The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1861-02-02

The speech Of William H. Seward, of
New York, delivered in the Senate on the
18th of January, demands and deserves,
both from its intrinsic character and from
the position of the distinguished Senator
who pronounced it, the attention of the peo-
pie of the entire country. Mr.. Seward is
now not only an acknowledged leader of the
Republican party, and an advanced defender,
in the halls of Congress, of Constitutional
Liberty, but he is also the chosen Premier
of the Administration which is about to
take possession of the Government, and is
therefore an exponent, to some extent, Of
the principles and policy by which it will
be guided. The Senator has spoken in
troubled times, when treason has invaded
every department of the General Govern
ment-when those who should be the chief
ion are plotting to destroy it-and when
scarcely any of those around him retain the
GOODNESS requisite for giving wise and effect
tive counsel. Yet he speaks with the same
imperturbable calmness of temper, the same
patriotic elevation of spirit, and the same
statesmanlike and phllosophic balance of
thought, which have characterized his ad-
dresses in more peaceable and cheering
times. Whatever exceptions any one may
take to the various propositions of the
speech, he cannot withhold his tribute of
admiration for the utter removal from all
personal or partisan views which it so un-
mistakably displays.
The speech opens with an expression of
the speakers personal devotion to the Un-
ion, with the regret that an occasion for its
formal expression should have arisen.-
| The Senator then announces what measures
| or conduct win not, in his opinion, save the
Union. It cannot be saved by mere eulo-
gums, nor by mutual examinations concern
ing our respective shares of responsibility
for the present evils, nor by continuance
of debate or the power of Congress over
the Territories, nor by proving secession IL
legal and unconstitutional, nor by discuss
ing the right of coercion on the part of the
| Federal Government, nor by Congressional
Compromises. The originality, sovereign
ty and independence of the General Gov
eminent is then affirmed, and declared
to be no less actual and authoritative
than the originality, sovereignty ant
independence of the States. The I'm
ion cannot be dissolved, therefore, by Sc.
cession, with or without armed force, bu
!, only by the consent of the people of tn,
! United States, declared as prescribed BY
} the Constitution. The value of the Union
: as a means of maintaining security and tran
quillity at home and peace and harmony
} abroad. is fully discussed, aud the evil
, consequent upon its dissolution visibly pic
tu,ed. Divided and sublivided, as Mr.
t Seward holds we should be, our commerce
( will be utterly DESTROYED, enterprise check
ed, science, invention and art discouraged
our substance eaten By standing armies. th
republican form of government overtbrown
civil war inaugurated. European interven
, ton invoked-in short, dissolution Woul,
{ not merely arrest, but would destroy, tn
greatness of our country. And with espe
S cial esrnestness the speaker appeals to tn
, South. to beware of the negro question,
& its settlement shall become confined to thei
own borders, and the restraints which tn
Union provides be removed. The allege
ground for dissolution-the election of NI
: Lincoln--is then discussed. and its ute
f insuficiency demonstrated; while the re
Fl organization of the Gulf States in ne,