The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-10-28
Important Speech OF srr. Seward.

SOUTH.
Secretary Seward made very i'm
poriant speech Il Aubc-z, Eow York, last
Friday. It is Of the highest Importance to
the people OF the South, showing, as it
does, the policy which the Government in
tends pursuing towards the South. He
showed that the Administration intends to
set the South upon its feet. He said:
If, at any time, the American Union is
fractured through leison Of one Of its
ness before the constitutional health and
vigor can be brought back to the old sys-
tenn. If one Of these limbs offend, we have
the power-and I will not cavil about the
right-to cut it off and cast it away from
US; but when we shall have done that, we
would have then done just what other na-
tions less wise than ourselves have done.
that have submitted unnecessarily to am
putatlon, and given up a material portion
of their strength, to save themselves from
apprehended destruction. We know the
inherent strength, vitality and vigor of the
sionateiy torment any offending limb, nor
consent to its being cut off, because we
know that all Of our limbs are capable of
being restored. ard all arc necessary to
the prolongation of our national life. You
will ask whether 4 reconciliation which
follows go closely upon military coercion
can be relied upon-can it be sincere-oan
it be permanent? answer, do You admit
separation to be in any way possible? Does
anybody now believe that it ever will here
after become possible? Will you yourselves
now OF ever consent to it? You answer all
these questions in the negative. Is not re-
Cancellation, not only >icsira BILE, but impe-
raHve? Is any other reconciliation, under
the circumstances, possible? Certainly YOU
must accept this proposed reconciliation,
DnrDnSc nd
until you can procure & better one. Good
| surgery requires that even simple frac-
lures, much more compound ones, shall
be healed, if possible, at the first intention.
Would not delay necessarily prolong an
archy? Are you sure shat YOU can procure
| better reconciliation after prolonged an
archy, without employing force? WHO viii
advocate the employment of force merely
| to hinder and delay, through prolonged an
archy, q reconciliation which is feasible
! ton: In what part of the Constitution IS
written the power to continue civ! war
against succumDinS States FOR ultimate
political triumph? What would this be but,
IN fact, to lnstitute a new civil war, after
one had ended with the complete attain
ment Of the lawful objects for which it was
wagcd: Congress and the Administration
have power 10 levy waHs against foreign
States for whatever cause they see fl.
Congress and the President have q right
!
part OF the people of the United States
| only under their limited power to suppress
sedition and insurrection, and for that
purpose only. What then? Must we give
up the hope OF further elevation of classes
in the several States without anv new guar
antee for individual liberty and progress?
BY no means. Marching in this path Of
progress and elevation Of masses is what
We have been doing always III the season
OF peace, and what we have been doing
stu more eifectually in the prosecution Of
the war 1t Is national march, as on
ward and irresistible as tAc late conflict
between free and slave labor was vigorous
and irrepressible. The plan Of reconcilia-
ton we arc pursuing has given US two great
national advances in this progress of moral
be made fast and firmly fixed. First-it
secures a voluntary abolition Of slavery by
every State which has engaged in insur-
rection; and secondly-it must secure, and
does secure, an efectual adoption by the
late slave States themselves Of the amend
ment Of the Federal Constitution, which
declare that neither slavery nor involun-
tary servltude, except for crime. shall ever
hereafter exist i'll any part OF the United
States.
TIE POSITION OF THE STATES
He neither reads history with care nor
studies the ways Of Providence with rcve-
renee, who does not see that, for the prose
cution Of these double, diverse and vet
equally important purposes Of war aud
peace, Andrew Johnson was 1itly appointed
TO be n Provisional Governor in Tennessee
the first Of e series Of Provisional Go
vernors afterwsrd to be assigned to the in
surrectionary States, and was subsequently
elected vice.President, and, in the end,
constitutionaly inaugurated President OF
the United States. We are continually
hearing debates concerning the origin and
authority Of the plan OF restoration. New
converts, North and South call it the Pre-
= new and nd recent % Sevelonment ~ On "I,e tbe
contrary, We now see that it is not specially
Andrew Johnson's plan, nor even . new
plan in any respect. 1t is Lte plan which
abruptly, yet distinctly, offered itself to the
last administration, at the moment have
before recalled, when the work of restora-