The Van Buren press., 1861-01-18
Seward has u,ads : Speech !!

Seward has MAIDS = Speech!
Yes. this iceberg Of the Americas politi-
cal world. has made speech What isl
there SO extraordinary in this announce
ment that it should be heralded throughout
the length and breadth of the land Has
he but just been endowed with the power of
speech Has his tongue hitherto refused to
perform its Office in making articulate
sounds? None Of these then why? We
are told that the tone of lis speech was un-
usually Conservative. This is strange in
deed. yet. l imagine. does not account, in
mode and measure. for tho great interest
manifested. especially in the South. Con-
servative speeches have been made by others,
as rabid abolitionists as William Ii. Sew
ard. Perhaps his tongue has not alwsvs
been An utter stranger to conservatism.
Then. why this intense interest We arc,
by nature. SO constituted As to dislike to
confess any anticipations of good. flowing
from the actions of an avowed enemy. The
sboiitionists are deemed. not only enemies
10 the South in political principles. but.
Hiso' enemies in every sense of the word
We are. therefore. 10th to acknowledge the
least dependence upon them politically. As
otherwise. The condition of affairs in those
hated States. is such that it demands Of
every true patriot, an entire and absolute
abandonment of all narrow -minie,lness.
The troubles which threaten to ovcrwhelm
our government. and engulph SO much
greatness and national splendor. demand an
enlarged view of the various causes
which have brought them upon us. as we'll
as an impartial investigation of the resour-
ces by which we may heal disscnsiOns. bind
up the wounds already inflicted on the Con-
stitution. and reinstate our government up
on the solid basis it once occupied. Calm
ness must preside at all deliberations faith
in the repentance of others must lie induced
to leturn. Equality must be first secured
by the interposition of the law. The sane
Iity once SO securely surrounding our Con-
stitu:ion must be replaced. The hand OF
State Legislation must be forever debarred
from infringing the provisions of the Con-
stitutiOn. The place OF birth or domiciIe
must no longer be the mother Of invidious
distinctions between citizens of the United
States. Every one must be permitted to
go and come, and no man have authority to
question him. Property in Alabama OF
Georgia must not lose its character by tenn
pOrary sojourn IN a State which does not
permit such An institution as that which
gave it that character. The Northern man
may come into the slave holding States
with his wares and merchandise, and his
right to hold it as such is never questioned
the Southern man should likewise be per-
mitted to ira auerse the Northern States per-
fectly unmolested and without having his
property taken or his right Questioned, by
any man or any Legislature.
Without this there is no equality-with.
out equality there can be no union. When
government ceases 10 protect its citizen,
IN their lives and the peaceful possession o
their property, anywhere under the shining
sun. then the government is useless ami /,
Is but q symptom of imoeciiity Tor a peo-
pie TO continue passive subjects to such q
ourlesqrs ON governments. Equality. then
Is most assuredly the essence Of goou
government it Is the corner stone, the sub
stratum. upon which oil the supcrstructur,
rests. Oi course the chief aim OF thost
who desire to peIpetuate our govern ment
and save us from the horrors that may al
most, must attend or follow dissolution. is
to attain this all-powerful and c.>entia
Equality. Believing it can De done how i,
1t to be effected. Power rs the actual con
dition OF good works. Wnhou, power nc
good can Oe accomplished. Nor is pore,
alone sufficient ; there must be a disposi-
ton or desire to use that power for good
Nor Is power, anu a desire to use it for
good, alone. sufficient the;e must co-exist
y knowledge rf the direction and mode oi
exercising that power in order to effect the
good desired. Where does this power ex-
list Not in the broken phaianxes OF the
Democratic par,y-not in the ghost OF
those other hybrid parties, whose sole mis-
sion was warfare upon Dcmocracy-Lot in
secession-not in the South alone ami an
sssisted-not in the noole patriots and con
servative men who dot the political plain
like oases in the great Sahara, but in the
Republican party. 1t has become the res
ervoir of political power. To it. then, we
must look. and to it we do, perhaps uncon-
sciously. look for the restoration of peace
and the re-establishment of equality Thus
we have found the po,er. Has that
party the inclination or desires Hith-
e:to i: has proved inRexible. and has turn
I'd deaf ear to all compromise The lead.
er in chief. and. indeed. the soul OF the par
ty. has heretofore refused to entertain "prop-
o.itions." Hope has almost left us !; is not
the report, (whsther true or false) of his
giving expression to conservative views. a
CLEAN of hope and does not this instruct
i've looking to the ss.t of power, above
spoken of. account for tho general interest
eve ywhere felt in the position said TO have
been taken by VIM. H. Seward? Isl not
(if sincere) q foreshadowing Of the neces.
sary desire to apply the power which the
Republican party now has I? 4 to tine last
requisite-the knowledge or metl od of ap-
plying this power-nOne will deny that to
the philosopher of the Republican party
We may be unwilling to acknowle lge
that these things are true, yet the facts are
incOntrOvertible, and however reluctant we
may feel, Onr reason will force us to Admit
the truth. Thus the unusual interest felt in
Mr. Sewald's last speech is satisfactorily
accounted for. 1t is the times and the man
from whom the sentiments proceed, not the
mere fact OF his making a conservative