The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-01-25

Speech of the Hon. VIM. II. Seward,
Delivered Ia the senate of the Unit
ed States, Saturday, january 18th,
1861.
MIR. Seward.-Mr. President Congress
adjourned last summer amid auspices of ma
tional abundance, contentment, tranquility,
and happiness. 1t was reassembled this
winter in the presence of arrangement OF
business and disturbance of public as well
as private credit, and in the face Of sedtious
combinations to overthrow the Union. The
alarm is appalling for Union is not more
the body than liberty is the soul Of the ma
ton. The American citizen has been ac-
customed to believe the Republic immortal.
He shrinks from the sight of convusions
indicative Of its sudden death. The report
of our condition has gone over the seas, and
we who have SO long and with much com
placency studied the endless agitations OF
society in the Old World, believing our
selves exempt from such disturbances, now,
in our turn, seem to be falling into a mo-
mentous and disastrous revolution.
| know how difficult it is to decide, amid
so many and so various cOunsels, what
ought to be and even what can be DONE
Certainly, however, it is time for every
Senator to declare himself. | therefore, fol-
lowing the example of the noble Senator
from Tennessee, Mr.. johnson, avow my ad-
| herance TO the Union in its integrity and
with my friends, with my party, with my
! State, with my country, or without either,
1 as they may determine, in every event,
| whether of peace or of war, with every con-
| sequence of honor or dishonor of life or OF
! death. Although | lament the occasion, |
hail with cheerfulness the duty of lifting up
my voice among distracted debates, for my
! whole country and its inestimable Union.
| Hitherto the exhibitions of spirit and res
/ Olution here, as elsewhere, have been chief
/ ~ made on the side of disunion. | do not
! regret this. Disunion is so unexpected and
/ unnatural, that it must plainly reveal itself
/ before its presence can be realized. like
! best, also, the courage which rises slowly,
| under severe provOcation. If it be Chris
| tian duty to forgive to the stranger even
seventy times seven offences, it is the high
| est patriotism to endure without complaint
| the passionate waywardpess of political
| brethren, SO long as there is hope that they
/ may come to a better mind.
| think it is easy to pronounce what
| measures or conduct will not save the I'm
! ion. / agree with the honorable Senator
| from North Carolina Mr.. Clingman7 that
mere eulogiums will rot save it, Yet |
think that as prayer brings US nearer to
| God, though it cannot move him toward
US, so there is healing and saving virtue in
every word of daEotion to the Union that
is spoken, and in every sigh that its danger
draws forth. know, at least, that like
virtue, it derives strength from every irrev-
erent act that is committed, and every bias
phemous phrase that is uttered against it.
The Union cannot be saved by mutual
ordinations concerning our respective share
of responsibility for the present evils. He
whose conscience acquits him Will natural
ly be slow to accuse others whose cn-opera-