The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1860-03-14

AWO CreIgnt ana Accom-. .5:3O r. N
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Douglas w. Seward.
On Wednesday, Feb. Goth, the champion.
Of the two leading parties of the United
States had hearing in the Senate Mr.
SEWARD, the embodiment of the present Re
publican party, led off in a carefully pre-
pared, essay-like speech, designed as a de
fence of his followers from the charge.
which recent events in the country hav,
more or less justified. This speech ha.
been promised long time. The incapacity
of'smaller men to satisfy the thinking por.
ton Of the people that there was not some
show Of justice in loading the Republicans
with the odium Of bad faith in their non.
recognition Of rights due, under the Con.
stitution, to each member of the Confedcra
cy, made it obligatory on Mr.. SEWARD tt
come to the rescue.
Hisspcech is entirely defensive in tone,
"A proof that he regarded his party as at.
tackled vitality. His points are well chosen
and as eloquently advocated as though he
were pleading for the life of bosom friend.
When we reflect that he was defending the
party with which his political existence is
interviewer, it may safely be assumed that
in the preparation and delivery of that
speech he was engaged in the work of self
preservation. His Presidential prospects,
weakened, as they have recently been by
the bold and open detection of the most in
fuential organ Of his party, the Tribune
are at stake, and it is no wonder that to the
task Of vindicating his party, and proving
himself the Ajax of the sectional army Of
place-hunters, he brings to the task all the
talent hepossesses, all the shrewdness which
marks his character, and all the suavity for
which he is distinguished. His speech
is able, dignified and learned. It is
tho political speech Of his life, and however
Democratic papers or Democratic men may
affect to regard it, there is no blinking the
fact that it is as smooth and graceful as
though written by the light of the finest oil
that grows in the land of the Olive. We
would publish this effort of the distinguish.
ed New Yorker if space permitted, and if
one paper in hundred of our opposing CO.
temporaries would be as generous towards
Democratic orator; but all our reading
columns for one issue would barely suffice
to contain it, and we cannot afford to in.
dulgc in so liberal display of admiration
for the defamation of man whom, above
all others; the party of the Constitution has
most reason to fear. Mr.. S. condemns, de-
cidcdly, the Brown raid, to conciliate the
probationary members of his party; he sig
nificantly reproves the authors of the Bates
movement by asking if the Republican party
"has determination enough to vote its SEN
timents." The manifesto is conservative in
general appearance, and yet its details, when
carefully analysed, bristle throughout with
the pixies of "irrepressibility."
On the outside of this days Times will |
be found brief reply to Mr.. SEwARD's
party attacks, delivered on the spur of the |
moment-almost impromptu by Judge
DOUGLAS, the champion alike of the De-
mocracy and of the rights of all the States.
We need not ask our readers to examine it
carefully, because these two men are both so
prominently before the country as prcsiden-
tial aspirants, that the language of either of
them is weighed with nicely not accorded
to men of less ability opposition. tits said
That the speech of SEwARD is more scholas-
tic and polished than that of the Illinoissn.
We admit it; but We do not therefore con-
o,de its superiority as an argumentative pro-
duction. Mr.. DOUGLAS, it is well under
stood, does not pretend to scholarship in the
academic sense of the word; he is plain,
self-learncd man-blunt as MARTIN LUTHER,
and like that Reformer, much inclined to
call "a spade spade" But there is an apt
itude in his illustrations, power in his lam
guage, which thus far has enabled him, in
debate, to destroy oil the beautiful theories
Of 1Aposing rivals. Mr. S. himself has tes-
tilted to this power in his present able OPP
ponent, on more occasions than one. 1t
may be remembered, that on the night of
the passage of the Nebraska Bill,
when oil the talent of the (then- called Fu-
s;onists were opposing D., Mr.. SEWARD rose
in his place and complimented DOUGLAS by
remarking, II never regarded the Senator
from Illinois SO highly as do tonight
Thelittle fellows called the effort of DOUGLAS
on that occasion small speech, but the
head of their party did not SO testify. The
speech which we this day publish conveys
additional evidence of his practical sense,
and his sound appreciation of the genius Of
American institutions.
A more lengthy and elaborate speech will
probably be delivered by the distinguished
Democratic Senator, but the remarks on our
outside are amply sufficient to meet and re-
flute the vital points in the labored effort of
the Republican Embodiment. We should
suppose the great Repeal" hobby was too
completely denuded by Mr.. D. to admit of
its ever being re-mounted by any respecta-
bic politician in the opposing ranks. The
language Of S. can be inferred from peru.
sal Of DIS reply, and the country can Judge
whether the Western statesman has not
proven himself . better guide through the
labyrinth Of difficulties by which We are en-
vironed, than has he who treats the galleries
Of the Senate to an elegantly written disser-
tstion, charming in its periods, on the