The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-12-07
Seward ON the Election of Lincoln.

Mr.. Seward was serenaded at Auburn,
on Tuesday evening, the Goth. He made
speech, from which we quote the follow
ing:
Fellow citizens, you have right to re-
joice. l remember that thought it an &C.
casion for rejoicing when the good cause
we now maintain, carried one ward in the
city, one or two, or three towns in the
county, and the State of Vermont alone in
the country. But now who will deny our
right to rejoice when it carries all the
wards in the city, all the towns in the coun.
ty, all the counties in the State, where its
argument is fairly heard, and practically
all the States in the Union which allow, in
fact, free speech, free debates, free mails,
and free and universal suffrage. It is the
earnest its universal acceptance. But there
is still greater reason to rejoice in the manner
In which this success has been achieved. It
is the verdict OF the people for principle
the Republican principle-the true Demo-
cratic principle of equal and exact Justice
to all men. Cheers.] 1t is verdict rem
dered purely on conviction, without passion
or interest. Not Republican vote in the
United States has been procured through
terror, not one by bribery or corruption.
Nay, every vote has been given in resistance
OF intimidation and corruption. [Cheers.1
l do not charge that the Fusion votes or
their opposition votes were largely given
under such appliances. But the record of
the canvass remains, and bears its testimony
that the main argument of those parties
was their menance OF Disunion, and the last
reliance was money at the polls. [Cheers,
That is So. Who will now libel the Amer
lean people? Who will deny their virtue
But this demonstration of yours has its
meningitis meaning in various relations.
1t recalls the past and tells that the erro-
neous national policy of forty years has
been retraced, reconsidered, reversed, con-
demned, and renowned. Let then the
passions and the prejudces be buried with
the errors of the Past. 1t bears on the
Future. 1t assures US that hereafter the
policy of the country will be the develop.
ment of its resources, the increase of its
strength and its greatness, by the agencies
of Freedom and Humanity. (Cheers)
Dismiss we, then, the future, until some
new election call you again to your council
chambers, to renew your efforts in obedi>
ence to the principle that Eternal Vigilance
is the tax we pay for Enduring Liberty.
(Cheers.) The immediate question is the
bearing of the occasion on the Present.
What is our present duty? 1t is simply
that of magnanimity. We have learned,
heretofore, the practice of patience under
political defeat. 1t now remains to show
the greater virtue of moderation In triumph.
That we may do this, let US remember that
it is only as figures of speech that the use
OF material terms, such as "defeat and
victory" obtain in our system of elections.
The parties engaged in an election are not,
never can be, never must be, enemies, or
even adversaries. We are all fellow-citi-
zens, Americans, brethren. 1t is trial of
issues by the force only of reason and the
contest is carried to its conclusion with the
use only of suffrage. An appeal lies from
the People this year to the People them
selves next year-to be argued and deter
mined in the same way, and so on forever.
This is indeed long way to the attainment
of rights and the establishment of interests.
1t is our way, however, now as it has been
heretofore. Let it be our way hereafter.
(Cheers.) If there be among US, or in the
country, those who think that marshaling
armies or pulling down the pillars of the
Republic is better, because shorter way,
let US not doubt that if we commend our
way by our patience, our gentleness, our
affection toward them, they, too, will, before
they shall have gone too far, find out that
our way, the old way, their old way as we'll
as our old way, is not only the shortest but
the best.