, 1860-03-07
HISTORY OF SLAVERY Is i POLITICAL
ISSCE.
The Origin and Aim Of Modern
Parties.
SPEECH OF
HON. WILLIAM II. SEWARD,
In the Senate Of the United States.

In the Uniled Statcs Senate, Fcbrunry a?th,
Mr, Seward, having presented the memorial Of
oftbc 1cc;.,an,rc If Eansas nray;np fir almis.
VI ~. 1@4sA. " 4>""eAs' - "s 'o' 'NA''o
sion into the Union, spoke as follows:
Mr. President, the admission Of kunsas into
tic Union, without further DELAY, seems to me
euuuliy nee sssury, lust aud wise. In recorded
debates haye already anticipated The arguments
for this conclusion.
In coming forward among the political astrol-
ogers, it shall be an error Of Judgment, and not
of disnosition if nv INTERPRETATION of tie fever
isl dreams which are disturbing tle country
shall tend to foncnt. rather fhon to allav, the
national excitement shall say nothing unne-
nnhl;c welfare anil hanuiness dcnend chiefly gu
!nst;tutions and yery iittlc on men. shalt al
Inda Int hr;.nv IN incidental tnnics. because
ti,sv mr. enhrmera, and hccause. eyen in the
m;dst nj anncajs fn nass;on and nrciudice. it is
aiways safe to submit solid truth to thc deliber-
s a,s consderat;on S n an honest and enlightened
nconle.
n will 10 an orert4op;nr source of shame. as
uaIi os If sorrow II ;re fL;rtr m;]lions-Euro-
neons hv ertraction' Americans BIZ birth or
ij;sc;n,;ns and fhr;stians n fn;tb. und meaning
to ,c anc1, in nrac,iceMcannot SO combine nru,
aenca w with hnnan;tT IN mr. conduct concern.
~ +ha ma ;sturl,;1y snh;cct or slavery. ar not
nnir ~ 1reserra omr nneGnoiled institutions Of
freedon,' Int also to epioy tleir benefits with
couteut,nent and harmony.
Wherever cuiitless slave exists, be be Cau-
css;an American. Malay. or AfIican. lie is the
ss,i';ae., ~ taa d;s,;rrt IA onnos;te ;deas-oue
tha3 In ;s rronoIr The other lint |e is rightly
."Js .1..e ~ T1.n Eaisn:a ~ nrn,Iers m e3ti,cr
;s s;e. .aro. rno nraot ,oror comn,,e1v extin.
t,,;. d;tfarancr of on;n;nn ior there are
1a,wars aoma defenders Of slarery outside. eyen
;fth.ra nra nona inside free Sfate. while, also.
tj.ora ara 1wnrs outside. If there nre mot inside
| If cTerv SlaveState. many who ASSET with Mil
Inn ,Iat .tno man who knows a.cbt cap be 50 stu
nd as to deny that all men patg. ally we're born
| frrc h,inv tie image and resemblance Of God
| creatures. horn to command and not to obey"
| T. o,ten nerhans generally hapnens, however,
+hot ~ cdns;dnr;ns thc snEiect ~ slavery soci-
o4 sneme to nvcTioot ,fe natural rich: or per
| sonal interest Of lie slave himself, and TO net
exclusively fer the welfare Of the citizen. But
suits. far tie elementary question Of tile right
| fulness CT wrongfulness Of s1avcry inheres il.
every form that discussion concerning it
| assumes. What Is lust to one clnss Of
men can never be injurious to any other;
| and What is unjust to an7 condition Of
some degree to the whole community. An eco
no1n;cal question early arises out Of the subject
If sjnrerv-labnr either Of freeuen or Of
sfayes ia Tic cardinal necessity Of society. Some
states choose The one kind. some the other
Hence two municipal systems widely different
| Ur{EGx 1Ic SiAFG tSEHIE SlI1Ac3 fiuWu 2lN
to extinguish the personality Of the laborer, not
onlr as member Of the poitical body, but also
NJ narcnt. husband. child, neighbor or friend.
| lie thus becomes, in political view, merely
| nrnnertv. without moral capacity, and without
fo,nest;c' moral and social relations, duties,
| r;rhts and remed1es-a cha.tel. an object Of
i,arvn;h sale. rift. in1eritance. or theft, lis
e,rn;ncs nre comn1usated and his wrongs
atoneds mt to himself. but to his osner Tie
S.ate protects not lie slare as a man, hut the
capitni Of another man, which he represents.
t1n the other hand. The State which rejects
slavery encourages, and animates, md iavigo-
rates the taborcr, by maintaining and develop
in, Ills natural personality in ali the rights and
f,cnltics of manhoed. and generally with the
privileges of citizenship, In the one case, capi-
iaf invested in slares becomes a great political
forcc While in The other labor thus elevated and
to.;, nnt-s,,csed hccnmcs tie dou,inatiuc political
newer It thus lanpeus that we nav, for con.
rsn,encc sake and not iuaccurately, Gull slave
Stutes cupitai States, and free States labor
Stotes.
So sooa as State feels the impulses Of COM
| MERGE or cpternrise. or ambition, its citizens
cap;tal aud labor respectively on its intelligence
tia yirtuc. its TRANQUILITY. its integrity or unity
jts defence. its prosDerity. its liberty, its hap
n;ncss. its arcreudjzcmci,t, and its fame. II
other words. The creat question arises, whether
slavery is a mural, socini, and political good, o,
| mGfll, SoCl1l, anu puiIlaCAl Evil ID tts1
slavery question at home. But there is mu
tua, bond Of a,nitE md brotherhood between
man and man throughout the world. Nation:
examine freely the political systems Of eacl
other, md of I'LL preceding times, and accord
iuc1y rs thcv approve ar disapprove Of the twt
systems Of capital md labor respectively, they
sanction and prosecute. OF condemn and pro
l,;h;t couuerce in men' Thus. IN one way o1
ano,hsr. lis slavery question which so MANY
amonp t,s. who ara more willing to rule thai
putient in studying the conditions Of society
think is merely accidental or unnecessary
Question that might aud ought to be settled ant
dismissed at once, is, on the contrary, world
wide and enduring sublcc. of political consid
| Grafton aud ciril administration. Men, States
and nations entertain it, MT voluntarily, bu
| because the propress Of society continual,
brings it into their way. They diTide upnn it
| mt npryerse]y. hit becarsc. owing to differ
encc Of constitution, condition Of circumstances
they cannot agree.
The Fathers of the Republic encountered it
They even adjusted it 50 tl,ot it might have
given US much less than our present di*quiet
Had not circumstances afterwards occurrc,
which they. wise as they were. had not clearly
fo1a cen. Althoush they had Inherited, vet the,
generaily condemned. fhc nractIcc Of slavery
and honed for its tiscoutiuuapcc, They ex
nrssscd tl,;s ,vhan they asserted in the Decla
rrnt;on of Infensndnncc "a a fundamental nrin
c;n1e n American soc,c.v that alt men ar,
cr,atad ennni md hsve ;n,1;ena,.1c richts t,
| S'NAtSN <'tAAA1 NttA A+n'e ,