St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-01-24
Mr.. Stewards Speech.

~ tilt ASltlty VII tiiS -ttl lHot., Nl Z.
Gwin moved that the Senate proceed
to the special order, the consideration
of the Presidents Message, when Mr..
, Seward took the floor.
Mr.. Seward said /: Congress re;is-
, scmblcd this winter in the presence of
arrangement of business. and the dis
. turbancc of public, as we'll as private
credit, and in the face of seditious
combinations to overthrow the Union
The alarm is appalling, for the Union
IS not more the body, than Liberty is
the soul of the Nation.
lie avowed his adherence to the
Union and its integrity in all its parts,
with his friends, with his party, with
his State, with his country, or with
out either, as they may determine in
every event, whether of peace or war,
with every consequence of honor or
dishonor, life or death After stating
that the Union cannot be saved by
mutual determinations, or continuance
of debate on the Constitutional power
of Congress over the subject of slave
ry in the Territory, or discussing the
right OF the Federal Government to
cocrcc seeding States into obedience
he says if this Union is to 90 to ruin,
the latter question will give way to
more practicable one, whether many
seeding States have right to CO.
cree the remaining members to acoui.
escc in dissolution. He abborrcd
civil war; he did not know what the
Union would be worth if saved by the
sword. Yet he did not agree with
those, who, desiring to avert the ca.
lamity, advised conventional or unop-
posed separation, with view to what
they call a reconstruction of the
Union. The Union can be dissolved |
not by secession, but by voluntary
consent of the people of the United
States. Congress ought not to re.
main impassivc.
1t ought, if it can. redress any real
grievances to the offended States, and
then ought to supply the President
with al! means necessary to maintain
the Union in full exhibition and dis
Greet authority. Beyond this, with
proper activity on the part of the Ex-
ecutive, the responsibility of saving
the Union belongs to the people, and
they are abundantly competent to dis
charge it. Mr.. Seward argued at
length on the advantages of Union,
and effects of disunion from all points
of view, and proceeded. What is the
ground of discomfort? 1t is that the
disunionists did not accept as con-
elusive the arguments urged in behalf
OF the successful candidate in the late
canvass, denying their own arguments
against him were more satisfactory
to his supporters.
After further remarks, he said he
agreed that as concerns the bonds
man, the law Of the State within
which man is property, is supreme,
and that on his escape to another
State the Constitution regards him
bondsman who shall be delivered on
claim to the party to whom his ser
vice is due. While thinking that the
acts of Congress on the subject should
be modified to protect frcemcn from {
being carried into slavery, he agrees
that all the laws of States. free or
slave, relating to this class Of persons, /
contravcning the Constitution of the
lnited States, ought to be repealed, :
and was willing to vote for any t
amendment that Congress should new t
cr have the power to abolish or inter a
ferc with slavery within the States. !
| propose, when the angry excite /
mcnt of the House shall have subsid. 5
ed, one, two or three years hence, a I
Of the people, to decide q
whether any, or what changes in the t
national law ought to be J.
made. He was ready to vote for any ;;
guaranteed laws to prevent q /,
mutual invasions of the States, by the il
citizens of other States, and punish 5
those who shall aid or abet them. u
Lastly, Mr.. Seward concluded by Il
saying | shall chccrfully support the /
Government in whatever prudent but :
energetic efforts it shall make to pre-
serve and pcrpctuatc the Union adj
rlsing only moderation, forbearancc,
and Cancellation, and by expressing
the conviction that the hour was not
yet come for this great nation to fall. :
Woe woe to the man that madIv
lifts his hand against it, 1t shall con {
time and endure, and men in after ;
times shall declare that this genera +
ton which saved the Union from sud- G
den and unlocked for dangers, sur 4
DaSSed in NAOMI ficcuce cynn that ann \
which laid its foundation in the eter- v
nal principles Of liberty, justice and 5
t