The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-08-28
NUMBER 40.
VIM. III. Seward 10 H. w. Hughes
---GOOd Advice.

The following is a response of the Sec
retary of State, Mr.. Seward, to a letter
from E. w. Hughes, Chairman of the
Democratic State Central Committee, of
Pennsylvania, which explains itself:
Department Of STATE, Washington, Aug
ust 10.-To f. w. Hughes, Headquarters
of the Democratic State Central Commit
tee of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia-De
Sir: l have had the honor of receiving
your letter Of the 18th inst, together With
the three papers to which it refers, two
of them being appeals written by yourself,
and addressed by the Democratic State
Central Committee to the Democrats and
all other friends of the Constitution, of
Pennsylvania, and the other being a call
for mass meeting of the citizens of Phil
adelphia, the objects of which meeting
will be to express a frmer purpose to
stand by the maintenance of the national
Constitution, with devotion to the Amer
lean Union and further to declare hostil-
ity to the policy and measures of all who
seek to prostitute the country to the
purposes of abolitionism, and formally to
express the intention of the Democratic
party to do, as it has hitherto done, name
| ly: TO support the Federal Government in
the exercise of its constitutional power,
and to defend it, at whatever peril, against
the lnsidious and reasonable teachings of
abolitionists. You tell me that some
influential journals, conducted by political
friends OF mine, censure one of these pa
pers as reasonable, and that the others
are conceived in the same spirit as the one
| Which ic W.,
| me- to read them and weigh them for
| myself. You further intimate a hope
that the pcrusal Of the papers will have
| the effect Of producing exertions on my
| part to induce the President TO favor a
policy to put down the demon of aboli-
tionism
have read the documents, thus submit
ted to me, with high respect for tho
authority by which they were issued, and
with a full confidence in the sincerity of
| their devotion to the Union, which, as
their author, you have avewed. You will
allow me to say that this nation is now
engaged not in political canvass between
opposing parties about questions of civil
administration, but in civil war, carried ON
by opposing armies, on an issue of nation
al life or death If the revolution prevails
there will be no question of administration
left to settle. If it fail there will be time
enough to settle all such questions. l am
not to DICTATE course for others TO pursue
in this crisis, but | must say for myself
that neither as public officer nor as a
citizen can | know with favor or disfavor,
parties among the supporters of the United
States, any more than | can make dis
tinction between factions which unite in
aiding the rebellion. A nation, like an
individual, can do only Que thing effectu-
ally at one time 1t cannot wisely turn
aside from the chase of the fearful demon
of Glsunlon to pursue any inferior demon
whether Imaginary or real. / think that
the wrangles which occurred among the
Crusaders about their respective creeds,
when they sat down 20 the siege of Jeru-
salem, were just as rational and just as
wise as disputes about abolition would be
now in the army of the Potomac in front
of Richmond. What is unwise in the
camp at such a moment, cannot be wise in
the cabinet or In the assemblies of the
people. L am occupied here either In
mediating between different parties and
jealous sects, or else in watching and
counteracting the intrigues of traitors in
Europe; but | sometimes think that if
instead of being charged with these duties,
L were at liberty, as you seem to be, to
serve the country in my own way, could
make an appeal to Democrats and Repub-
licans, abolitionists and shareholders, on
behalf of our distracted country, that
would bring the whole country at once
under arms, and send treason reeling back
into the den of darkness from whence it
sprung. do not know how this would
be, but do know that if / were in your
place | should try.
am, very respectfully, your obedient
servant, WILLIAM III. SEWARD.