New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-04-24
Nr Adams on Mr.. Seward.

an effort too able and prominent ts be passeu
over without mention, especially since IL wiz
he read and noticed all over the country.
From a literary standpoint 1t may DC ca,ieu
perfect; every line shows the accomplished
writer and scholar, and especially the picture
ha a,aws Of the state Of the country and Of
the poltical parties contendng Tor the SUI
nrenacy previous to 1850. MIR. se"ards
share in the politics of those days Is SO vi'id
and faithful that it can be said to range
among the best achievements oil the h,nu'
Mr.. Adams intimate acquaintance Win DR.
seward and bis warm friendship for him,
enabled him TO do full justice to all the great
oualities of the deceased statesman, ana lena
+. svmpothetic touch to his work quite IN
harmony with the occasion on which 1t was
given TO the public. Indeed, the whole des-
cription given of the party strife which inaiiy
rasn,,ed in the Shareholders rebellion, Oh
Mr.. Stewards early career and OF his glorious
services rendered to the cause OF liberty, oe-
serves high, unconditional praise, ana VIII
he readily asscnted to by every reader not
biased by party prejudice.
Not the same praise, however, Is que "
that part of the Grafton which treats OF Mr..
Stewards course during the war. MIR. Adams
affection for his friend and his desire to snow
his merits and achievements in the brightest
light. led him to underrate those OF other
great and good men, who, in those eVentiui
DAYS, devoted all their faculties ana 'heir ell
ergy to the service Of their country. by say
inc that Mr.. Seward saved the nation, Mr..
Adams claims an amount OF glory Tor nm
alone which, in reality, is due to all those
men. and could never be due to any one man
exclusively, since rebellion OF such gigantic
magnitude required the combined efforts OF
all the best and ablest men Of the nation, nay
could be overcome only through the co'opera-
ton of the whole loyal part Of the nation.
In order to cast q brighter light on Mr.. Sew
ard. he becomes unjust towards Abraham
Lincoln Certainly everybody will admit the
fact that in learning, refinement, general
knowledge and understanding of foreign al
fairs, Mr.. Seward was vastly superior 10 MI.
Lincoln; yot it is Just as true that Mr.. LIN
coin, through his earnest devotion to the
cause of the country, and his practical good
sense, made up for his deficiency in some
other respects, and the more SO as he was
sipgularly free from all vanity and conceit,
and always ready to follow the advice OF his
official friends without denying them the
credit Of it. We do not sec, therefore, why
Mr.. Adams should make out case OF so
much self-sacrificc and abnegation OF all le-
climate ambitious aspirations on the part OF
Mr.. Seward. According to him, one would
think that all the honor due to Mr.. Seward
was appropriated by Mr.. Lincoln; though
there can be no doubt that the people gen.
erally knew very we'll to discriminate be-
tween the two men, to appreciate the merits
Of each Of them, and 10 give him credit for
them.
The weakest part OF the Grafton IS unde-
niably that which treats Of Mr.. Stewards
course during the administration Of Andrew
johnson, the epoch in his career OF which
most of his friends preserve painful recol-
lection and about which they observe char
table silence. Here it is that Mr.. Adams,
in his zeal to vindicate Mr.. Seward from
every blame, grossly deviates from the truth.
Since he cannot controyert the fact that Mr.
Seward stood by johnson TO the last, that he
literally followed him through thick and thin,
even when that individual was swinging
round the circle that he threw his whole
influence in the scale in his favor and did his
best to prevent conviction in the impeach-
ment trial, he attempts TO whitewash MIR.
Johnson. While admitting that be was
sadly wanting in the happiest qualities Of
his predecessor" he does not shrink from
saving that he was readily moulded 10 the
very same policy which had been inaugurated
by him." We challenge Mr.. Adams to ex-
plain, satisfactorily, the similarity between
Mr.. Lincoln's line Of policy, who, in his hon
est respect for the laws and the will of the
majority, never resorted to any decisive
measure without first sounding public opin-
ion and ascertaining whether it would meet
the wishes Of the people, and that OF his sue
cessor, who, though elected as Republican
by Republican votes, yet made it his object
to restore the Democratic minority to power,
an object which to accomplish lie did not
mind whether he resortcd to legal or illegal
means, even a coup d'ttat included, provided
buat nc COuiu nave IOuuu Wiling tOois 10
carry it out. Mr.. Adams, however, does not
stop there. He goes so far as to charge the
people-though indirectly-with ingratitude
and fcklencss for allowing MIR. Seward to
withdraw from public lie without any demon
stration oftheir love and appreciation, though
he must well know that it was the fatal mis-
take Mr.. Seward made in sustaining Andrew
johnson, through which he lost large part
Of his popularity. II, instead, he had assumed
position Of resistance like Grant and STAN
ton-no doubt that the people would have
appreciated and rewarded his services just az
they acknowledged theirs, and that in case
bis physical strength was equal to the task,
be might have been appointed to any high
Office under General Grants administration.
Mr.. Adams would have acted wisely if he had
thrown veil over this page in the life of a
man whose great qualities and whose services
to bis country will be gratefully remembered
BY posterity, Notwithstanding the error of bis
Later DAYS.
Louisiana.