Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-02-08
The XXXVIth Congress.
Another Great Speech by Mr.. Seward.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81.

le Another Great Speech Dy mr.. SeWar
,r WASHINGTON, Jan. 81.
IS SENATE ~ Mr.. Seward presented monst
petition from the citizens Cf New York for Il
,f passage ofrcsolutions substantially the Bord
- State resolutions. The petition is signed b
- SO, 900 people, and is 1900 feet long.
- Mr.. Seward, in the course Of his r
> marks, said he had been asked to suppo
this petition. He had not yet heard, thong
= he lad anxiously waited and hoped for, thu
:. manifestation OF. temper on the part OF tn
= people of the country and their representa-
; tives which would justify him in saying ths
;. the seeding States, or those who sympathiz
;, ;. with them, have made propositions whic
. the citizens of the adhering States coul
! accept; or that this, or any other Of tn
: various propositions from citizens of adher
,, ing States, or those desiring to adhere to tn
Union, would not he acceptable and salts
factory to the other party. ~ have though
it my duty to hold myself open and read.
for the best adjustment that could be prac
tical'y made. have, therefore, been oblige,
to ask this committee to be content with thu
assurance that would express to the public
and the Senate, that the spirit in which they
come is perfectly co,nmendabe. 1t is per
tectly satisfactory and gratifying to me tc
see q proper spirit. A spirit OF fraternal
kindness, of Cancellation and affection is
adopted by a large portion of my fellow
citizens of the State to which | belong |
have told them, also, in return for perform
ing my duty on this occasion, when they
arrive home, that they will act in the same
spirit, and manifest their devotion to the
Union by voting for the Union, and, if it
should be demandec, staking-eyen giving
their money for the Union, and, as a last
resort. fighting for the Union taking care
that speaking always goes before voting,
voting goes before giving money, and all 90
before battle which l should regard haz-
ardous and dangerous, and therefore the last,
rs it would be the most painful, measure to
be rssorted to for the salvation of the Union.
| This is the spirit in which | determined for
myself to come up to this greBt question-to
pass through it; as | sincerely believe We
shall pass through it; for, although this
great controversy is not already settled, | do
not therefore any less calculate upon and
expect it will be peacefully settled, and
settled for Union.
81 do not expect the Union will be firmly
re-established in ninety days; but my con-
fidence remains that as have not believed
the passion and frenzy Of the hour can over
throw this great fabric Of constitutional lib
erty and empire in ninety days, so | have
felt sure thsre will be time enough after the
expiration of ninety days fer the restoration
of all that has been lost and the re-esiablish-
ment of all that is in danger. Secession or
revolution on one side and coercion or de-
fense on the other are all to pass away be-
fore the Union is to become the grand ab-
sorbing object Of interest and affection and
duty upon the part Of the citizens Of the Uni
ted States. A great many partlzan interests
are to be suppressed-party platforms swept
sway-before the Union, if in danger, and If
it is to be saved, csn be saved but twill
require yesy short time.
If the Union does require to BE- saved for
all these interests and pattorms-ali these
men to disaprear-you, everybody, who
shall oppose, resist or sta nd in the way of
the preservation of this Union will appear
Ike moths on a summer evening when the
whrlwind of popular indignation arises that
shall be excited at its full discovery that
this Union is in danger through faction, or
even the unpTaetioakility Of one part. AL
luding to the question of slavery 10 toe Tes- |
ritories, which had been a vital one for
twelve years at least, he said the admission |
Of Kansas had settled all that was vital or i'm
portant IN it, leaving behind nothing butpas-
81 cEs which the contest engendered Kansas
is in the UuioH. California and Oregon are
in the Union, and now tns se-le contest dis
tracts the Union a. before. The extent o.
the Territories, after the admission of Kan
sas, is ,063 500 square miles, and q times
thar of the State of New York. "a States
such States as New York are yet to be
organized. Now, under what is accepted
by the administration as a judicial decree,
every inch Of that Territory :. slave Terri
tory He spoke of the decree, not az he
accepted it, but as enforced by the ex-
listing administration over a considerable
portion The slave code made by the gov
ernment-created by Cougress-is enforced.
How mauy slaves are there in it ? "a foreign
slaves He had followed this in good
faith, zeal and energy, hpt confessed he had
no fears of slavery, where in the peculiar
condition of things which has existed, slave
ry has succee ed in planting only one slave
upon every4 900 square miles of Territory.
This, then, ceased to be the practical ques-
ton. In lieu comes up the great and fear
ful question - Union or disunion - the
question of sinking forever under the con-
tempt of mankin' Why, then, should We
despair that great people of thirty mil
lions will be unable to meet the crisis? He
had no fears This is a coufederacy, not al
single States 1t is country dependent
and subject to dissolution by their own
action.
"The disunionists may not be enough for
uo
there was time enough for the policy and
grant there may be. If not, this controversy
when they framed the Constitution, by sub
hitting it to the people Of the United States
in Convention, called according to the forms
of the Constitution and manner prescribed
by law.
alton of the Senator is battle. Blood, then,
is to save the Union. The Union is broken.
Is there no Union in the country?
Mr.. Seward said he was not surprised
that the Senator from Virginia Differed
Tie Senator sees discovered country. He
saw returning reason, judgment and harrno-
ny IN the Union, and the Senator from Vir.
ginia here-is he in the Union or out. Seats
a-e here, States here, Union here. He had
contemplated fighting because be knew trea
son North and South might arm agains
this Union.
Mr.. Wilson said he wanted to place be
fo:e the American people the fact that th
Senator proposes as remedy the ergumen
IS of q tyrant-force compulsion-as the onl,
Is resort. He takes 60 notice of co,nmunitie
n claiming to have resumed sovereignty an
- are now completely out Of the Union. Fl
wanted Virginia pos to be hoodwinked b
~ the cry of peace when there was no peac'
:" He trusted to the good sense of the peopl
D. North and South, to repudlate the counsel
ne o. the Senator.
s. Mr.. Seward answered the delusion of IL
r Senator from Virginia. He made speee
" pacific and fraternai The Senator max
us Il 4 a,oIara1;nn 1,f ,rar He cnuid sea nnt]