The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-10-27
Speech of Secretary Seward at Auburn
... tr New York.

80 q NCW IOIk.
New YoRK. Oct. 2l.-Secretary Seward
yesterday delivered an address to the citi
zeDs of Auburn. After congratulatinp the
country upon the return of peace he re-
feired to Andrew johnson, saying, that in
the opening of the Rebellion il was neces
sary that popular leader should arise on
behalf OF the couniry-a man from bor.
der State. stakeholder in practice, but
not in principle. and yet in principle and
association. DemoSrat. Andrew Johnson
with the consent of the whole American peo.
pie, assumed tho great responsibility Pres.
Ident Lincoln announced that slavery
should be treated as a public enemy. An.
drow johnson endorsed the announcement.
The attempts of revolution eliminated
whom our national banner was successfully
repIanted in Tennessee. From that time tho
it was necessary to prosecute tho war with
such energy as the human nature had nev.
or before exercised, it was equally needful
in prosecute the work of restoring tho
Union. The abolition Of slavery was thence
forth equally an element of persistent war
and Of restoring peace. Andrew johnson
was fifty appointed the first of tho Provis.
ional Governors for the prosecution of those
double and diverse purposes Of war and
pence, and was subsequently elected Vice
President, and in the end constitu.ipnally
inaugura,cd President of the United S,stes.
We are continually hearing debates con.
corning the origin and authority of tho plan
OF restoration. New converts, North and
SouIb, cali 1t the Presidents plan. All
speak OF 1t as II 1t were new and recent do
velopment. On the contrary, we now see
plan, nor even new plan In any respect. -
ia thu MIA Sph hirh ahrnpfIv
offered itself To the administration at the
momont whom tho work Of restoration was
to begin. '-.A' t'
This is what meant when said to Mr..
Adams that in the sense 10 which the word
subjugation was used by our enemies il was
not the expectation or purpose of this gov.
ernment that the Southern States should be
subjugated, but that by tho plan adopted
they would be brough. to voluntary re-.
turn to their allegiance The plan there.
fore recognizes not their destruction but
their existence; the absolute resistance of
the States which constitute the Republic, is
tho most palpable of all the facts with
which the American statesman had to deal.
He spoke of the American Union as a sys-
tenn to which tho States were attached as
limbs. and said If limb is broken off II must
be restored to soundnese before the const.
tutiopal health and vigor can be brought
back to tho whole system. If a limb offend.
we can cut It off and cast It away; but by do.
ing So We would be doing what other ma.
tions less wise than ourselves have dore.
that have submitted unnecessarily to ampu.
tation, and given up a material portion of
their strength. Ii to save themselves some
apprehended destruction he argued that the
reconciliation promptly adopted was the
. the wisess course to pursue. Tho plan, he
| said, gives us two great national advances in
| tho progress OF moral and political eIeva-
ton, which arc now to be made fast and
fixed. First it secures a voluntary abolition
of slavery by tho insurrcct;onary States, and
8 secondly an effectual adoption by the late
slave States themselves OF the amendment
\ to the Constitution prohibiting slavery for.
ever in any part Of the United States. To
{ hasten this work of reconciliation. he urged
in the language of the President, ave must
J.. trust each other" As to fears of too much
a lenioney on the part of the President he
8 said: Except those who have been manned
8 or bereaved, who had suffered more OF
wrong, insult and insolence, at the hands OF
, the leaders OF the rebellion than the P-esi.
, dent, and cannot We forget whore we can
0 forgive. His terms Of amnesty are far more
rigorous than those offered BY Abraham
Lincoln Mr.. S. guaranteed fidelity and
0 faithtnIness on the part of Andrew johnson
He bad never 10 his life met O man more
: free from personal caprice or selfish ambi
0 ton, none were moro purely aud excl usiy a.
1 ly moved in public action by love ol
0 country and good will to mankind. -
Mr.. Seward then passed in review tbf