The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-10-14

wn, HENRY SEWARD.
y,on tho Cincinnati Commercially

have organized the Rnli-slaVeTy hslthIIon
1n, D he was opposed TO slavery extension
.Sd USi naturalization, and was regarded
,.,r nnT an early day in his public life with
~, ,,UrI rcely % less aversion and far more sus
Sicion by the pro.slavery leaders thar
ai,her % Garrison or GiddIngs. While
G"vrrnor of New York a controversy
s",snc IN with the Governor Of Virginia
,rIatiye 10 the rendition Of ilgitlves from
ie,tice, in which he maintained that nc
siate could force q reQuisitiOn upon an
other, founded by m act which was only
Criminal by It's own Legislature; In other
words that the Executive OF Virginia
conlI not compel the Governor Of a free
commonwealth to return fugitive for q
crime or ofensc unknown to It's own laws,
bnt which, on the contrary, was to be
commended. The essence Of the Liberty
BIlls subsequently enacted in so many Of
lhe free States was contained in this cor.
When, therefore, Mr.. Seward took his
seatin tic Senate, and became the rcCog-
njzed leader Of General TGylor's admins
trs,iOn, there was general alarm in the
South for fear that an anti.slavery policy
would be adopted. Violent discussions
allowed IN Congress, and the slavery
unestion assumed extraordinary import.
ancc, The contest over the admission OF
California rs Tree State was the sequel
ala contest that had ragged through two
SESSIONS Governor Seward had taken
hold ground. lie avOwed his determine
tion to make no further concessions to the
slave power, and was denounced in rs Sc.
we're terms as Adams or Giddings. He
maintained that the National domain was
common property; that We hold no arbi.
,rsry power over it; that the Constitution
devOtCs il to union, justice, defense, wei.
llrcand liberty; that il is bestowed by the
Creator us the common heritage OF man.
kind, and that as his stewards, we must
recognize a higher law than the Constitu.
ton, even in our management Of it. The
result Of the discussion, as all know, was
The admission OF California and the pass.
age OF the Compromise Measures, which
il was delrsively hoped would check an
agitation that threatened the safety OF the
Union. But the higher law doctrine was
caught at by both parties to the contest,
and Mr.. Seward was as rabldly denounced
on the one hand rs he was praised on the
other.
The conservative position he occupied
during the subsequent agitation over the
repeal Of the Missouri Compromise and
the settlement and admission of Kansas as
u State Of the Union, did not please the
ultras on either side, yet he was always 10
be relied upon whenever the aggressions
Of the Slave Power were 10 be checked or
arrested. lie had seen for himself, how
ever, how vain were all the attempts of
craftsmanship to check IN agitation that
grew out Of irrCcOncilablc forces and in
lcrests, and in 1853, in q speech in Ro-
chester, which will be remembered by all
who were then old enough to take any
interest in public affairs, he declared it TO
be "an irreprGssible conflict between OPP
posing and enduring forces, and it means
that the United States must and will,
sooner or later, become either entirely a
SavehOlding Nation, or entirely free
labor Nation" There were many others
who lOresaw this ultimate result, but the
commanding position Mr. Seward occupi-
cdas a Representative Of the most power.
tul Commonwealth in the Union and one
Of the ablest living statesmen gave his
words tremendous significance, and the
sensation they produced was almost
plinlul.
MF. Seward was correct, but he did not
apprehend how near at hand was the hour
when the question would be definitely set.
tied. That it would come he knew, but
he hop.d by one expenditure or another
Of wise or compromising craftsmanship
TO postpone ii, as ii had been postponed
IN 1870 and again in 1850. The raid of
John Brown On the sacred soil OF Virgin.
Ii aud the election Of Abraham Lincoln
to the Presidency precipitated the con.
lIict. Yet threatening as the dangers
were--Statcs withdrawing from the
Union, Representatives leaving their seats
in the Senate and House, and officers re-
signing from the army and navy TO enter
the service OF the newly formed Confed-
eEacy, every day bringing fresh evidence
OF Tue determination Of the sGCessiOnists
to force civil cOniliCt-Mr. Seward, who
had entered the Cabinet rs Secretary of
state, could not persuade himself that the
south would actually 60 to war. He
hoped Tor peace and u way out OF the
National troubles, and went on with his
political duties till, like the entire North,
ae was startled by the sound OF the guns
turned upon Fort Sumter and its heroic
:, Even then, and for a long period after,
MF. Seward affected 10 believe that the
war would be speedily over. Hc thought
ninety days would measure the limits Of
sC'aal hostiIities, and when, like the Sec.
olu AdVentists, he was disappointed, he
SCI lle stake further on, but always at q
snort distance in point Of time. Mr.. Sew.
Mas y ninety days became grim Joke, but
y Is suspected there was artful policy in
vlls' and not any failure on his part to
comprehend the intensity aud magnitude
u lne great national struggle. AS SGcre-
aEy OF State he had chiefly to do with
!!o,te'gn powers, and To prevent rGCogni.
~ 'aol OF the ConicdCracy, His confidence
III Ihc speedy return Of peace, whether
~ [gal or ISigned, had the effect OF unset
u'nS Tho opinions OF foreign Ministers
,'eslaent in Washington, aud through
Men their governments were induced 10
posspole action till some decisive event
UooE M place. The point of danger was
PISSED i,' at Gettysburg, and after that tho
W. ss'O'e decline Of the fortunes oil the Con.
;,euSEScy was sufficient in itself to induce
,,G,s'Sn ,o powers 10 preserve q neutral posi-.
T., Mr Seward never held II warmer place
~ N Inc affections OF his countrymCu than
~ a. Inc close OF Mr.. Lincoln's administrR-
;'un, H Ills consummate tact, his prudence,
u W. knowledge Of International law and
Ous foreign relations, and his skillGul man.
SSnl SSSetasnl Of the SeCretaryship, were &C.
AS1IOwIedged abroad as well as ut heme; the
aSiolt slatesmanshlp which he employed
W FctleVe the Rennhltc nf MnYico oE .inr.