The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-10-16
Speech of William Ell. Seward
Deaivereds hic.gc, Oct. 2, 1890.

Gov. Seward was greeted as he came for
ward with enthusiastic and long continued
cheers. He spoke as follows
Hail to The State of Illinois! whose iron
roads for the spinal columns of that sys-
tenn of internal continental trade which aur.
passes ali the foreign commerce of the coun-
try, and has no parallel or imitation in any
other country on the face OF the globe.
Hail Chicago the heart which supplies
| life to this great system Of railroads. hca-
! go, the last and most wonderful OF all the
marvellous creations of civilization in North
! America.
| Hail to this council chamber OF the great
Republican party justly adapted by its vast
ness and It's simplicity to ito great purposes
the ball where the representatives of free
men passed that creed of Republican faith,
which carries healing for the relief of dis
ordered nation. Woe woe be to him who
shall add to or shall subtract one word from
that simple, sublime, truthful, benefeent
creed.
Hail to the representatives Of the Repub-
lican party chosen here by the Republicans
of the United States, and placed upon the
platform Of that creed. Happy shall he be
who shall give them bis suffrage. III be be
an old man, he shall show the virtue OF wis
dom acquired by experience; il be be young
man, be shall in all bis coming years tell his
fellow men with pride, 81, too, voted for
Abraham Lincoln" [Grsat applause.
Fellow-ctizsns, that Republican creed is
new ertheless no partisan creed. 1t 10 Ma
tional faith, because il s the embodiment Of
the one life sustaining, life. expanding idea
of the American republic. What is the idea
more or less than simply this: That civiiza-
ton is TO be maintained and carried on upon
this continent by Federal States, based upon
the principles OF free soil, free labor, free
speech, equal rights and universal suffrage?
[Loud.applause.
Fellow citizens, this is no new idea. This
idea had its first utteranoe, and the boldest
and olearest of all the utteranc ii has ever
received, in the very first words which were
spoken by this nation when it camc before
the world, took its place upon tbs stage of
human action, and asserted it's Independence
in the fear of God, and its confidence OF the
approval of mankind declaring that hence.
forth it held those to be it's enemies who
should oppose il in war, and those to be its
friends who should maintain with them re.
lstions of peace. That utteranee was ex
pressed in these simple words "We hold
these truths to be self svident-that all men
are created equal. and have inalienable right
to life, liberty, al the pursuit OF happiness
This great national idea has been working
out it's fruits ever since. Its work is seen in
the perfect acceptance OF il by eighteen of
the thirty four States of this Union-or sew
enteen of the thirty three if Kansas il to be
considered out. IL is asserting itself in the
adjustment of New States throughout the
West, as il has rtvolutionixed oil OF Western
and Southern Europe. Why is this idea so
effective? 1t is because it 10 the one chief,
living, burning, inextlnguishsbe thought of
human nature itself, entertained BY man in
every CLINE.
Fellow. citizens, this national idea works
not upopposed. Every good and virtuous and
benev violent principle in nature has it's sntsg-
onist, and this great national idea works In
perpetual oppositlon-I may be allowed to
say in irrepressitle conflict, prolonged ap.
plause, With an erroneous, deceitful, de-
iusivs idea. Do you ask what that delusive
idea is? Ii 10 the idea that civilization ought
and can be effected on this continent by this
form OF federal 5 ates, based on the principle
of slave soil-of African slave labor, of IN
equal rights and unequal representation, re.
sultne in unequal suffrage.
Here there war much tumuls and oonfu-
sion, owing TO efforts of those beyond the
reach of his voi3e TO hear, drowning the
speakers voice
Follow citizens Can it be that this great
creed OF ours neets exposition or defence p
1t seems to me so evidently just and true that
it requires no exposition and needs no de-
fence. Certainly IN foreign countries it needs
none. In Scotland, or France, or Germany,
or Russa, on the shores Of the Mediterrane-
an, in Europe, or in Asia, or in Africa, YOU
will never find one human being who denies
the truth and the justice Of this national idea
OF the equality Of man.
Here the tunult became so great that the
speaker was oonJ elled TO pause. Mr.. Ar
mold, coming forw ard, urged upon all to be
Us quiet as possible. Those who were out
of reach OF Mr. Stewards voice, and desired
10 hear other speakers, could do so at the
various stands aud 10 the Wigwam. lie
thought il must bt very painful to the distin-
guislIed speaker to witness such disturb
ance
Gov. SEwARp-Fe Fellow. citizens: Do not
suppose that this disturbance, which | know
is involuntary on your part, gives me any
pain whatever. [Applause.l There is no
pressure here which an honest mind need re.
greet. | Only regret that | have not voice
enough TO reach the whole of this vast assem-
bly, or even the twentieth part of it. | will
proceed, trusting that something may say
will reach the ears Of most OF the assemblsge,
As necessarily must change my position as
lspfak TO make you hear me, addressing first
this side and then that, no one will, fear,
be able to preserve the connection OF my re-
marks, except myself-and he 10 a very for
tunase speaker who does that. Laughter. |
| was speaking Of this nationa oil idea-that
1t needs no exposition anywhere. 1t 10 one
OF those propositions that when addressed to
thoughtful! men needs no exposition or de-
fence. And Why not?
Here we can see for ourselves this mean
and miserable rivulet OF black African slave.
ry, stealing along turbid and muddy as it is,
drawn from its stagnant source 10 the slave
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