Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-10-05
scward's Speech Mt Lawrence,
: Kansas. r.4"@
X. I

II Kansas. .-+.f'
4 LEAvENwoRTH, X. T., Sept 80
Gov. Seward addressed a crowd of 6, ,OO
or 5000 people at Lawrence yesterday. H
expressed qualification at the fulflment o
a long-cherished desire and duty he owe
the people of Kansas to visit them in thei
homes. II desire to speak to you here
where have renewed the memories of tn
contest waged upon this soil, while | se
around me broken implements with which
the contest was waged by aggressors unde
the plea of Popular Sovereignty, which lef
the people perfectly free to do as they pleas
ed, subject to the Constitution of the UnteC
States, which they were left perfectly free tt
interpret as they pleased, while the authori
ties at Washington had never been able tt
interpret it to their own satisfaction or tha
of the American people. leu.4 ss
| "While Kansas is the youngest and least
favored with political power, she is yet the
most reliable and most constant. The two
richest States are New York and Massachu
sets, and they are so merely because they
are free, wisest and most Ibis rty loving The
cause of all the interest | have felt in you
has been merely this-that you occupy q
pivotal position in the Uaited States with re.
gard to freedom and slavery. There is no
contest, no difference, on this subject along
the line of North Eastern States, for they are
all for freedom, nor on the line of the South
ern States, for they are all for slavery; but
there is an eternal strife for the establish
ment of freedom or slavery in all the rest of
the United States, from the Missouri to the
Pacific. If freedom was to triumph there
vas no point where she could expect to meet
the enemy except in the place where she has
met it here If you had been false, slavery
would have swept through the Territory of
New Mexico and the whole country to the
Pacific. California was imperfectly secured to
freedom and with compromise You opened
a new campaign here and crowned it with
complete victory. Henceforth the battle is
ended henceforth the free laborer from ev-
cry land on the earth can pursue the onward
path to the Rocky Mountains. You not on
ly occupy pivotal position, but this great
enterprise was attempted at q critical period.
In 1854 all guarantees of freedom were
abandoned, and Kansas, that had for forty
years been free for the footsteps of slaves,
was pronounced rs much of slave State as
South Carolina. At this crisis the people of
Kansas appeared on the stage, reviled, des
pissed and hated. They lifted the banner of
liberty on high and counteracted peaceably
all efforts made to subdue them. In three
years they not only secured freedom in Kan.
sas, but in all the territory of the United
States
mo other people have contributed as much
for Freedom as Kansas. Before this people,
though appearing for the first time, | bow
myself Us | have never done before to any
other people, in profound reverence. salute
you with gratitude and affection"
Alluding to the drought, he says there will
be no famine in Kansas, because there is
wealth and credit enough to carry her through
If these will not do, he advises an appeal to
friends in the East.
Abiding to the 'irrepressible conflict" he
says "Thc people of Kansas settled it there
in favor of Freedom. In New Mexico, they
tried to settle it in favor of slavery, and now
find it impossible"
He then reviews the history Of slavery ex-
tension at length; says the Territories must
be preserved for the free laoorer Of over pop
ulated Europe. Missouri has lost this emf
grafton. Had she been free, the population
now in Kansas would have settled in her
borders. She must look to Kansas for deliv.
erance. She is made richer by millions by
the settlement Of Kansas by freemen.
He concludes as follows:
Henceforth, if my confidence in the sta
bility of the American Union wavers, shall
come here to learn that the Union is stronger
than human ambition, because it is founded
on the affection of the American people. III
ever shall waver in my devotion to Liberty, l
shall come to renew it here under the inspira-
ton CT the sympathy of 100, 900 freemen saved
from Slavery. Henceforth, these shall not be
my sentiments alone, but the sentiments of all,
Men will come up to Kansas as they go up to
Jerusalem. This shall be the Sacred City"
The Governor and party leave for the East
to morrow morning.