Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-03-21
SPEECH OF
WIN. Il. SEWARD.
Delirered IN the Senate Of the United
States, Wednesday. FEB, 18th, 1860.
(coXcLUDED.)


| 1t is in America that these things have hap.
pened In the nineteenth century he era of the
worlds greatest progress, and while all nations
but ourselves have been either abridging or alto
gether suppressing commerce in men; at the very
moment when the Russian serf is emaneipated,
and the Georgian captive, the NuOian prisoner,
and the Abyssinian savage. are lifted up to free
dom by the successor of Mohammed. The woill
prepossessed in our behalf by our early devotion
/ to the rights OF human nature as no nation ever
before engaged it's respect and sympatL les, asks,
I in wonder and amazement, what all this demor-
alization means? II has an excuse better than
the world can imagine, better than We are gen
erally conscious of ourselves, virtuOus excuse.
We have loved not freedom so much less. but the
Union Of ou- country so much more. We have
been made TO believe, from to time, that in eri-
sis, both Of these precious institutions could not
be saved together, and therefore we have, from
time to time surren dered safegJ ards of freedom
to prOpitnte the loyalty of capital and stay its
hands from doing violence to the Union. The
true state Of the case however, ought not TO be a
mystery to ourselves. Preseienee, indeed, is not
given to statesmen; but we are without excuse
when we fail to apprehend the logic Of current
events. Let parties or the Government, choose
or do what they may, the people Of the United
States do not prefer the wealth of the few TO the
liberty of the many, capital to labor, African
slaves to white fIeemen, in the National Terrific
ries and in future States. The question has new
er been distinctly recognized Cr acted upon by
them. The Republican party embodies the pop
ular protest and reaction against policy which
has been fastened upon the nation by surprise,
and with Its reason and conscience, eOneurring
with the reason and Conscience Of mankind con-
I 4. Il, l.
the Democratic party and the Republican party.
Its principles aud policy are. therefore, Justly
and even necessarily examined. know Of only
one policy which it has adopted or avowed, viz:
the saving of the Territories Of the United States
if possible, by constitutional and lawful means.
from being homes for Slavery and POlygamY.-
Who, that considers where this nation exists, Of
what races it is composed; in what age Of the
world it acts its part on the public stage, and
what are its prominent institutions, customs,
habits and sentiments, doubt that the Republican
party can and will, if unwavcringly faithful to
that policy and Just and loyal in all beside, car
~ it into triumphal success? To doubt Is to be
uncertain whether civilization can improve or
Christianity save mankind l may, perhaps,
infer from the necessity of the case, that it will
in all courts and places, stand by the freedom
of speech and of the press and the constitutional
rights Of freemen everywhere; that it will favor
the speedy improvement of the public domain
by homestead laws, and will eneOuraga mining.
manufacture, and internal commerce, with need
full connections between the Atlantic and Pacific
States-lOr all those are important interests Of
/ Freedom For all the rest. the national emer-
geneies. not individual influences. must deter
mine. as society goes on. the policy and eharae
ter of the Republican party Already bearing
its part in legislation and its treaties il feels
Al
national health and life, while it leaves meta
/ physical speculation to those whose duty it is
To cultivate the ennobling science of political
| philosophy. But in the midst Of these subjects,
or, rather, before fully reaching them, the Re
publican party encounters unexpectedly, new
aud potential issue-one prior, and therefore
paramount to all others, one Of national life and
DEATH Just as If SO much had not been already
eeded; nav, Just as il nothing at all had ever
been conceded, to theinterest of capital invested
I in men, we hear menaees Of Disunivn, louder.
more distinct, more emphatic than ever, with
the ,ndition annexed, that they shall be exeeu-
ted the moment that Republican Admiuistra-
/ tion, though const:tutionally e!ectei shall as
sume the Government do not certainly know
I that the people are prepared TO call such an Ad-
ministration to rover. / know only that thiongh
"a succession of floods which never greatly excite
and ebbs which never entirely discourage me
the volume of RepuOlieanism rises continually
higher and higher. They are probably wise
whose apprehensiOns admonish them that it il
already strong enough for effect. Hitherto the
Republican palty has been content with one
selfinteIrogatOry-hOw many votes 1t can east
/ These threats enforce anOther-has it Geiermi
nation enough to cast theml This latter ques
tion touches its spirit and pride. l am quit
sure, however, that as it has hitherto praeticed
Il = Il.
emergency lay aside al inpatieEee Of temper
together with all ambition, and will consider
these extraordinary deelamations seriously, and
with lust moderation. 1t would be waste o
words TO i. monstrate that they are uueO2stitu
tional, and equally idle to show that the respJr'
sibility for III union attempted or eff etej, mus
rest not with those who, IN the exercise Of Con
;. sttutiOnal authority, '.;aIaiain The Government
but with those Who uneOnsiitutionally eDPagl
in the mad work of su6vertIHg it What arr
the excuses for these insnaeesg They resolve
;! themselves into this. that the Republican party
in the North is hostile TO the South. But it /.
alrea ly proved to be majority IN the Moth; j
is therefore, practically, the eol le Of the North
Will it not still be the same North that has for
borne with you so long and conceded to you 81
mueh2 Can you justly assume that affection
which has been so complying, can all at onct
change 10 hatred intense and intxcrable! YOt
say that the Republican Tariy is sectional one
Is the Democratic party less seetionnlf i it ca
sier for us to bear your sectional sway Than fol
you to bear Oursf Is it unreasonable that fol
once we should alternate? But is the Rspubli
can party sectional? Nvtunless the Democratic
party is The Republican party prevails in the
House Of Representatives sometimes, the D. mo
cratic party in the Senate always. Which o.
the two is tie most prOseriptiyeT Come, ii yoJ
will into the Free Stnies. into the State Of New
York, any where from Lake Erie to Sag Harbor
among nv neighbors in the OwaseO Valley. hold
your conventions, nominate your candidates
address tie people. submit To them fully, ear
ncssly, eloquentIY all your conn lnints and griev
ane,s Of Northern disloyalty. oppression, peif
dy; keep nothing back. speak just as freely ant
and !, uily there as you do here; you will have
hospiiaLle welcomes aud apprveiating audien
ess, with ballet boxes open fur all the votes yoT
can win. Are you less sectional than thisE-
Extend to us the same privilege, aud will en-
gage that you will very soon have in the South
as many Republicans as W: have Democrats in
the North. There Is. however, u better test ol
nationality than the accidental location Of par
ties Our policy OF labor in the Territories wal
not sectional in the first forty years of the Re
public Its nature inhers. twill be natiUna
again during tie third forty years and forever
afterward. 1t is not wise and benefesnt for u
alone. or injurious to you alone. Its effects ar
\ equal, and the same for Us all.
You accuse the Republican party OF ulterlo
and secret designs How can a party that count
its votes in this land Of free speech and free pres
{ by the hundreds of thousands, have any secre
designs? Who is the eOnjurer. and where ar
the hidden springs 10y which he can control it
uneongregated aud widely dispersed masses anC
direct them to objects unseen and purposes una
vuwed? But what are these hidden purposes
You name only one. That one is to introdue
negro equality among ynu. Suppose we ha'
the power to change your social system, wha
warrant have you for supposing that we shOul'
carry negro equality among youl We know an,
We will show you, if you will only give heed
that what our system Of labor works out. where
ever it works out anything. is the equality o
white men. The labOFer in the Free States, y
matter how humble his occupation. is a whit
man, and he is politically the equal OF his en-