The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-01-23
From the Chicago Tribune
Our Washington Letter.
Mr. Stewards Spccch-.-'TIc Anxiety 10
Hear it.--iOw il was Received.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IA, 1861.

Never in the history OF the American Com
grcss has there been Witnessed so intense an
anxiety TO hear speech as that which prece-
ded the dilvery of Mr.. Stewards, on Satur-
day afternoon. This absorbing interest was
not confined to Washington, but extended
throughout the Union. ToCgraphc dis
patches dcnoting the drift and points OF the
sper ch were ielcgraphed every fifteen min
uteS to various cities Mr.. Seward hal his
remarks printed in advance OF th"ir delivery,
and copies were sent TO the leading papers
in seaport cities, simultaneously with its ut,
terance here No speech ever received in
this country so wide pcrusal in so brief a
time. Millions have already read it; and
every word and sentence has been weighed
and considered. The effect that il will pro.
ducc remains TO be seen.
What gave so mu"h interest and weight
to the Senator's words, was tue le!ief that it
was equivalent to a speech from Lincoln him.
self lie spoke on the great crisis as the
Premier of the new Administrations, and au-
thoritativelv indicated to the country the full
extent to which Mr. Lincoln is prepared to
90 in the direction of concessions to the Oil
garchy, and the policy he will pursue in re
siSt;ng secession and unfolding the Union.
Mr. Seward spoke not for himself, or as
Senator, but as the Prime Minister for the
new Administration. Hence the Importance
which popular belief attached to his oracular
uttcrances, and the irrepressihle desire to
hear the speech Men came here from Dos
ton, Buffalo, New York, Richmond, Balti-
more and clsewhere-too impatient to wait a
few hours or minutes to read it in the papers
Hours before the Senate met, the galleries
were full to crushing and fainting. The
Hobbies and cloak rooms were literally packed
with an anxious throng. The floor of the
Senate was invaded by hundreds of ladies'
who wer, the wives and daughters of mem
bers and Cabinet Minister'S. But so offens
i've was their presence to the immaculate and
sensitive Toombs that he grutfly insisted on
the enforcement of the rules in relation to
privieded persons, which expelled them
from the chamber. They unanimously voted
him brute as well as traitor in which
verdict few of the males declined to acaui-
esce.
Long afr the surg,ng crowd had damned
the halls and entrances and blocked the APP
proaches to the chamber, the living stream
continued to flow towards the Senate wing
of the Capitol. A part ofthe overflow swept
into the spacious House galleries, filing them
with disappointed audience to witness the
withdrawal of the Mississippi disunion men,
bers, and the passage of the Navy Appro-
priaton bill which Sherman BY skillful ma
ncuvering managed to get through the
House.
Mr. Seward commenced speaking at TWEEN
ty minutes to one, and consumed over two
hours in the delivery of his discourse lie
spoke slowly, making frequent pauses, and
often with much pathos. When he drew
his grand picture of the greatness and glory
of the Union, and .hcr. drew the dark outlines
of dismembered Republic, grave Senators
freely shed tears and the stiffness Of death
reigncd in the chmabcr, as the vast audience
strained their ears and eyes to catch every
tone and gesture. The scene was deeply
impressive, as the great man, clothed with
authority TO speak in behalf of a powerful
and victorious party to the defs,ted minority
who refused to submit to the popular verdict,
plead for the Union, and depicted the evils
and horrors that would befal those who were
madly bent on its destruction.
The whole diplomatic corps were present,
and gave the deepest attention to every word
When he concluded, many ofthem anxiously
inquired of Senator's to know whether his
views would be accepted, and if the difficulty
would be healed ? The foreign ministers,
without exception, regard the SecessiOnists
as palpably in the wrong. They can see no
Just or sufficient cause for the wicked course
the Disunonists are pursuing and such is
the verdict of all civilized nations. All Eu-
rope declares that the alleged grievances of
the shareholders are unfounded, and their
demands for "great CONCESSIONS uniustifia-
BILE and preposterous.
But how was the speech received? The
Toombs and Wigfall school of politicians rid
icule it. and sconfully repel the protfered
olive branch. No compromises with the
North, no union with the free States, are their
declarations. Crittenden says it will do as
first step towards Cancellation, but there can
be no peace until the Republicans give up
their principles, and accept his slave code
propositions. The reconstructionists, of the
Hunter and Breckenridge school, say there is
no use in talking of compromises until after
the Union is dissolved A Southern Con-
fcderacy must first be erected. When it has
made Constitution to suit the Shareholders,
then such of the free States as will accept
such Constitution will be admitted into the
Southern Confederacy. Crittenden's slave
code compromise is put forward to distract
and divide the North while the work OF dis
union is being carried forward. 1t is for
this base purpose the poor, frail, old man,
now verging on second childhood is pushed
be the crafty, cunning conspiratorS.
With all moderate men Mr.. Seward s
speech must produce happy effect. 1t
cannot he Otherw Sc Some of the more
radical Republicans consderit letting down,
and complain, that if not an abandonment of
principle, it is too temporizing IN the face Of
treason. But the majority view it differently,
Mr. Seward being about to enter the Cabinet
and believing that civil war is eminent. de-
termined in behalf of Mr.. Lincoln and the
Republican party, to offer as liberal a propo-
sition to the shareholders, as could be done
without an abdcation of cherished principles
and betrayal of the rights of the free labor
masses. He went to the utmost verge of con-
ceSsion short Of humiliation and dishonorable
surrender. Could he have gone an inch far
thcr without abandoning the platform of his
own party and Of conceding away a part Of
the platform of the Northern Democracy !?
He offers the South faithful observance Of
the Fugitive Slave Law, with such modifica-
tons of the Law as will not oblige citizens
against their will to chase fugitives, and as
will protect free men from being carried off
into slavery. He proposes the repeal Of all
Personal Liberty bills contravening the Con-
stituton or the laws of Congress. He pro
perly asks also to have repealed all Southern
police regulations for the imprisonment and
selling into slavery Northern seamen of color
whose vessels may touch Southern ports
AS it is unscrupulously charged that the
Republicans intend to interfere with Slavery