The Worthington advance., 1878-10-24
Latitude VI Speech.

It was said that Mr.. Seward. after max
Ing one of his strongest speeches exposing
the character and conseq ucnces of slav-
cry, often took the arm of a Southern
Senator as they left the Capital. apparent
~ unconsciousnes that he had said any
thing, that could p"sslbly offend the mos,
sensitive soul. The reason was that he
was himself entirely clear of any person.
al feeling Of intention. He criticlses a
system, not men, and mistakenly assum-
ell that the men who we're most vitality
linked to the system would regard it as
phllosphica.ly and impersonally as he.
1t is the honorable distinction of Mr..
Seward that Of all our chief party leaders
he was the one who had no personal al.
tercations. Jefferson and Adams aud
Hamilton. Jackson and Clav and Web
ster and Calhoun, were all at times in
volved in them. More recent days have
their striking examples also. But Mr..
Seward. often under exaspcrating circum.
stances, was always master of himself
He was not arrogant, or irascible, or vim.
dicative. His temper became q man of
great ability and high position. He had
the sense OF honor that belongs to self re-
specting men, not that of the race course
the 'code," and an unen!ightened moral
sentiment, and he was as incapable of
what history calls invcctivc or vitupera
tlon, and common speech calls black
guardism, as he was Of profanity or OBJ
scenity.
1t is an example worth cons idering.
No man would be SO fool-hardy as to say
that Mr.. Seward or his cause lost ans
thing by his moderation. Righteous in.
digDatiou, indeed, is admirable and serv.
iceable, and that Mr.. Seward felt an ex
pressed toward the great wrong with
which he strove. But an outbreak of the
disordered vanity of the advocate must
not be confounded with genelo lous wrath
in the cause. When Lord Beaconsield
abuses Mr.. Gladstone as a sophisticated
rhetorician inebrlated with his own ver-
bosity, 1t is seen at once to ne flash of
personal spite, the vince of a pretended
passivity which has been pricked in a
vital part. Their is no laugh at Mr..
Gladstone: there is only surprise that Mr..
Dis"ael' should he willing to show how
sharply he has been hit. The French
foot ut FortenoY are more. not less,
heroic in history because of the courteous
Sire first, gentlemen" and Mr.. Seward
would have lost, not gained, in mems
memories had he ever allowed himself to
be drawn into personalwrangles OF abuse.
He had, Ut course,to deal with opponents
and with persons Ms representatives oi
causes. But he allowed himself no lati
,ude OF speech in the sense of snecr or
epithcts, and his example Is to be es
pecislly commenced, because it is thu,
latisude-tbe ribaldry. the abuse, tht
calumny and insult witch abound in
public lite and political discussion
which deters SO many OF the best mt q
from taking part in tu.m.
DR. Johnston said that it was q com.
mon and successful device in discussion
to heiiltte All opponent 50 as to diminish
his auth ori,y. Most men are persuaded
more by the standing IF IN advocate than
by the weight Of argument, and if you
can turn tue largh upon an opponent you
may spare yourself the labor Of retutins
what he says. Who cares what side
ridiculous HAN supports, or what ,nan
says whom every body believes to be self
lsb5 IT. you have no case, abuse the plain.
'itfs attorney 1t is the consciousness OF
rhe truth o' J"hnson's s remark that stimu
'a,ts every man who is stung by an argu-
ment to strike at the advocate. But it 1s
momentary triumph, in which mans
cause really suffers. The Preliminary
tradition ut gentiemanlv conduct in diff
terence, whether it be all actual practice
OF not, is one to be carefully cherished:
for to assume that virtue is to make it
easier to hhvcit.