Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-01-24
Seward on the Union.
EXTRACT FROM SEWARDS SPEECH IN THE SEN
ATE, JAN L. 1851

long on the probable effects of disuuion upon
the safety of the American people as to leave
me little time to consider The other evils which
must follow in its train. Bat, practically, the
loss of safety involves every other form of
public calamity. When once the guardian
angel has taken fight, everything is lost
Dissolution would not only arrest, but extn-
guish the greatness of our country. Even if
separate coufederaces could exist and endure,
they could severally preserve no share of the
common prestige of the Union.
If the constellation is to be broken up, the
stars, whether scattered widely apart, or
grouped in smaller clusters, will thenceforth
shed forth feeble, glmmering and lurd lights
Nor will great achievements be possible for
the new confederaces. Dissolution would sig
naze its triumph by acts of wantonness which
would shock and astound the world 1t would
provincalize Mount Vernon and give this
Capitol over to desOlation at the very moment
when the dome is rising over our heads that
was to be crowned with the statue of Liberty.
After this there would remain for dsunion no
act of stupendous lnfamy to be committed
No petty confederacy that shall follow the
United States can prolong, or even renew, the
majestic drama of national progress Perhaps
il is to he arrested becalse its sublimity is in
capable of continuance Let it be so if We
have indeed become degenerate. After Wash
ington and the inhexiblc Adams, Henry and
the peerless Hamilton, Jefferson and the ma
estic Clay, Webster and lhe acute Calhoun,
jackson, the modest Taylor and Scott, who
rises in greatness under the burden of years,
and Franklin, and Fulton, and Whitney, and
Morse, have all performed their parts, let the
curtain fall
While listening to these debates, / have
sometimes forgotten myself in marking their
contrasted effects upon the page who customa-
rily stands on the dais before me- and the ven
erabIe Secretary who sits behind him. The
youth exhibits intense but pleased emotion in
the excitement, while at every irreverent word
that is uttered against the Union the eyes of
the aged man are suffu>ed with tears Let
him weep no more. Rather rejoice, for yours
has been a lot of rare felicity You have
seen and been part of all the greatness of
your country, the towering national greatness
of all the world. Weep only you and weep
with all the bitterness Of anguish, who are Just
stepping on the threshold of life for that
greatness perishes prematurely and exists not
for you, nor me, nor for any that shall come
after US
The public prosperity low could it survive
the storm ? Its elements are industry in the
culture of every fruit ; mining of all the met
ais: commerce at home and on every sea
material improvement that knows no obstable
and has no end invention that ranges thro'
ont the domain of nature increase of knOwl
edge as broad as the human mind can explore;
perfection of art as high as human genius can
reach and the social refinement working for
the renovation Of the world How could our
successors prosecute these noble objects in the
midst Of brutazing civil conflict What
guarantees will capital invested for such pur-
poses have, that will outweigh the premium
offered by political and military ambition p
What leisure will the citizens ind for study, or
invention, or art, under the reign of conscrip-
tiOn nav, what interest in them will society
feel when fear and hate shall have taken pos
session of the national mind Let the miner
in California take heed for its golden wealth
will become the prize of the nation that can
command the most iron. Let the borderer
take care for the Iadan will again lurk
around his dwelling. Let the pioneer come
back into our GenSer settlements for The rail
road. the post road, and the telegraph, ad
ness. With standing armies consuming the
substance of our people on the land. and our
Navy aud our postal steamers Withdrawn from
the ocean, who will protect or respect or who
will know by name our petty cOnfederaces ?
The American man-of war is a noble spectacle
| have seen it enter an ancient port in the
Mediterranean. All the world wondered at
it and talked OF it. SalvoS of artillery, from
forts and shipping in the harbor, saluted its
flag. Princes and princeSSes and merchants
paid it homage and all the people blessed it
as harbinger of hope for their own ultimate
freedom. | imagine now the same noble YES
sci again entering the same haven. The flag
of thirty three stars and thirteen stripes has
been hauled down, and in its place signal is
ruu up, which haunts the device of q lone star
or palmetto tree. Men ask, "Who is the
stranger that thus steals into our waters p
The answer contemptuOusly given is. She
comes from one of the obscure Republics of
North America. Let her pass"
Lastly, public liberty, our own peculiar lib
erty must languiSh for q time, and then cease
to live. And such liberty free movement
everywhere through our own land and through
out the world free speech, free press, free
suffrage the freedom Of every subject to vote
on every law, and for or against every agent
who expounds, administers, or executes
Unstable and jealous confederacieS constant
ly apprehending assaults without and treason
within, formidable only to each other and con-
temptible to all besides how long will it be
BEFORE on the plea of public safety, they will
surrender all this inestimable and unequalled
liberty, and accept the hateful and intolerable
espionage of military despotism?
And now, Mr.. President, what are the au-
spices of the country? | know that we are
in the midst of alarms, and somewhat exposed