Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-03-27
SECRETARY sEWARD,s SPEECH
AT THE COOPER INSTITUTE, ON THE EVEN.
ING OF FEBRUARY 22 1866.


history is that of statesman who has out
lived his usefulness. A people may well re
gard itself in peril when the vision of tn
chief pilot on the ship of State has grow
dim, when his hand has become too veal
to control the helm
Mr.. Seward declares, at the outset, tina
the nation is safe yet there is no evidenc
in his speech that lie fully comprehend
what nation, State, means 1t is not al
aggregation of individuals, fortuitous col
lection OF men, women and children, still
less is it territory, a certain defined nor
tion of the earth's surface. A nation is al
idea, principle, dominant thought-cal
it what you will-that has collected abou
itself individuals, assimilating them by il
vital force, making Of them an organi,
whole, constituting them people. Thert
was Grecian people, a Roman people
there is no longer "A Grecian people or a Ro
man people, although either peninsula is to
day, as of old, trod by men, and bathet
with the sunny waters of the Mediterranean
England is now a nation, where the fair
haired barbarian shrank from conflict will
the grim Roman legions. France is a ma
ton, where Caesar conquered the Gaul.-
The same sun shines there, the same ocean
roars there, the same soil nourished the oak
or grows the vine there as two thousand
years ago. A British idea has grown with
the good growth of time, informing the
minds of men, and building on those ocean.
girt isles a British people, A French idea
has shaped itself with the ages, has fashion.
ed one of the most civilized peoples of the
earth, Transforming the rude Gaul, making
a garden and vineyard of the forest that
echoed with the tramp of legions. Nations
appear, flourish and disappear with the
bright maturity and decay of great organic
ing ideas.
We, too, are nation by virtue of some
great ruling idea, some great principle that
dominates minds, binds us to common cen
tire, give us a congregate organic life; in
short, makes us people. Now, what is
this ruling idea, this dominant principle?
1t is nothing less than regulated liberty
liberty defined and guarded by law. The
grandest idea that has yet organized itself in
the spirits of men, growing in an ample
field with tremendous vigor, attracting 10
itself, from afar, the best minds and hearts
of the world This alone gives us our vital
unity; tins alone constitutes us State, u
distinct people on the earth. This liberty
is defined by written constitutions, guarded
by codes wiser and clearer than the code of
Justinian. The American citizen has the
liberty to build his own church, to erect his
own school-house, to plough his own land,
sail his own ship, to sell his own merchan-
disc, to plead his own cause, to preach his
own gospel, provided he does not interfere
with the like liberty of his neighbor Here,
for the first time in history, the liberty of no
one is. restricted by the prerogatives OF a
reigning family or the privileges of classes.
The soil not owned by hereditary nobility
as in England. 1t is owned by millions of
families, who steady and control the nation.
No tax is levied or paid for the support of a
state Church. The masses here eat the
fruit of their own industry; they do not pay
the greater part in tithes to the privileged
few. We elect our own rulers and through
our own representatives enact our own laws.
We raise our own armies and fight our own
battles. No people on earth has sharper
instinct of its own life principle, of its own
yitaizing idea, or guards it with quicker
Jealousy, or defends it with a tougher fight.
Let us not confound this regulated liberty
with an abstract equality. Liberty may be
defined equality in rights 1t is the only
meaning of ''free and equal" Aside from
this, there is no equality in the universe
No two men are equal in strength, intellect,
learning, goodness, beauty, will, or anything
else, save rights. Races are no more equal
than individuals. Tho Chinese are by no
means equal to the English. The natives of
Mexico were by no means equal to the Span
ish followers of fernando Cortes. The
black African is very much inferior to the
civilized American. Yet il by no means
follows that, ON account of inieriOrity, the
Chinese should be compelled to trade at the
cannon's mouth, that the AIexicans should
be cnslavcd or in any way wronged.
In the light of this great historic truth, it
is very easy to see that war is conflict of
ideas, not an outburst of blind antagonsm
between masses of men, A people has
sure instinct of selfpreservation and resists
to the death any encroachment upon the
principle that constitutes its organic exis-
tence. All the great wars of the world ex-
emplity this pregnant fact.
All along the ages, idea has contended
with idea. The ways of Providence are
vindicated, the progress of humanity is at
tested, from the fact that the better, the no
bier the purer idea, has always conquered,
organizing in the march OF time better,
nobler purer society.
Every attempted revolution in State is
the effort of a new idea, n new principle, TO
usurp the place of the idea, the principle,
that has hitherto been the soul of that State.
The great conflict through which we have
just passed is no exception to this rule. In
order to appreciate its real importance, we
must seek for the new idea, the new princi-
pie, that has risen up against our great ma
tionul principle of equal liberty for all.-Dr.
0. ". Wtght, Neo Albaay, hdiaaa
~-N-%<-~
RAILROAD cASE--PAsSENGERs MUST
MAKE CHANGE.
Justice Daniels has just non.suted party
in court at Buffalo in attempting to recover
damages Of the Central Railroad Company
for being elected from tram Of cars. The
plaintiff was William Kingscotl who, in