New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-09-05
iTT,rAL ISSUES or 7HE DAY.
REpU2LICANISM JUSTIFIED.
SPEECH b. WILLIAM n SEWARD.
D,,;peyed a. Detroit, Sept. a. 1850.

A.. :; . ;,d;c;ops one and hat we are an intelligeat
- ,i,.nor. rAonle The O. 1vernment ought there
s,r. M, onlv 10 secure respect and goodwill abroad
b, sso 70 produce good ORDER O. ntentmsrt and har-
- ., boms II fails TO attain I, 1ese eses. Ths
Canadians certainly neither envy nor lo'eus Antns
;pdepeudsnt American Powers, from the D" T'saa'
10 Cane Horn while they strive to construct nc V'n-
nents for themse Ives models fear, ana va!
of them hate u.s. European nations do indeed rev '''
our Constitutions and admire our progress, but the
generally agree in pronouncing us inconsistent WIZ
our organic principle ard caprcious. The PresadenH
inveehs against corruption among the people The In
mediate representatives Of the people In Congress
charge the President with immoral practices, ana tho
President protests against their action subverye II
the Executive prerogstive. The House oil Represent
stives organizes itse asvey AMID confessed dsa
gers of popular commotion. The Senate listens unsur
prised and almost without excitement TO menaccs o.
violence secesion and aisunon. Frauds and violenos
In tie Territories paliated end rewarded TX
posure and resistance 10 them are condemned and Psc-
ished while the inst, enlightened and reasonable win
of the people there though constitute naly e7presd
| IL crcum vented, dscbeyed, aad direRrded States
watch anxiously for unlawful intrusion and ip<asioa
by citizens Of other Staes, while the Federal Courts
fail TO suppress piraces IN the high seas and evyn on
our own coas1s The Government Of the Union courts
ard snbmits to State espionage Of the Federal mailz
while the States scarcely attempt TO protect the PER
soma rights of citizens Of other Statee pcacsuny par
suing harmless occupations within their rasernA jurs-
aictiOns.
are the people satisfied and content Let their ssv-
era parties and masses answer. Certainly yea. the
Republicans Of Michigan well the Republics.
| Throughout the whole country, are not satisfied Bot
You interested in change of administration, sud
therefore perhaps preiudced Ask then the Ccnstitu
tonal Union men, lew and inefficient indeed here, but
numerous and energetic elsewhere. They are not sat-
isfed. II they We're they would not be engaged ss
they now In hopeless attempt 10 organize new
parry without any princi pies at all after their recent
failures TO combine such party obnoxious prnci-
PIES But they also interested and possibly preu
diced like the Republicans. Appeal then to tue Demo-
cratic party, which enjoys and wieds the patronage
and power Of the Federal Government. Even the
Democrats no less dissatisfied They certainly are
dissatisfied with the Republicans, with the National
Union men, with their own administration, with each
other, and az think individually, with them
selves. TIE North ia not satisfied Its lnassss want
suppression Of the African slsve-,rade and eiectu
exclusion Of Slavery from the Territories 80 that all the
and future States may surely be Free States TIE
South not satisfed. Its masses by Whatever means
and al whatever cost desire the establishment and pro-
lection Of Slavery IN the 80 taat none on
the SEstes may fail to become Slave States. Ehe
East is discontinued with the neglect Of its fishery,
manufacture, and navigation, and the West is nipa-
tient under the operation Of national policy, hostile 70
its agricultural, mining and social developments
What Government in tue world but ours has persist
emily refused to improve rivers construct harbors, and
establish lighthouses for the protection OF ts commercet
New and anomalous combinations OF citizens appear In
the North iustifying armed nstgators OF civil and scr
vile war; in the South devisiDg means for the dsrup-
ton and Acknowledgement of the Union. Ii is sntfea
that we are suffering in the respect and confidence
of foreign States and that disorder and confusion are
more fsgrant among ourselves now than ever before
do not intend be understood that theee evils
thus far productive Of material suffering lnolerable
embarrassment much less that the country is as so
msny extravs CANT persons say. the high road to
ri wa Or
live in blessed with all the elements of human
comfort ard happiness ard s citizeDs at one 20
loy al and wise and well surrounded by yet untroken
guarantees of civil and religious liberty that our sxpe
rence Of misrue az the very worst never becomes 80
painful to raise the question how much more OF pob
lie misery we can endure; but leaves us at be tyt
stop now az always heretofore with The inquiry how
much Of freeze ON, prosperity and honor we can
secure by the practice of greater wisdom aud higher
virtue. DISBURSEMENT is the wholesome fruit OF dis
covery of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., and co1vction OF public
error is here at least always harbinger Of pot
zeal reform.
Martin Van Buren, they say, is writing review Of
bis own life, and cur time, for posthunoCs uses. ~
is not disrespectful should like to know now tbs
conclusions he draws from the national events he has
seen and of which be has been important part Zoe
be is a shrewd observer, with advantages of largo aud
long experience. To me il seems THAI the last forty
years have constituted period of signal and lancet
able failure in the efforts Of statesmen TO ADJUST and
establish Federal policy for the regulation Of the
subject Of Slavery In lie relations 10 the Unlol la
!
statesman not merely to favor immediate and tenn
porary increase Of national wealth. and an enlarge
ment of national territory, but also 70 fortify 80 far 10
the prescribed constitutional Limits OF hs action may
allow, the Influences of knowledge and humanityi to
abae popular pIejudices and passions, by odfyng or
removing their causes TO ascertain and disclose tue
operation Of general laws and TO study aud reveal the
social tendencies of the age and by combining the past
with the present. while giving free play all tue time 70
the reeiprocatng action OF the many co-existing moral
forces TO develop that harmonious system which &C
uslly prevails in the apparent chaos OF human AFFAIRS
and TO gsin something in the way Of assurance as
10 the complexion of that fnturty toward which, since
cur country is destined TO endure aud nsomuch
| desire that il may be immortal, our thoughts are 80
yebemently driven even by the se fish well a. by
| the generous principles of our nature.
| have understood that JOhu Quincy Adams. the
purest and wsest statesman kue " died despair
ing of peaceful sou ion Of the problem Of Slavery
which he mtently engaged throughout his pub
| Eo service. If we may judge from the absolute fail
of Dir. Van Buren,, Mr. Polk, Mr.. Pierce, add Mr..
Buchanan, IN toe respect have mentioned add II we
| take into consideration also the systems which Mr.
Calhoun, Mr.. Benton, Mr.. Clay. and Mr.. Webster
severaly recommended, and which have subsequently,
failrd TO be adopted we msy perhaps ooucioae MA
the difficulties of establishing satisfactory snd sooth-
ing policy have oveTtasked even our wisest and most
emnt ut statesmen. They certainly have oeen ne,lua
incapable selfish No age or country mas ooea
illustrated by public characters Of greater genus WIS
| DOM and virtue.
It's easy 70 see fsowcitizens that the failure has
resulted not from the fsult of statesmen out from
the peculiar constitutions and characters OF pohec
parties on which they relied for power. soma enour-
ing and consistent parties inspired oy YNe oi cvuy
reverence for virtue and devotion TO human noerty
hold in their conceptions Of measures moderate IN sue
cess and resouie throughout reverses are essential TO
eff Give and benefcent administration in every fres
State Unsnimity, even In wise Just and necessary
noIicv can never be expected in any country all at
once and without thOroug III debate and earnest
fcts Of opinion. All public movements are therefore