New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-09-17
GOV. SEUARD'S SPEECH At MADISON.
From The State Journal.


FELLOW CI11zESs: 1t is bright September sun
that il shining down upon us-such sun as nature,
pleased with the remembrance Of her own benefcence,
seems to delight in sending forth to grace the close Of
season which has been crowned with abundance and
luxurisnce, unknown even to her own prcfuseness
Ii is sueh a sun as nature, pleased with seeing the
growth of noble capital in a great State, may be
supposed t, send out TO illuminate and to make more
eHnlgent the magnificent beauties of the place on
which we are assembled 1t ia such September Gun as
we might almost suppose nature sympathzing with the
efforts Of good men, lovers Of liberty anxious to secure
their own freedom, to perpetuate that freedom for
the enjoyment of their posterity and to ex-
tend its blessings throughout the whole world and for
all generations may have sent forth IN token OF sym
pathy with zuch noble race. lAppause Bot, fell
low citizens bright aud cheerful as this hour is my
heart is oppressed and am unable at once to hft my
self above the sadness of recent scenes and painful
receIlections i obeyed the command of the Republ-
can people of Wisconsin to appear before them on thus
the 18th day of September, aud az L approached the
beautiful apor il may 80 call the city that crowns the
shoree of lake Michigan, and affords entrance to this
magnificent State had anticipated because nad De-
come babituated TO, welcome that should DE as
tpgufhed by the light OF thousand torches, and by
the voices of music and of cannon But the angel OF
death passed Just before on the way and instead OF
footsteps lighted with the greeting of thousands OF my
fellow citizens I found only thick darkness, in
CREASED as only nature darkness can be- by the weep
inc and waug Of mothers for the loss Of Children and
refusing to be comforted. have been quite unable to
rise from that sudden shock to forget that instead OF
the voice of kind and merry and genial welcome,
heard only mourning and lamenation in the streets.
To YOU perhaps, the seems somewhat foreign,
because occurred in your beautiful seaport but 1t
was not merely municipal Calamity. II is calamity
and disaster that befalls the State and strikes home
disuay and horror to the bosOms of all its people for
these were citizens Of the State who have persisted,
ard those who survive the mourDersi the desolate
widows and orphans who are bereayed. Let me,
before proceed take the liberty to bring this subject
home to the State authorities of Wisconsin aud to ask
and to implore that nothing may be left undone, II
there is yet anything that be done, 10 rescue
single sufferer from that dreadful calamity and TO bring
to the comforts of social life, and of sound good,
religious and public education the orphans who are
| left TO wander on the streets by the lake side.
Fellow citizens il is political law-and when say
political law, mean higher law lcrles OF " Good =
"a law of Providence tnat empire has for the last
three thousand years long as we have records OF
civilization, made It's way constantly westward, and
that il must continue to westward until the
tides c the renewed and Of the decayDg civilizations OF
the world meet on the shores OF the Pacific Ocean, With
in year have seemed to myself TO follow the track Of
empire in s westward march for three thousand years
stood but year ago the Hill Of Calvary stood
soon afterward on the Pieus of Athens.
Again found myself on the banks OF the I1ber.
Still advancing westward rested under the shade OF
the palaces Of the kings of England, and trod the
streets of the now renovated capital OF France From
those capitals made my way at last TO Washington,
the city of established empire for the present generation
of men, and Of Influence over the destinies OF mankind
| [Applause. Empire moves Tar more rapidly In mod
erp Than il did in ancient times. The empire estab-
lhed at Washington is of less than hundred years
! formation. 1t was the empire of thirteen Atlantic
American States Silt practically the mission of that
empire is fulfilled. The power that directs II Is ready
TO pass away from those thirteen States aud although
held and exercised under The same Constitution and
national form Of government yet Is now IN the very
act of being Transferred from the thirteen States East OF
NJ, a,,1 fha of M
antic Ocean to the twenty States that lie West Of the
Aeghanies and stretch away from their base to the
bare of the Rocky Mountains. The political power OF
the Republic, the empire lie already here in the PLAIN
that stretches between the great lakes on the East and
| the base of the Rocky Mountains on the
west and you are heirs to it. When the next census
shall reveal your power you will be found to be the
masters of the United States of America and through
| them the dominating political power of the world
| lAI plause. A voice" Amen Our mission, II L
nav ssy that belong to that Eastern and falling EN-
pre instead Of the rising Western one The mission
Of the thirteen States has been practically accomplished
And what is ii Just like the mission Of every other
power on earth. TO reproduce, 10 produce a new and
greater ard better power hsn have been ourselves,
Iapphusel to introduce the stage of human affairs
twenty States and to prepare the way for twenty
more, before whose rising greatness and splendor AL
| our own achievements pale and fade away. We have
done this with as much forethought perhaps as any
people ever exercised, by saving the broad domain
which you and these other forty States ars to occupy
1
tue enough by surrounding it with barriers against
the intrusion OF ignorance, SUPERSTITION and slavery
| Applause.
Because you are to rise TO the ascendant and exercise
dominating influence, you not, therefore, TO cast
off the ancient and honored thirteen that opened the
way for you and marhaled you into this noble posses
| sion, you to cast off the new States Of the
West. But yen are TO lay still broader foundations,
and to erect still more noble columns to sustain the
Empire which fathers established, and which it ls
the mauifeat will of our Heavenly Father shall reach
from the shores Of the lakes to the Gulf Of Mexico,
and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. II was
free government which they established, and 1t was
sef-goveTnment-a government such az, on 10 large
scale Orndeed on any scale had before existed.
know that when you consider what magnificent destiny
You have before yOu to lay your hand the Atlantic
Coast and TO extend your power TO the Pacific Ocean
and grasp the great commerce OF the East, you VIII
fully appreciate the responsibility. IL is only to be
done by maintaining thu Democratic system of govern
ment. There is other name given under Heaven by
which, III this generation nations can be saved from
desolsfion and ruin, than Democracy. This, to many
conservative ears would strange proposition,
and yet it 20 simple that lack the power almost of
calculating il. Look at England. She is ambitious, as
she well be- and ought TO be- 10 retain that domn-
ion, reaching into every part OF the habitabe globe,
which she exercises She is likely TO do it, too,
and may do IT, by reducing, every successive year. the
power Of her arstocracy, and introducing more and
more the popular element of Democracy into the adj
| ministration Of our government.
In many respects the Government of England though
more arstocratc, il still less monarchca than our own.
The British Empire exists to-day only by recognziI
and gradually adopting the great truth that If the Brit
ish Empire is to stand 1t il the British people who are
10 maintain that Empire and enjoy and exercise 1t.
France, the other great European power which seems
TO stand rmer now than ever and 10 be renewing her
career Of prosperity and glory. France, under the
form of despOsm, has adopted the principle OF uni
vefsa suffrage, and the Empire OF France to-day is
| Democracy. The Austrian Empire ID falling And
Whyl Because Democracy il rising in GERMANY To de-