The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-01

treatment He hnbisually answered disappointed
oface seekers In a Kind, philosophical and appnr-
enuy frank vein. and mads 81 plausible a stale.
ttal that their anger must have been often changed
10 sympathy. TO be misr represented by oppon-
enis aud to DO Misunderstood by friends Is the
fate Of public men." he often remarked on such
appointment confers upon the recipient d. that
which In enjoyed by, him who makes X u can
be scarcely doubted, theI eforr, that. the power
IL exercised M freely a. the Constitution and ,he
laws permit" He understood how popularity
and success are gained. He knew when 70 appeal
Indignation, the prejudice. the moral s%cn,imcn'
and the imagination Of those whom he addressed
He recalls Mark Twain's story, Of, a parson VINO
understood the world and liked all sorts oil men,
In fact, he was all sorts of men himself
III.
II was near the end Of February, l8@9, when
Seward began his political career In Washing
ton. II CAUSED him a pAng 10 learn that he was
too late to offer Taylor any advice about the lorna
ton Of the Cabinet. The services that had
been rendered by Seward and Weed were sp-
precia,ed, however. and the Senator elect entered
at ono. into confidential relations with Taylor
and with the prospective Secretaries OF State and OF
the Interior, Clayton and Ewing, Before the 4th OF
March, Seward had seen the manuscript OF the In
augural address. and had concluded tina, the Pre-
dentelect had q fund OF good nature. patriotism
and integrity" and was a good Wing. II was
a remarkable Senate OF which Seward became .
member on March 4. l840. The three most famous
Of all American Senators, Clay, Webster and Cal
houn. were yet there, al,houghthey were beginning
their last session. Benton. Cas- and Houston
were still full Of vigor. John Bell Of Tennessee.
Mangum and Badger Of North Carolina and
John NJ. Berrien Of Georgia, all Southern Wings,
were nearer the end than the beginning OF their
careers. The most conspicuous Southern Dem
ocrats were nearly all ardent champions OF slavery,
Calhoun colleague, A. r. Butler, had . reputation
as a iurist. W. II. King Of Alaba ma was to be
chosen Vice President In 1852. Jefferson Davis,
a soldier by profession. had distinguished him
self In the Mexican War, but his chief desire was
for political leadership along lines suggested
by Calhoun. Missisippi's other Senator, H.,
S. Foote. WAS always ready to defend slavery,
yet was the head Of the Unionist faction In his
STATE. Both OF the Virginia Senators, X. NJ. L.
Hunter and James M. Mason, rose above me
diocrity, but. like jefferson Davis, they belonged
to the future rather than to the past. John r.
Hale Of New Hampshire. who, previously TO lSA8,
had been the only Free Soiler In the Senate, had
been there for two years. Hannibal Hamlin of
Maine and a few other Northern Democrats,
as well as some fthe Northern Wings, were known
as Anti Slavery men, but they were not extremists,
and looked first to party interests; Hale, on the
contrary. gloried in his indifference to political
considerations. Stephen 4. Douglas, small In
stature, but great in ambition, and impetuous
l.. l.L-.N ~ ..x-.l Al. C.-.sn uf,h E.ln
and he stepped from the Craftsmanship OF the House
Committee on Territories 10 the craftsmanship
OF the corresponding committee In the Senate.
He was eager for leadership and political
power. Salmon p. Chase Of Ohio, Pierre Soule
Of Louisiana and W. c. Dawson OF Georgia were
among those whose terms began with Stewards.
To distinguish ones self in rivalry with such men
required more than ordinary talents and ,ireless
activity, Seward possessed both prerequisites.
The clash between the respective interests Of
Fillmore and Seward, which had seemed
10 be obyiAted by the election Of the former as
Vice President and the choice Of the latter as
Senator, had been only postponed until what was
originally personal and local became a matter
OF much concern TO the whole Wing party. In
his total ignorance Of political Affairs, Taylor
at first supposed that Fillmore, As Vice President
would be a member Of the Cabinet, and. next, In
his desire to he impartial between the rivals, he
tried TO have the Cabinet officer concerned in the
distribution Of Offices In the State Of New York
decide between Seward and Fillmore. BY this
arrangement, Fillmore was enabled, for a time,
To control the nominations 10 some Of the best
Federal posts in New York, The superior poll
tical skill, however, Of Weed and Seward was
-.-.-Iz .-A ratn.l Too CaaArA
the highest place in Taylor's confidence Fill
more's candle was not entirely snutIed out. but
soon ceased 10 be counted as one Of the main
lights Of the administration Seward and Weed,
with their allies, were presently and Justly believed
TO exercise the most potent influence In the allott-
ment Of nearly all the patronage Of the North,
In the debate on the Compromise proposals
laid before the Senate by Henry Clay in January,
1850, proposals supported by Webster in his 9Th
Of March speech, Seward took firm ground
against any compromise whatever. insisting
that the conflict between slavery and freedom
would go on until emancipation was assured.
The immediate impression made upon the listen
ers by his speech was not very great. but the i'm
portance Of the position taken by Seward became
apparent when 1t was set forth in pint.
The correspondent Of the Neu York Tribune
telegraphcd that IL would wake up the Union"
and almost instantly the leading Anti Slavery
Wing papers pronounced the speech the best
systema, Nc exposition OF the principles Of freedom
that had ever been made in Congress. Within
a few days the Anti Slavery Democrats, the
Free Sellers and the Abolitionists. recognizing
that the speech rose above craftsmanship. praised
II enthusiastically. Before the month OF March,
1880, had expired, 100000 copies had been sent
.NA, grnWn uAaktnrtAn And thA SnaATh hArA AZ
famous throug bout the country as an assertion
Of the higher law" and every Intelligent mar
had taken sides for OF against il. The author
Of this biography points out that the last, and
probably the most angry words that Calhoun
ever spoke IN ,he Senate were employed against
Seward on account OF this speech. i am not"
those who wish to Gu. my throat The honorable
Senator from New York ~juNtifes the North In
treachery. am NO, the man 70 hold social inter
sDS.cs S sua s snsh S g. ,ns,s B siTs d ei.y . ,heus 1hs
that il had put an end To SewaId's confidential
intercourse With President Taylor, AS II had
crsdicated Ne respect Of alnlos, all men for him"
Carolina. declared that the principles Of the
count. upon the execution Of any law. The Judge
pronounce Judgment that the act Of the Irris-
| AZURE which II Is his duty 70 enforce violates
some moral obligation imposed upon him by the
lions Of all law and Justice. They give us a ianat,
ical and wild notion that every man In civilized
society has a night as a citizen TO make his own
judgment a rule OF conduct. paramount to and
everything the Law OF his country" Senator
Pratt Of Maryland accused Seward Of having
enunciated principles which he had pronounced II
his duty 10 obey. although they should be in con-
nict with the express provisions Of the Constitu-
ton, and the Marylander proceeded TO. give
notice OF his intention 10 favor the expulsion Of
Seward from the Senate.
Stewards own explanations Of his meaning
were evaSve and ambiguous. The Truth is, that