery, that does not to-day confess itself to be IN
danger Of domestic insurrectiony Not one. A
handful Of nGfDen meeting IN Chatham, and gong ooh
felo pixies and spears alarm and tery the Oldest and
once the greatest and leading State in the Federal Union
eoh the panic of inslurectiOa and civ 1t comes
back to you in every State. kentucky erpeS the free
man lph0 defends freedom toin her limits, and Ieeres-
see subjects to the stake and Ggo the Stare toho GspreS
TO freedom Not from feelings of cruelty, but from
alarm for the safety of the State; and what do we
hear from Texas now, but that that new State, still
newer than Michigan, but having. as she thought
| tenfOld the elements of wealth and strength and
prosperity, Is convulsed with panic because of
slavery being brought into debate among portion
/ of her citizens. But you will ask me, what have
YOU to do with this? Why not adopt the Opposition
policy of non-interyentiOn, and let those who like
| slavery have it, and those who like freedom have
| freedom? will answer you very simply. You
maintain now a standing army of about fifteen
| thousand men, and ftanding navy which is very
large, though not very efficient Can any man tell
me what We maintain them for? Do we maintain
them to keep peace in the State Of Michigan, New
| York or Massachusetts,? Do we maintain army
/ and navy to keep out civil var amongst ourselves
in the free States? Not at all. Do maintain this
army and navy to defend against foreign States
There is not nation the face of the earth that
! dare attack any one of these free States If they
were all separated and disunited from the Union.
| Not one. (Applause) There is no such thing, then,
i as danger. and yet we keeping an army navy,
for what In order that Slaves may not escape from
the SLdUe States TO the free, and that freed emd1cipGt
ed negroes in the free States mag not enter and introduce
ciU lcdT into the SLAVE States, and because that If IRE
proUote foreign enemy, the Southern frontier is erpoS-
/ ed to inUdSiOn from England, France and Spain.
| That is the whole object of our army and navy.
/ Have not then, right to say that would rather
| have no army and no navy! That would rather
not wiring from the freemen of the United States
money to sustain the army and navy, which in their
very influences corrupt public virtue? Certainly,
/ that is my duty patriot What then, are my
| limits? Simply these The Constitution makes you
/
| ted States for their good and for the welfare of
| the whole people. They are vacant, unoccupied,
unimprOYed, and if they are left exposed to the Gu
pidity of the slave master and the slave merchant
before free men can reach there IN numbers to
cover the land with the civilization of the white
man. the Shareholder would enter the Territories
and cOlonize them with Shareholders and slaves.
The smallest possible infusion of slavery into a
State has been enough always to demoralize its
whole people, and strange to say, it turns them all
into apOlOgsts and excusers and defenders Of slav
cry, a principle which, am ashamed to confess, has
been the rule of action among the American people
| for forty years. 1t is that we do so love peace
that we do so love harmony, that we do so love
fraternity with our fellowcitZens, that when they
will not give up an become silent in order
| to keep peace. (Applause) If Gen. Cass had been
able at the time he failed in supporting the great
policy of Michigan, to have introduced one thou
sand slaves into the circuit around me, Michigan
would have been a slave State for forty years to
come That is what has done the misthief in Texas
Texas was open to you and me. We left Texas to
be taken by Shareholders and slaves, and for the
sake of peace we agreed to let them have five slave
States there, while we thought to save one Tree
State in Kansas There is no virtue among us-no
reliance or good, or morality, truth or justice
that is equal to patriotism our willingness to
surrender everything else under the threat that we
do lot give up right truth Justice liberty and every
thing else the great temple OF liberty VIII be set on
fire and consumed. have no hope OF the people OF
the United States unless it grows and is inspired
by sympathies with such people as you are. A
man cannet be freeman, and cannot appreciate
the interest Of the State, unless he owns his own
land.
What is that fit for as a citizen of a free
country who is willing that another man should own
him? You may say there is no man so base as that
am sorry to say that there are great many; but
have such confding trust in human nature that if
you bring the matter fairly home to any right mind
ed man. he would much rather say that you might
make q slave of him rather than fix your manacles
on any within his protection and under his care
THAT'S the TALK 1t is, therefore, matter OF the
highest consequence whether slavery is voted up or
voted down. Be sure therefore, that you do not
give the field to the Shareholders and the slaves be-
fore free men are at liberty and prepared to euter
it. You then come to the great question of the ir-
repressibe conflict between freedom and slavery.
Those who think that a nation can be wise and pros
porous and happy that retains slaves, will have
another opportunity at the next Presidential election
to secure the machinery by which it can be done.
On the other hand all of who have enlisted in this
great civic contest which the eyes of the whole
world are SET will then find that all we have to do
is to take care that do not suffer differences among
ourselves or any other cause to dUide and one single
administration loiH settle this question finally and foreUer
Those who now fear US the most will be those very
States that will conide in the longest, and will
thank us for having at last opened up to them the
way which leads them back into the American fam-
w. restores to them the fraternal affection of their
brethren. and to all of us the respect and
confidence of mankind.