The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-10-25
DR.. BrOWnsOn,s Impressions OF Mr..
Seward.

OF Mr.. Seward, the Secretary of State we
speak with great reluctance, and with some re-
serve, for we may not be as unprejudiced aud
impartial as we could wish. We have never
been personally attached to him, and have near.
ly always been politically opposed to him ever
since he entered public life as National Repub.
lican and Anti-Mason, under the auspices of Mr..
Thurlow Weed. We never sympath;zed with
him in his National Republicanism, although we
supported Mr.. Adams in opposition to General
Jackson, In his political Anti-Masonry, in his
Whiggism, or even in his sort of Republication.
We have never regarded him as statesman, land
have looked upon him merely as a clever and
successful politician. Clever he must have been,
or be could never have built up go wide repu-
tation on so narrow foundation as he received
from nature: successful, too be must have been,
for he has been Governor of the State of New
York, United States Senator, and is now Secre-
tary of State in Mr.. Lncoln's Administration
He is fine rhetoIician, superb phrase .monger,
almost equal to Lamartine, though far from be-
ing that Frenchnan's equal elocusionist.
Like all willy politicians who rely on their
adrotness and dexterity for carrying their points,
the Secretary lacks nerve, back -boue, high cour.
age, and firm and generous resolve. His facu-
ties avail him least when the danger be tries to
meet is greatest. And, perhaps, no man could
have been selected less fitted by constitution and
temperament TO meet eucn national Crisis IS
has been brought on by Southern Secession
When the public expected from him. in the
Winter of ls6O-6l, in his place in the Senate,
speech that should defy or overwhelm the South.
ern disorganizers, and give strength and courage
to all loyal hearts, he amused US with an elabO-
rately written essay, worthy of clever sophie
more, on the beauties and grandeur of the Union
and the impossibility of dissolving it, although
he knew, or ought to have known, that it was
already dissolved, and the question before hin
was on its restoration. He qualed before the
Masons the Slidels, the Toembses aud the Wig.
falls and evidently showed the white feather
By sort of common consent of the country, be
had been looked upon as the representative man
| of the Republican party and We read at the time,
in his potroonery, in bis weakness, HE trembling
before the enemy the disasters aud failures which
have since followed the national cause, ard gave
expression to our dependency in this Review,
for April, 1861. II we have hoped since, it has
been because we discovered spirit and pat
riotism in the people, and a generous forgetfu
ness OF party distinctions On the part Of many Of
the old Democratic leaders, especially among
! those who had the most strenuousy opposed
| Abolitionism, end been the most favorable 10 the
| South, thaG we had not looked for. We trusted
that the accession of these would give courage
| to the Administration, and strengthen its back.
bone. But we have seen all along in Mr.. Sew.
ards weakness and moral cowardce, grave
danger to the national cause, which is not yet
| averted