The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-05-19
THE TONGUE OF SANDER.

In his bitter speech last week, tC
which reference has already been made
Congressman lngersoll not only lavish
ed vituperation upon the President, but
travelled out of his way to denounce, III
the slang of billingsgate, all who sus-
tain the policy of the Executive. A
mong those who were thus hOnored
with his attentions, was the Secretary
of State This venerable patriot was
stigmatized as &C a traitor to principle, y
and ga worthless apostate."
In the minds of men with whom abuse
passes for argument, and enthusiasm
takes the place of reason, some apology
may be discovered for the employment
of terms like this, in describing a diff
ference of opinion. But in the univer-
sal judgment of decent people, the per-
son who could utter this language in
reference to one so noble and so honored
will be regarded only with Indignation
or contempt.
Mr.. Seward needs no defence from
such assaults. They will glance from
him as harmless arrows from the face Of
an adamantine rock, leaving no trace
even of their passage. His record is his
complete and sufficient vindication, be-
fore the nation and before the world.
He was champion ofliberal ideas when
men who are now:so loudly mouth their
radicalism were training in the ranks of
doughfaces and pro-Slavery adherents.
He led the vanguard of Freedoms adj
vancing army in the dark days of trial,
long before it became popular to pro-
claim adherence to the truth. He first
uttered the grand ideas which have
since become rallying cries of the nation
1t will not do for those who share the
fruits Of his work-who enjoy the hon
ors he made possible-to turn in pigmy
venom against the hand that enriched
them. The magnanimous spirit of the
nation will revolt at their ingratitude
and denounce their baseness as it de-
serves.
To what principle has Mr.. Seward be-
come "Traitor'' From what cause
that has had his able support, has he
apostatized? Is he not to-day, as he
has ever been, a champion of democratic
principles against Capitalization; de-
fender of the perfect unity and unbro-
ken integrity of the States Jealous
and uncompromising advocate ofliberty
in its largest sense, and for the greatest
possible number of his fellow country.
men? Do we not owe to his patriotism
and to his broad craftsmanship, much of
the honorable repute our Republic en-
joys among the nations of the world {?
Have not his counsels in domestic ac-
ton always proved timely and judicious
and his wonderful skill in diplomacy
the safeguard of our peace with foreign |
lands ? When the record of this CON
test shall have passed into history, flu
ture generations will study the State pa
pers of William H. Seward with an adj !
miration that is evoked only by the
master-minds of the ages; and long af |
ter such detractors as Ingersoll, Phillips
and the mongrel pack" Tray, Blauche
and SWeetha cart" who bark at his heels |
have passed into a merited oblivion, he |
will be freshly remembered as among
the noblest and most illustrious of the |
mighty men who have been nurtured in
the atmosphere of American freedom
Perhaps there is base ambition at
the bottom of this SANDER. When a
fanatic was arrested for seeking the life
of the Great Emperor, he declared it
was his part to be remembered in con-
nection with so illnstrious name. And |
the Congressional nonentity who ran
sacks his vocabulary of epithet to befoul
the purest statesmen in America, may
venture to hope that he shall escape an
otherwise inevitable obscurity, by the
memory of his audacious and infamous
assault. -A7b0,ey EUening Journal