The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-26
Secretary seward's speech at the.
Cooper Institute Meeting I'm New
York City last Thursday Night.
Mr.. Seward said, after few words of

Mr.. Seward said, after few words OF
introduction:
"What shall I speak of or about7-
The call of your meeting specifies the
subject, but firstlet me say, am not
here as an alarmist. i am not here to
say that the nation is in peril or danger
lin peril If you adopt the opinions; in
peril ifyou reject them; in peril If You
adopt the views of the apparentor real
majority of Congress, or if you reject
them. 1t is not in peril any way, nor
nor do / think the cause of liberty
and human freedoms; the cause of pro-
gress, nelioration or civilization; the
cause of national aggrand dizement, pre-
sent or future, material or moral, is IN
danger of being long arrested whether
YOU ndoptone set ofpolitical opinions or
another. The Union, that is to say, the
nation, has been rescued from all Its
perils. The noble ship has passed from
the tempests ana pillows into the verge
of safe harbor, and is now securely
riding into her ancient mooring, with
out broken spar or a leak, starboard
or larboard, fore or aft. There are
some small reefs yet to pass MS she ap-
proaches those moorings. One pilot
says that she may safely enter directly
through them; the other says she must
back, and lowering sail take time to go
around them, That is all the differ
ence; it is merely the difference of opin-
ion between the pilols. should not
exercise practical, nay habitual charity
if Iidid not admit thatI think them
both sincere and honest. But the yes
sci will go in safely one way or the
other. The worst that need happen,
will be that by taking thewrong instead
| of the right passage, or even taking the
right passage, and avoiding the work,
the vessel may roll a little and some
honest, capable and even deserving po-
liticians, statesmen, President or Con-
| gresham may get washed overheard.
I should be sorry for this, butif II cen-
not be helped,it can be borne. If am
one of the unfortunate let no friend be
concerned on that account. AS honest,
as good, as capable politicians, states
men, congressman and Presidents will
make their appearance hereafter faster
| than needed, to command the ship, as
well, and as wisely as any that have
heretofore stalked their hour upon the
decks, in the alterations of calm and
tempest that always attend political
navigation. Nevertheless, although
do not think we are in a crisis, the
question to-day is worthy of deliberate
examination and consideration. The
subject before us is n difference of opin-
| ion, that reveals itself too clearly, be-
tween the President and Congress. The
President, as we all see, is n man of de-
cided convictions. The legislative lead
ders are trying not to coincide with him
in opinion. They have appealed to us
| outsiders to pronounce between them. T
| The speaker then went on to prove
| that there was actually no difference of
importance between the President and
| Congress, however much 1t might seem
otherwise. He said both have got the
! Union restored as originally planned it
should be, without slavery, secession or
compromise-not with freedmen and
| refugees abandoned to suffering and
persecution, but with freedmen employ
| ed in productive and self-sustaining in
4 dustry, and with refugees under the
protection of law and order. The Pres
ident sees that it has come out right at
last, and he accepts the situation. Con-
gress on the other hand, hesitate, delay,
| debate and argue; not because it has not
come out right, but because they have
| not individually had their own wuy in
| bringing it to that happy determine
ton, and apprehend no serious difficult
| ty, from the conviction that there never
was and never can be any successful
| prooooo fol UITv ICotULutfutI or Iue Union
| and harmony among the Suites, except
the ones with which the President has
ayowed dhimselfsatistied. Grant that the
rebellion is dispersed, ended and ex-
hausted-dead even at the root; then 1t
| follows necessarily that the States SOON
er or later must be organized by loyal
men in accordance with the change in
our fundamental law, and resume their.
places in Congress. All the rebel States
but Texas have done Just that thing,
and Texas is doing the same ms fast
as possible. The President is in harmo-
ny1with all the States that were in re-
bellion, and the executive and judicial
departments are rapidly resuming their
functions. Loyal representatives, more
or less, from these States, are standing
at the doors ofCongress, and have been
standing there for three months,t asking
to be admitted to seats which the dis
loyul Representatives had previously
| left. Meanwhile Congress passes law
after law, imposes burden after burden
and duty after duty upon the States
which, against their earnest desire. are
left unrepresented. feel sure that 10y
nj men from the now loyal States, will
sooner or later be admitted into this
Congress, or the next. When this is
done the process of restoration Will be
complete, for that is all that remains to
be. done! The speaker thought that ter
ritorial governments for the seeded
States were perfectly impracticable.-
This was also rejected by Mr.. Lincoln.
Yet what for2y Well, the States are al
ready organized In perfect harmony
with our amended national Constitu1
tion and are in earnest cooperation
with the eralGovernment. 1T isinl-
possible to reduce the States to a terrific
rial condition. Congress has had a Re-,
construction Committee, composed of.
fifteen mem bers, who have stopped the
wheels of Legislation. three months, to.
enable them to stibmit-a plan different
from that which is now on the eve of
happy yiconsummaion. And what have
they given us? One proposed an amend
ment 10 the Constitution to compel the
excluded States to equaliZe suffrage,
upon penalty OF an 'abridgement of rep
resentation. This was no plan of re-
constrnction,b but Obstruction. 3 ~
The resolution which passed the
House Tuesday last directly declares
that loyal representatives shall not be
admitted from loyal States until Con-
gress shall pass a law for that purpose,
which law cannot be enacted without
the Presidents approval, and which
cannot be consistently given in view of
the opinions he is known to entertain.
This resolution lthensis not a plan for
Reconstruction; but for indefinite post
ponement and delay. When the rebel
I'iion began we determined to humble
| the rebels. We have htltnbIed them
and brought them back with .humilia-
tion, and, repentance, suing for re-
storation. The popular voice was that
all members of the family, however
prodigal they had been, would be re-
obstruction then are as Impractical as
think they are vicious; no State can
keep itself out, of the Union or keep
itself in territorial condition under
this Union The States which are in
the Union cannot be taken or kept out
| of their limits. States that are in the
Union cannot keep any States that are
habftually inclined to this experiment.
| 1t hesitated about Michigan and Mis-
| souri,, reeled and staggered over Texas
and California and conyuIsed the ma