Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-11-02
SECRETARY Stewards SPEECH AT
AURTRN.
He Defines HIS Position.


Secretary Seward addressed large aliience
al Auburn, n. Y, on Saturday. After a
lengthy review If the cveR.S OF the pas: Tour
years, Mr.. Seward reyie we'd tae presidential
contest of 1-6l an -hC%ed ths wisdom of ak
iLg The old Nortn'rr Whik LLeJln, aui the
old Southern democrat, jCinsun. Lstive aos.
ulity, however, lie said, had asrdiy ended be-
fore there appeared p0r.sntoBs con- c. OF
popular ideas and opinions conc rniag the
proper conditions Of pace and reconcile ltion
ana these ideas and Opinions hcC relation IA
the sO-called reconstruction of the Safe GOV
ernmsnts IN the rebel states. He descri ba,i "a
various forms and plans TO- Recommendation
an0 compared tIe cOnditlCl OF The Country
with thai 81 y anCe after the rev, Ia ION D. ~
whrcn gave way to military desporism
lie sre2ker taen eUlJgized the lac res;ieat
Lincoln, ana reviewed his adm n.strstior and
the succession OF Johnson. The latter ne sad
In addressing himself to the holy wor, Of "a.
uOnai -oncIli;ion, proceeded With due de-. ~
eiatiOn and with frmness and ytvo- =,
Seward defended President Jonnson'e poiicy
ofrecons r1ctIon at great length. claitniHg n n
IL was following merely the footsteps Of In.
coin, and consisted simply IN openiu- tn
easiest, shortest ana safest Wav for raturn n IN
the national family of the people Of the South
EN- SAFES, who now rePenteG for their al
mpted separation.
lie attacked violently the Tadi al plan OF re-
construction as proposed by Congress, ard d..
HOunctu the Impeachment PROJECT. /. was not
Ms purpose 10 yInCica.s sha part h took in
these proceedings. He said: l simply say, that
as stood ny the wise and magnanimOus pcli-
cy Of the lale President Lincoln in hIs life, [
nave adhered 10 That same policy siuce HI
mortal remains We're committed to an un;ine-
~ grave. and have adhered with equal fiiei-
lty 10 his constitutional successor.
81 much, nv friends. for Tia past. What for
the future! The cry Is frantically uttered by
all parties, LET us have peace" VIVA doe
the country need in view of the painful si;Ga-
ton! L answer my own question. II needs
Just what 1t needed in ic65-the admi-s ION OF
loyal representatives, from tbs tate rebel States
Congress. a m a
our hands, no more: but IL belongs 10 the pPO-
pie of those States Jast as much "a IL belongs 10
TIE people or this State to say whether they
shall live under one form OF republican gov
eminent or another. j do not ask or require
that representatives here governors there
shall De white or black, or mixed L insist only
that they shall De representative men, freely
chosen III those Staes by the people them
selves, not by outside cOmpu!5Iou or dicta-
ton.
1 shall To. take the sword into nv hand or
put Al INTO the hand OF any other person to IF.
fec reform by force III those States, 1gfsrs in
which, am sure, il will effect much sooner
and much mO-e permanently through tae ex.
erclSe of persuasion and reason. AS little do
L think II my duty O. use The sword to uu ~ or
remove wha' las already been done in those
states, Whe ther 1, was necessarily done. or Un-
LeceSsaTlly and uawISely done. Ambitions OF
parties and chiefs must come 10 rest with the
Close of this electisa, aud calmness and iran
qnlllIy must sooner or ltter resume their sway
OF the public mind.
j; is possible that the dilemma of reconciIla-
ton may continue unsOived, and may require
the attention OF the Eew administration. is
IN this respect that 1 deem the present choice
OF a future chief magistrate not mPI Fly import
ant, Dat, perhaps. critically 50, as tle last two
choices were So One consideration alone j.
sufficient TO delermne my Judgment in this
emergency. i cannot forget tuat The civil WIZ
has closed with two great achievements. tn
one, SAVING OF the Integrity OF the Union, the
other. the abolition IF African slavery. The
magistrates WHO are 10 preside ia the work Of
reconstruction hereafter ought lax .hose who
have preceded ia former stages OF thlt work.
% be men Drawn from and representing that
class Of citizens who maintained the Govern
men IL lis prosecution of civil war 1Gd Ia tha
abolition Of slavery. In no . ler hands could
tie work OF reconciliation b. expected TO be
successful
The atn;ude ct each Of the political ne-ties
IN this canvass IS different from - - 4 myself
could have desired. Very greSt crimes have
been committed IN the Lame OF I,b-rty by The
RrpurICdu patty neyeTth eless the R-pabli.
CJI par V neither rests untjyT Inv suspicion II
it~ 10y atty or ITS devotion TO human freedom
nor can Il tall under any such suspicion. The
D-mOcTStic party, L 90 not now propose 20 say
with bow much justice, hIs not con tucte1
ITSELF IN its corporate and resp SibIa Ctlon a.
20 secure the entire confidence OF loyal people
IN i-s conditional and uucorl promising ad-
a renee 10 The Cnion. or ia rs acceptance and
approval OF the effective abolition OF slavery
i y CCnhde the responsibility OF the Govern
In1ut 10 the D-mOcra,ic party III the present
condition would BE- 20 continue. and, pFrhaps
increase the lam utIb,e polite excitsIn
v hlch alone has DELAYED The cOniEle restora-
ton OF toe Union mp - the present zine IRE
r-~Lit OF he election, II favorable - tn caudi-
cate OF cur choice. viii prepare the popular
mind u expect now what II has herrt1t re Ie-
leCted-nameiy. the most practicable and easy
solution OF the IA ioBaI eInbarrdssmenls
Mr. Seward ended bv S-lt,Tg throughout his
lie. he had been an adyocG-e Of universal snf-
1ISIe t1T exile, sUll-raGt aud slave, AMI had
EIFru 70 those classes the sE1pO't aLi p9tGOu-
''En watch me con :ll"tiou permits and allows.