, 1861-01-17

were instructed 10 report.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Hcur it~--k1osr 1t Was Ncccircd.
fFrom our own Correspondent
WAsHIsGroS, Jan. II, 1861.
Never in the history Of the American Con
gress las there been witnessed SO intense an
anxiety to hear a speech rs that which prcce,
dcd the delivery Of Mr.. Stewards, on Saturday
| afternoon. THIS absorbing interest was not
confined toWasl,lDgton, but extended through.
| out the Union. Teleyraphic dispatches demo.
ting the drift and points Of the speech were
| telcgraphcd, every fifteen minutes to various
cities. Mr.. Seward had his remarks printed
in advance Of their delivery, and copies were
| sent to the leading papers in seaboard cities,
! where it appeared in their cl1ernoon editions,
simultaneously with its uttcrancc here. No
speech ever received In this country SO wide q
pcrusal in so brief 4 time. Millions have al
ready read 1t; and every word and sentence
! has been weighed and considered. The ef:
feet that it will produce remains to dc seem
What gaye 80 much interest and weight to
the Senator's words, was the belief that 1t Vas
equivalent to u speech from Lincoln himself
He spoke on the great crisis as the Premier Of
aue Nc" ADMINISTRATOR ano au1nor1tatiEcly
| Indicated to the country the full extent to
Which Mr.. Lincoln is prepared to 60 in the d.
rcction Of confessions to the Oligsrchy, and
the policy lie will pursue in resisting secession
| and upholding the Union.
Ne s,.,-or5 .,,,,.a W. r., ,,,o,e
49, si'es ~ '4'"eon' ~ 40 "
eeuatof, our as Inc trime Minister 1or the new
Administration. Hcnce the Importance which
popular belief attached to his or,cnlar nttcn,n.
~. ,.;, a., ,-ue.,uo,a:,,. =,
U.s. anu 4nc 4sfepfssslole ocsi1e 10 near tue
speech. Men came here from Boston, Du1f4-
10, New York, Richmond, Baltimore and else
,nhora- -to, ;,,,n.;.,,. T., ,,:. g., ,--
4A'Pasn' ~ "*'' ~" uoute VI
Minaie5 70 rcau II IN thc papers. Hours be-
lore tue scnate met, tue galleries were full to
crushing aud iainflnG. Ihc iobbles and cloak
rooms WIRE literally packed with an anxious
throng- INC moor OF thc Senate was invaded by
daughters ofElen'bers and Cabinet Ministers.
BIZ 80 onen5lvc was thclE presence to the
immaculate and sensitive Ioomos that he
grufhy insisted on the enforcement Of the
rules ~ reiatlon 10 privileged persons, which
expelled tnen ,rom inc Chamber. They unaui-
III which verdict 1ew Of the males declined to
at,lnicsec.
Long after tHc suFElns cF0H1 had janiHed
tic halls anu en!fancts aud blocked the ap-
pFoachcs TO the cl'ambef, the living stream CON
anncd to no" towards The senate wing Of tue
capitol. Il part VI Inc overflow swept into
the spacious House galleries, filling them with
2 disappointed :t''ttleice TO witness the With
dElwal Vi tlc MISSISSIPPI a.sunion members,
nj Inc passage OF ihs Navy Appropriation
bill, which Sherman BY ekilI!ul n.ancuyering
managed to gct through the House.
air; Seward commenced speaking at twenty
mi1:utcs to one, and CONSUMED over two hours
IN the delivery Of lis discourse. He spoke
slowly, making frequent panses, ,and often with
inucll Fathoa. When he drew his grand pic
turc OF the greatness and glory Of the Union,
and @ tnfn n drew tue dark outlines Of dismein:
bered Republic. grave Senators freely shed
tears, and tue stillncss Of death reigned in the
chamber, as tho vast audience strliucd their
ears aud eyes to CATCH every tone aid gesture.
Tic scele was deeply impressive, as tile great
fna'i. clothed with authority to speak in behalf
OF 4 powerful anti victorious party to the de-
tc1tcH minority who rciused TO submit to tue
popular Ve7a!ct, plead tor the Union, and dc.
p;ct.d f!4e evils nut horrors that would betal
tnnse VINO were madly bcnt On its destruction.
HE Whole diplomatic corps were present
anu a. gave Tue '!ccPest attention 70 every word.
THeh ht :ots.an"d, many ot them anxinusiy
AuIn44-" - ce''i"a7 ~ hA.oM NAetAtE llas
'lc"s "ouiu " aectllet, anu II tue u1lncuity
nouio pau.uao'9 p.9 W ncAlea: lhe toIe't5n mn"
lstets, "i1nout eHccpt'oh, resard The scccs-
slohlsts rs Palpanly III Inc wrong. They eau
see no Jnst or snlac!cht cause 1or the wicked
coursc the Uisunionlsfs arc pursuing; and such
Is inc yefalct ot az clyitlzSd nations. All Eu.
rope declares that the alleged grievances Of
the Shareholders are nnfoundcd. and their dc-
manus lor "tsreat concessions" 1tiljusiltiab.c
aud preposteron6.
but no" WAS thS speech recctycds The
loomi,s and l*iall sShonl OF politicians rid
'cuse It, aud scorniul'y rcpci the proifcred
olive branch, No compromises with the
North, no union with the free States, arc their
!ecItat1ohs. tFlte'dcn says II Will do as Il
i'rst step towards conci!latioli, but there can
" no PEACE until Inc Hepu1llcans give M
thetr prh1cap1es, anu accept Ills Slave codc
prep"st'ons. 1hc rceotlstructlonists, Of the
Annter aud brcekin7idgc school, say there is
no 1Sc ~ 'afhanE ol compromises until after
inc Enlon Is dissolved \ Southern Ctntci-
crazy must trst bc erected When It las
mGue constitution to suit the Shareholders,
then such OF the Tree states rs will aceert such
Constitution will be admitted into the South.
en- Conlcderaey. CFistenden,s slave -eods
compromise Is put forward to tlistr:.ct and d.
vide the North while the work Of disunion is
being carried forward. 1t Is for this b.se pur-
pose the poor, fFaii, old 1nan, now yergiug on
sccoA1 clli1lhood, is pushed forward by LII,
crafty, cunning conspirators.
With all lnoucrate mcn Mr. Scwartl's speech
must produce Happy effect. 1t cannot be
otherwise. Some Of the more radical Kepubll-
cats consider it 3 letting down, and complain,
that if mt an abandonment Of principle, 1t il
tootcmpoTsziny in the fucc Of treason. But
tue majority view it differently. Mr.
Seward being about TO enter the Cabinet, and
believing that civil war is imunine1lt, deter
lnined III behalf Of AEr. Lincoln and the R.41ub-
lican party, to otfrr as liberal Il },rolo.itiou IL
the shareholders, rs could bc done without MI
abdlcation Of cherished principles and be-
trayal Of the rights OF tue free labor ulasscs
lie went tU the utmost verge Of. concession
short oil humiliation and lislouorlble eurren
der. Could he have gone au inch farther with
out abandoning the platform Of his own party
and OF colceding away i ymrt Of thu platform
If the Northern Democracy? He offers the
South faithful observance Of tho Ft,ritiyc
Slave Law, with such notifications Of tie law
Us will not Obiige citizcus awaiust their will to
chase fusitiycs, and rs viii protect free men
from being carried off into slavery, He pro.
poses tho repeal Of all Personal Liberty b;lls
coutrsyeuing the Cons stitutiou or the laws Of
Congress. He properly asks also to have re-
pralcd all Southern police regulations for 11lc
era scancu Of color wh0sr vessels nav touch
Southern ports. As it ia unscruui,lously
charged that the Rcpublicaus intend To inter
terc with Slavery in 1he Statcs. he proposes u
Constitutional ncatlmept tlenyin- ihaf nower
to Congress or States, forever. Uc uroposcs
attyr lie admission Of Kansas. 10 mass cuab|iue
acts admitting ali Inc residue Of thc Territories
in two States. with whatever Constitution they
rlar ato|,t, with provision, if it be constitu-
t;oIa:, FIR future Subdivision Into more Statcs.
lie proposes the construction Of TWO grea. Pa
u -