The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-10-20
WEBSTER AND SEWARD.


denss IN de-idiar constitutional eues
/ ticn sFe-sing tb- rights OF citizens Of ths
( United States. than decisions of u-nftei
I Staie> courts in which the Nassschu-
/ sets Senator heId that Il. constitution
did not extend over newly scquired ter
I ritories ot th< United Stz,e.
Ii Is weiI IN this connection to oonsi1r
90 the other hand the opinion and views
/ % such eminent men as William H Sew
ard. The great Secretary Of State under
Lincoln- Charles Sumner. Reverdy John
son, the great Whig leader OF Maryland
and Others Of equal prominence II IS
veil also 70 consider Webstsr's Iositio.
toward che growth and progress OF tn
nation Mr. Webster fought the sdmis-
sion OF Oregon, which embraced ths pres
emf states of Oregon. Washington. Idaho
and part Of Montana He bitterly op-
posed adding another inch Of territory.
because il vas 80 far away from Boston.
and on the floor OF the United States
Senate demanded TO know what tie Unit
81 States would DO With this territory IL
she goa it Mr.. Webster opposed the
Mexican war and fought the admission
Of Texas. While great man in some re-
spects be was also very narrow man
He was like some of more modern date
consumed with his own o'erweening van
iiy and his inordinate desire 70 be Presi-
dent In his opposition TO the addition
OF new territory and in his vanity and
snp ka be
counterpart of William ]. Bryan Bryan
is the Webster of today.
William II. Seward was a master mind
broad in all things. The leading candi-
date for the nomination for the Presi-
dency when the republican convention as
defeated for the nomination by Abraham
Lincoln. Seward accepted the situation
like the broad minded citizen that he was
and labored earnestly for Lincoln's elec-
tion. later accepting the chief position in
Lineoln's cabinet. in which position he
added lustre TO his fame Us statesman
and diplomat.
What contrast between the actioa
of Seward when Lincoln was nominated
and the sulking of Daniel Webster when |
Taylor WAS nominated in 1S4S
Much has been said in the last year
about the administration Of William NJ. |
Kinley and the masterful diplomacy of |
his administration which has made the |
United States world power. Following |
the weak and vacillating foreign policv |
of several proceeding administrations the |
vigorous policy Of the Mckinley admins |
tration has stood out as the only one of |
far-reaching effect in the affairs Of the |
world. But it is well to remember that |
the administration of Abraham Lincoln |
with William II. Seward as the Secretary |
matte policy and Europe vas made to feed |
that the United States was 20 be reck |
oned with even if we did have fight |
in our own house.
At the time of the Mason and Slidel |
affair England did good deal of blus- |
tering over the action OF Captain Wilkes
in searching the Trent and taking off the |
Confederate commissioners, but Mr.. Sew
ard came back and spiked the English !
guns with their own weapons He con
ceded the fact that Captain Wilkes had
exceeded his authority and disavowed his
acts on the part of the United States
Then he went further and placed Lord
Palmerston in a hole from which the
English have never been able to crawl
out Mr.. Seward declared that the Unit
ed States had maintained for seventy
five years that the right of search on the
high seas did not exist He pointed out
to the English minister that the war of
1872 between England and the United
States was over this very question, Eng
land maintaining that she had the right
Of search. And more, Mr.. Seward drove
the nail home and made Lord Palmerston,
great a diplomat as he was, acknowledge
that Mr. Stewards contention was right
IL was William II. Seward who neyo,i-
ated and carried through the Senate the
treaty for the purchase of Russian Aueri
Seward who negotiated the treaty with
Denmark for the cession Of st. Thomas
and ST. Croix. the Danish Isles Of the
West Indies, and which treaty was de-
feated in the Senate by that other Mas
'achusetts Senator, Charles Sumner, be-
,ause of Summers bitter hatred Of and
against President Johnson.
Seward believed in the future des.iny of
ais country. He believed she was des-
lined TO become mighty factor in the
progress Of the world. He believed in
expansion and talked it and preached it.
lie believed Cuba should belong to the
United States and It was his work that
'rought about the effort under Grants
in 1871 TO acquire Santo
and which effort was also de
eated by Charles Sumner because he
i'd not like Grant and Grant favored the
Of Santo Domingo.
Choose for yourself as TO which was ,
hs man who did most for his country | I
nd whose opinion is OF most value on | 9
,ese great constitutional questions which
re again before the people. Sewari
nth his optimism and belief in the flu
ure greatness Of his country, or Web
ter with his pessimism and constant
ears of the destruction OF his country. 7