The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-08-30
found respect due your high personal
and official character.
5-.... Il. w. HUGHES.
RESPONSE OF SECRETARY SEWARD.
DEpARrMrNr or SrArr
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, '62.

DEFAhlMENI OF STATE, I
WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, '62.
To F. W. Hughes, Esq. Headquarters
Of tia Democratic State Centrai Com
m,ttee of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia:
DEAR SIR Il have had the honor of
receiving your letter of the Nth inst. i,
together with the three papers to which
it refers, two of them being appeals
wri ten by yourself, and addressed by
the Democratic S ate Cen raj Committee
6 to The Democrats and all her friends
of the Cons u ion in Pennsylvania, ;"
and tue other being call for mass
meeting Of the citizens of Philadelphia,
the objects of which meeting will be "to
express firm purpose to stand by the
maintenance of the National Constitu-
ton with devotions to the American
Cnion.' and, further, "to declare hos
,iiity to the policy and measures of all
who seek to prostitute the country to
the purposes Of A5olitiohism, and form
ally to express the intention of the
Democratic party to do as il has always
hitherto done, namely, to support the
Federal Government in the exercise of
its constitutional power, and to defend
it, at whatever peril, against the msid-
GUS and reasonable teachings of Adolf
tionis.s."
You tell me that some influential
journals, conducted by political friends
of mine, censure one of these papers as
reasonable, and that the others are con-
ceived in the same spirit with the one
which is so harshly judged. You desire
me to read them and weigh them for
myself. You further intimate hope
that the pcrusal of the papers will have
the effect of producing exertlons on my
part to induce the President to favor a
policy to put down the demon of Adolf
tionism.
l have read the documents thus sub
mi ted to me, with a high respect for
the authority by which they were issued,
and with full confidence in the SINGER
ity of The devotion to the Uuion which,
as their author, you have avoved.
You will allow me to say that this
nation is now engaged. not in a political
canvass between opposing parties about
questions of civil administra ion, but in
civil war, carried on by opposing
armies on an issue of national life or
death.
If the revolution prevail there will be
no ques IONS Of administration left to
settle. If it fall there will be time
enough to settle al! such ques ions.
am not to die ate course for others
to pursue in this crisis. But must saw
for myself, that neither as a public Off
Ger, nor as citizen, can l know, with
favor or dlsfavor, parties among the sup
por;ers of the United s ates, any more
than | can make distinction between
fac ions which unite in aiding the rebel
hon.
A ma ion, like an individual, can do
only one thing effectually At one time
1t cannot wisely turn aside from the
chase of the fearful Demon of Disunion,
to pursue any inferior demon, whether
imaginary or real.
l think that the wrangles which
occurred among the Crusaders about
their respective creeds, when they sat
down to the siege of Jerusalem, were
just as wise as dispu es about Abolition
would now be in the army of the Poto-
mac in front of Richmond. What is
unwise in the camp at such moment
canno. be wise in the Ca5ine. or in the
assemblies of the people.
l am occupied here either in mediat-
ing between different parties and jealous
sects, or else in wa ching and counter.
acting the intrigucs of traitors in
Europe. But sometimes think that if,
ins cad of being charged with these
duties, were at liberty, as you seem to
be, to serve the country in my own way,
l could make an appeal to Democrats
and Republicans, Abolitionists and
Shareholders, in behalf of our distracted
country, that would bring the whole
people at once under aims, and send
treason Keeling back into the den of
darkness from whence it sprung. do
not know how this would be, but l do
know that if l were in your place, l
should try.
am, very respectfully,
i