The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-09-04
A Sharp Rebuke Gracefully Admins
tered.
Letter from Hon. VIM. II. Se,card to
Partisan Politician.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington August IL, 1852.
To J. w. Hughs, Headquarters Of the Democratic
State Central Committee Of PennsY lv ania, Phil
adelphia
DEAR SIR: 1 have had the honor of
receiving your letter of the 14th inst.
together with the three papers to which
1t refers-two of them being appeals,
written by yourself, and endorsed by
the Democratic State Central Com
mittee, to the Democrats, and all other
friends of the Constitution, of Penn
sylvania the other being call for a
mass meeting of the citizens OF Phil
adelphia, the object of which meeting
will be to express a firm purpose TO
stand by the maintenance of the Ma
tional Constitution, with devotion to
the American Union; and further, to
declare hostility to the policy and meas
ures of all who seek TO prostitute the
country TO the purposes of Abolition
ism, and formally TO express the inten-
ton of the Democratic party to do as
it has always hitherto done-namely,
to support the Federal Government Ill
the exercise of its constitutional power,
and to defend il, at whatever peril,
against the insidious and reasonable
teachings of Abolitionists. You tell
me that some influential journals, con-
Quoted by political friends of mine,
censure one of these papers as treason
able, and that the others are conceived
in the same spirit with the one that is
30 hardly judged. You desire me to
read them and weigh them for myself
You further intimate hope that the
perusal of the papers will have thy
effect of producing exertions on my
part to induce the President to favor a
policy TO put down the demon of Abo-
thus submitted to me, with a high re-
spect for the authority by which they
were issued, and with full confidence
in the sincerity of the devotion tn the
Union, which, as their author, you have
avowed. You will allow me to say
that this nation is now engaged. not
in a political canvass between oppsing
parties about questions of civil admin
istration, but in civil war, carriad on
by opposing armies, on an issue OF ma
tional life or death. If the revolution
prevails, there will be no questions of
administration left TO settle if it fail,
there will be time enough left to settle
all such questions. / am not to dictate
q course for others TO pursue in this
crisis, but / must say for myself, that
neither as public officer nor az citi
Il fax- 6,cfa
parties among the supporters of the
United States, any more than can make
a distinction between sections which
unite in aiding the rebellion. A nation
like an individual, can do only one
thing effectively at one time. Itcanuot
wisely turn aside from the chase of the
fearful demon of disunion to pursue
any inferior demon, whether imagin
airy or real. think that the wrangle.
which occurred among the Crusaders
about their respective creeds, when
they sat down TO the siege of Jerusa
lem, were just as rational and just as
wise as the disputes about Abolition
would be now in the army Of the Poto
mac in front of Richmond. What i,
unwise in the camp at such moment
cannot be wise in the Cabinet or In tn,
assemblies of the people. lam occupied
here either in meditating between
differing parties and jealous sects, o1
else in watching and counteracting thu
intrigues of traitors in Europe. Bn
] sometimes think that if, instead o
being charged with these duties, / were
at liberty, as you seem to he, to serve
the country in my own way, could
make an appeal to Democrats, Repub
licans, Abolitionists and Shareholders
in behalf Of our distracted country
that would bring the whole people a
once under arms, and send treason real
ing back into the den of darkness
from whence it sprang. do not know
how this would be; but i do know
that if were in your place, | shoul'
try it. l am very respectfully, you
obediPnt servant.
lSignedl WILLIAM H. SEWARD.