Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-03-08

The Issues as Represented by Seward.
AS in duty bound, the organs of Re-
publicanism are laborlng to magnify
Seward and his recent Grafton by the
most extrayagant eulogies E; but to form
a ust idea OF his capacity as States
man, and especially Of his fitness to deal
with the great issues Of these times, it is
only necessary to consider the occasion
and the man as he exhibited himself on
Wednesday last. He Stood before the
Representatives Of the States of this
COntederacy, to speak to them, to
large proportion of the members Of the
other branch of Congress, to crowds Of
his fellows citizens in the galleries, ard
not few of tho members of foreign lega-
tons, OH that subject which fills the
heart of the patriot with anxious con-
Germ AID emotion, What a noble op-
portunity was here for Statesman Ios-
sessing a mind capable of rising to a
level with his station-for an orator en-
lowed with the genius to convince the
reason, control the will, and direct the
emotions of his countrymen
But Mr.. Seward was not adequate to
the occasion. His very exordium disap-
pointed the expectations of both friends
and opponents. Neither simple nor
digni6ed, it had the fcebleness Of the
mere belle-lettre-ist. instead of the vigor
of the parliamentarian. To the temper
of the large as.emblage at the time, in
deed, there seemed an al most offensive
levity IN the deliberate announcement of
his coming forward among the political
AsTRoLoGERs," e. as if all the serious
and painful solicitudes Of the people
we're only ''feverish dreams, of which a
gang Of counterfeit philosophers had at
tempted the Interpretation" and which
he would now undertake to expouud.-
This, it will be admitted, is not exactly
in the style of the grand old orators of
the opposition in former days. Yet it
was Mr.. Stewards best key, after weeks
of preparation and he hummcd out his
whole melody in accordance with this
very low fundamental note.
Only think a Senator from what is
sometimes called ''the Empire State of
New York, addressing the ambassadors
from the sovereign States of nearly one
half Of the country in the language suit
able to dcclaimer on the platform at
Exeter Hall-in the tones which are
employed by Fred Douglass and the
colored Miss Remond, in the provincial
towns of England. Only think of a
man who owed his first prominence in
public life to the fact that he was fond
led and handled into some political sig
niticance by the oM-line Wigs, beyond
his personal merits, insulting that por.
ton Of them who, in perfect consiste ncy
with their political faith, now support
President Buchanan, and the only ma
tional party in the country-in the pres.
ence, too, of Benjamin and Of Pcarce,
his superiors in every quality of sound
Craftsmanship. Only think of him car.
rying his denunciatory spirit so far as to
, indulge in the most acrimonious Ian.
guage against the Supreme Court, as eff
tecting 1.-THE completest possible devel-
opment of despot'sm." Only think, al
SO, OF this man, just returned from the
n old seats Of European civilization, and
f with the onti-American feeling tina,
would qualify him to graduate in 8
school which the Basil Halls, the Troll
= oppes' ct I'd genus omne had digni6eo
: before him, daring to place hi, countr,
te(o~ Ireland, below Italy, below Pc
land and below Hungary. and having
!. the cool assurance to utter this dispara
i ging opinion before persons of both SOW
u es, who know all those parts of Euron,
better than lie can have known them :,
i his rapid and superficial surveys ani
> who are acquainted, also, with their ow,
country, far and wide, more minu,el,
and more extensively than this Adolf
zionist from the village Of Auburn ca,
pretend to be-.
These hints arc enough to show hov
utterly inadequate to the times Sewar,
8 proved himself to be after all his medita
o tions and preparations. How Webste
would have frowned upon such an ex
position Of Northern opinion as thi
Senator put forth How Clay wouIt
have handled him with that playful
smile, that potent sarcasm, which woul.
have repelled his pert folly and exposed
his shallow philosophy. The Democra
cy cannot 60 into the contest for the res
cue OF the nation from the designs ant
purposes and spirit of Republicanism