Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1860-12-29
A BE IcXiRACT,

n BEAU TlIjL L " NA1T.
| From . speech recently made at Hart
ford, Conn, by Hon. Tuos. H. SEYMOUR,
We clip the following:
A few words more and shall cease to
trespaSs on your patience. In the autumn
OF 1898 happened 70 be on the borders
OF the Caspian Sea, at place called Baau
not far from Persia. Whilst there the
Captain OF tho por. invited me to take n
seat IN his barge ore evening, and 60 with
HIM down the bay a distance of four or
five miles. There was place below, be
said, halt = mile from shore, where the
surface Of the water was covered with
naphtha, which could easily be iynited.-
This naphlha was thrown up from sub
tercrEanean spring at lhe bottom Of the
bay. Much desiring to witness So inter.
esting a sigh. AS that which was described
10 me, read.iy accepted the invitation TO
accompany him. The nigh. was dark, but
there was a clear sky overhead The same
stars that shor~oVer US shone over you.
The moon had just gone down behind the
Caucasian hills. Bu: in the northwest. d
few degrees above the horizon, the wierd
comet of that year, like some rebel anrel
east or. Of Heaven, streame1 downward.
toward the cer,h. The stu! ni.h'. the
lon, ly shore. the sudden apparltion Of
another world ~hirlel through the realms
OF space, deeply impressed me at the
time.
Pursuing our course dawn the solitary
, a al al. -
OF 1t where we expected to find the spring
We were III search oi-or rather proofs q
it on the surface. In another moment IN
unusual appearance OF the seq, sometlin.
| cannot well describe, a change OF color
perhaps, showed we had touched the edge
OF the resnous waves. A lew rapid
stroAes 0: the oars forced our barge into
tue midst 81 the dark waters by which We
were surrounded. his being done, one
Of the men seized bunch of uakum, and
setting it on the fire cast it overheard -
Immediately sea OF flame spread ou, on
all sides of us, and rolled up round the
barge. Fastening to make our escape
from so threatening a locality. the boat
mer pulled rapidly away. their oar blades
dripping with liquid fre-a stream of fire
swept along 10 our wake, whilst little AN.
CRY waves, Ike tongues OF serpents, shot
ont under our bow, or struck srl,sluilv
as;ern, rs II vexed to loose their prey
Having cleared the space NO learfully Int
up by the blazing napntha, W. laid our
boat sideways to the Common flood. ard
turned to behold a strange and marvel
Gus spectacle--ii,erally TIE sea on fire
But beneath that sheet of flame, that roll
ed with the rolling waves. the currents o.
the Caspian flow ed calmly on, undis,urbeA
by the fiery pillows that swep, over its
surface.
So, my friends, in our country, there
have been times when we have seen the
flames OF dlscord lit up around us, threat.
enlng to envelop in blaze of ruin the
good ship OF state that bears our fortunes
and put an end forever to constitutional
liberty. Something of this We see now.
Something? Nay, more and worse than
anything We have ever seen before. The
great crisis Of our fate as a nation-lonr
dreaded, Su, not wholly unexpected, be-
cause dariRHly prouokcd has at last
come, and the whole surface of things is
as an "inila2ned sea Whether there be
any escape or not from the evil. with
which We are last now menanccd none
can tell. Nevertheless let us hope. that
beneath al this whirl AID agitation Of the
surface, conservative influences. moved by
the deep love of country, which under!ies
everything else, and flowing tranquil and
steadily on, like the currents OF the Gas
plan beneath tac frey pillows above them
may sustain, after all instead of con.um
luy the things that reposc on their bosom
If | could speak to the North, would
say repeal your iniquitous Personal Lib
erty Bllis-give ear to the precep.s Of the
Constitution and the warnings of Wash
ingtop. If | could speak to the South, !
would say. waH-do not dash to the
ground the nobleSt structure Of free gov.
eminent ever reared by the hand Of man
that which. if once broken, you can no
moro reconstruct than you can make a
world Bat my voice is not one to reach
either section ! speak for myself and
hope for the best We are living in the
midst Of painful doubts and uncertainty.
which, like u night Of storm at sea, make
us all wish for the coming day. Let us
pray that it may not be long in coming.
mi 9 harry moru 1850 holy morn,
Draw forth the cheerful day from night,
o. Father. toucuthc Past, and Eh,
The light that shenn when h'pe was born"