The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-24
IMPORTANT SPEECH OF MR. SEWARD.

Tie press. ..
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IMPORTANT SPEECH OF MR.. SEWARD.
On Friday last the Secretary of State
of the United States, Mr.. VIM. Fl. Sew
ard, reached his home at Auburn, New
York. His neighbors went out to meet
him, and to greet their chief man. The
Rev. DR.. Hawley made formal address,
and to this the Secretary responded at
some length. After due allusion to home
associations, he branched out upon pub
lie subjects. He discussed the question
of reconstruction, and asserted that the
| administration plan recognises not the
| destruction, nor even the subvcrsion OF
States, but their active existence and il
reasons from facts as they are, not from
assumed or possible changes to be effect
ed by continual war, much less does il
reason from mere chimeras. This abso-
lutte existence of the States which con-
stitute the republic is the most palpable
of all the facts with which the Ameri-
can statesman has to deal. If many
have stumbled over it into treason and
rebellion, the fact, for all legitimate de-
auctions and purposes, nevertheless re-
mains. If, saidhe, at any time the AM
erican Union is fractured through le-
sion Of one of her limbs, that limb must
be restored to soundness before due con-
stitutional health and vigor can be
brought back to the whole system. If
one of these limbs offend, we have in
deed the power-no one will cavil
about the right-to cut it off and cast it
away from us but when we should have
done that, we would have then done
just what other nations less wise than
ourselves have done, that have submit
ted unnecessarily to amputation, and
given up material portion of their
strength, to save themselves from appre-
hended destruction. We know the in
herent strength, vitality and vigor of
the whole American people. We Meth
er passionately torment any offending
limb, nor consent to its being cut off.
because we know that all of our limbs
are capable of being restored, and all are
necessary to the prolongation of our ma
tional life. Mr.. Seward now reached
point of universal interest, the prospects
1of permanent reconciliation. As this
portion of the Auburn address is con-
densed, we give it entire in Mr.. Stewards
own words: .tT H
You will ask whether reconciliation
which follows so closely upon military
coercion can be relied upon. Can it be
sincere? Can it be permanent? | an
swer, do you admit separation to be in
any case possible? Does anybody now
believe that it ever will hereafter be-
come possible? Will you yourselves |
now or ever consent to it? You answer |
all these questions in the negative. Is
not reconciliation then, not only desira-
BILE, but imperative? Is any other re-
under the circumstances,
possible? Certainly you must accept |
this proposed reconciliation, or you |
must purpose to delay and wait until you |
can procure a better one. Good surgery |
requires that even simple fractures, much |
more compound ones, shall be healed, if |
possible, at the first intension. Would |
not delay necessarily prolong anarchy?
Are you sure that you can procure bet |
ter reconciliation after prolonged an
archy, without employing force? Who |
will advocate the employment of force |
merely to hinder and delay. through |
prolonged anarchy, q reconciliation |
which is feasible and perfectly consistent |
with the Constitution ? In what part |
Of the Constitution is written the power |
to continuecivil war against succumbing |
States for ultimate political triumph ? |
What would this be but, in fact, to in
stitute new civil war, after one had
ended with the complete attainment of
the lawful objects for. which it was
waged. ..
Congress and the administration have
power to levy wars against foreign States
for whatever cause they sec fit. Con-
gress and the President have right to
accept or even make war against any
part OF the people of the United States
only under their limited power to sum- II
press sedltion and Instruction, and for
that purpose only. What then? Must
we give up the hope of further elevation
If classes in the several States without
my new guarantees for individual lib
,rty and progress? BY no means
in this path of progress and
deviation of masses is what we have
,een doing always in the season of !
,eace. and what we have been doing still
more effactually in the prosecution of !
he war. 1t is national march az on
ward and irresistible az the late conflict
'etween free and slave labor was vigor-
us and irrepressible. Enthusiastic APP /
'lause. .-.,H '. t--
The plan of reconciliation we are pur- .
uing has given us two great national
dyances in this progress of moral and
'olitical elevation, which are now to be {
made fast and firmly fixed. First, it
ecures voluntary abolition of slavery
y every State which has engaged in in
direction ; and secondly, Unjust secure {