American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-06-20
Mr., Seward ON the Need of the
Nation.

on tHe Government oil the Unlted otates.
We have received FROM that gentleman,
under his frank, generally supposed to
cover official business, and to be lawfully
used for that purpose alone, a neatly-exe-
cuted pamphlet containing Mr. Stewards
last Auburn speech, and though the
print has suspicious look of the Govern
ment printing-house weshall keep it.
even at the expense of encouraging the
pious error that our income tax is levied
to publish and distribute Mr.. Stewards
personal out-givings. I'VE shall do so,
for, the purpose of calling attention to
these few sentences which occur on page
aiHe, and contain the substance of the
whole speech: aaf
"What, then, does the nation need 7
1t needs just what have dwelt upon so
much and SO earnestly IN these remarks (;
IL needs reconciliation, and just now
needs nothing more. 1t needs, moreover,
only very little of this 1t needs re.
conciliation between the Senators of the
| United States who are now acting and
those senators who, being loyal and quail.
flied for membership OF the Senate, have
been already, or may hetosfter be, elected
by the people of the several States which
were lately involved in the rebellion 1t
needs reconciliation OF, the same kind
be,ween the members of the House of
Representatives who are now acting and
loyal members already elected, or to be
elected, by the people in the same before
mentioned States Ii needs just this
Congressional reconciliation, and nothing
more
it seems to us that this is very grave
mistake. Doubtless the nation needs re.
Cancellation. But of what OF the pas
sions war usually cngenders ? They can
hardly be said to exist in the North; and
the people Of the north, who, whether
we regard their numbers, strength, fidel-
! ity to the national Institutions, or hope
aud faith in national future, really are
iuS hutlOu. uSSA w iSVoHOlhatiVhs viii
the people OF the South, because, prac-
tically, they abhor no hatred toward them.
Nor is it fair to say that there is need that
our actual members of Congress need a
reconciliation with those who clui.n to be
members of Congress, and are not from
| the Southern States. Such men as Sem
ators Fessenden, Trumbull, and Sherman
have no bad feelings, and represent none,
towards such men as Marvin, of Florida,
or his constituents Messrs. Boutwell,,
Conkling, Washbarne, Wilson, of the
House, have no quarrel, and want none,
with Maynard or with Stokes-whom a
Democratic paper with characteristic
courtesy, calls the "ribboned OK of the
Radicals"-nor can there be any quarrel
between the people of the North and those
who sent Messrs. Maynard and Stokes to
| Washington.
What the country needs is something
which Mr. Seward very gayly. but eu
tirely ignorcs-the reconciliation OF the
conflict between 'two radically different
political systems" which he declared In
1858 to be impossible, and which has
proved itself SO by bringing about the
late var, and by defying the unstinted
pardons of the President and the most
powerful sedatives of the Secretary of
State. That these conflicting systems,
in their distinctive principles, still exist,
is plain from what Mr. Seward himself
said about their results. Where one pre-.
walls, an aristocratic railing class is the
sure accompaniment where the other
prevails, universal suffrage obtainss and
the State inevitably becomes, sooner or
later,. a republic or democracy" In
the Southern States "lately involved in
the rebellion" the system recognized by
Mr.. Johnson and his Secretary Includes
and, indeed, is controlled by an arlsto
cratic ruling class principally distinguish
ell for their vioieuce during he rebellion,
and their defiant opposition to the pfin
clples OF republican government siuce. -
The system, on the other hand wi'ch the
large BODY OF intelligent ana ceu5cien
tious Republicans in he North wish to
prevail, Involves unTersel, or, @hat IS a
better phase Of the same princils inI
Partial Suffrage, and seeks the establish
ment of true republic.
1t is the conaicG between these two nat
must have reconciliation and though We
believe a man has right Ia i republican
government to change MS niud tor tie
better, Mr.. Seward was s3nn,cb sounder
10 1853 than lie IS in 1856 that sc use
words of his spoken iheu.to how ne in
calcuabie aud inherent supef rity u the
system of freedom over the system which,
in all its forms, Is essentially the system
of slavery Contrasting the two, he said
OF the former: at opens all the tields
of industrial employment and all the de-
partments OF authority 10 the unchecked
and equal rivalry Of all classes Of men
and at once secures universal contentmeul,
and brings into the highest possible aeuv-
ity all the physical, moral, and social ear
ergies of the whole State Does Mr..
Seward now hope for any better kind Of
peace thanis thus prom sed2 He pleaded,
then, thatithe principle "conforms to the
divine law Of equality which is written