Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-02-15

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"0ward's Speech.
tTor ths Journal
EAsr CHARLsxoNr, Mass,
Feb. A, 1861.
Ny BRorHHR: Il send you some Of my
thoughts after reading Stewards greatspeech:
The speech of Senator Seward is before
me-. What was the Senator's object? What
will be the influence of this speech The
whole soul Of Mr.. Seward is bound up in the
Union. He lives to preserve it, he would
give his life for it. Buthe sees no available
MEANS and has proposed none, to save it
from secession. lie hopes that time and
reflection will recall tho departing States.
He aims to awaken thought - to recall the
Southern people from their Madness and to
pacify their emotions. This is the cooling
water thathis speech is casting on the flames.
He knows that time and reflection and good
counsel cool human passions. Let us read
the speech with this view Of its object, and
we shall understand it. We shall see how,
first and last, every part is arranged for this
result. He holds up before the whole peo-
pie, in panoramic view, the foreign and
domestic calamities of secession. He pre-
sents them in large and lively colors, and
eraggerates them IN some places. His mind
seems to labor with the half told sorrows of
disunion. Whether the speech will do its
extinguishing work ! doubt. The building
is so far on fire. The flames are so hot and
so raging that one well-spr.ng of water, or
one riuer, will not quench them. We doubt
if all the rivers in the nation will stop the
burning Nothing less than the ocean will
do it. The speech Of Mr.. Seward will have
influence in two ways that he, and oil of US,
may be sorry for:
LIST. In the way Of compromise. 1t will
help freedom to make q greater strain on
conscience, and submit to the terms OF
slavery Slavery will offer no compromise,
and accept of none that does not secure to it
the control of the Government. The m0der
ate party of slavery have not many griefs to
cure, except the loss Of the control. This
griet nothing but to govern can cure. AS
to this compromise, we are in dread Of the
Sd of March - the "ldes of March" to our
nation "The children of this world are
wiser than the children of light" and slavery
is wiser than freedom in this "irreprcssible
conflict" Freedom hopes that slavery does
nothing about compromise, and will be vot-
ing and proclaiming secession, while it has
agents at Washington who understand the
game of accepting, as it hopes to do, ample
concessions from scared and Inundated free
dom on the "Ides of March" Any repre-
sentatives of freedom in Congress who make
this surrender will use Mr.. Stewards speech
ia making peace with their constituents.
I'd. dread the influence Of MIR. Stewards
speech on the people of freedom. Does Mr..
Seward wish freedom to believe that the
nations prosperity will become beautifully
less" because slavery has seeded? - that
the basis of freedom is slavery? Does he
mean that twenty millions OF free people
cannot keep together in the highest prosper
ity and sustain their power and influence
| abroad when separated from one million or
J less of slave owners? Is there not danger
that freedom will so understand him?
suppose his late speech was meant for
slavery. Then let it be SO understood. But
surely, before he leaves the Senate, he ,citl
NJ axe a speech for freedom. Freedom needs
encouragement to stand by liberty, and be
ready for the times-needs to be assured OF
the strength Of her independence, Of her
greatness and true glory. Has freedom yet
to learn that this union with slavery is not
the strength but the weakness of the nation ?
wins not the goodwill but the displeasure
of the God of nations? Where are the
masters who will teach freedom this true and
divine lesson? Where are the public presses
that will publish these lessons to the peo-
pie? These are the themes for the times.
In the face of secession, let freedom Under
st1nI her mission, feel her strength, see her
duty, and be united in heart as one man.
Then God will be with freedom, and every
arm raised against her will be broken. Then
American liberty will enjoy the goodwill OF
the civilized world; and more, At aoiH enjoy
seifrespsct Discord and violence in the
government and nation will have passed
away. Then the councillors Of the people
will be wise, and the hearts of the people
strong, and prosperity sure, and peace al
home will live forever.
Do the wise men and wise editors of free
dom view slavery from the same standpoint
from which God views it? If not, Their
neither do they view freedom from the same
standpoint. 1t is high time that the value
of the goodwill Of God to freedom should bt
believed, trusted, cultivated, and priced by
the nation above all other good things. i
cannot be valued above its true worth by any
peope-for "God loves individual man anC
hates oppression" In the event of the sepa
ration of slavery from freedom, it is not true
that the one is about as much as the Other
exposed to suffer. In all history slavery ha:
not found such advantages of growth ir
wealth, and slaves, and power, as in these
seventy years of union It'll freedom. 1t has
become independent and proud, and defiant
1t may be believed that God is moving slave
owners to a separation that he may show or
which side his goodwill is.
Then, what is happening to freedom thai
her counsellors are afraid to stand with Goo
and liberty ?-afraid with twenty millions o.
the FREE, owning an immense country, and
sure of the goodwill of all Christian civil
cation? 1t seems to me that Mr. Seward 6
speech ia aiming to make the people trust in
slavery confdingly and in freedom timidly
l repeat it, let him mow make a speech to'
freedom. feel, as all Europe feels, encour
aged and strong as fast and as far as | car
see freedom united in America, separate
from slavery. Yours, a. FOSTER.
For the Journal
Moscow, Iowa, Feb. 6, 1860
Ma. MAHIN While important questions
are agitating the minds of our people, and
treason is perpetrated with high hand, il
becomes the duty of every lover of his
country to speak cut We are to-day in the