Year: 1860

The following is quite full report of Corwin )
speech in Congress on Thursday, Dec. sth:


Davis, of Mississippi, said that Giddings had
indorsed Mr.. Stewards 6 irrepressible conflict "
speech in the House, and adopted it as his plat
form.


Corwn replied that if Giddings had held a
political caucus in the House. he should have
sent for him. Laughter He doubted not that
many would like TO see Seward President, but ii
was unjust to charge them beforehand with de-
termination to elect this or that man. He was
himself as much the organ of the Republican
party as Seward or any other man in il. Laugh
ter. The gentleman from Mississippi Davis
had sought to criminate Seward with John
Brown, on the evidence of conversation re-
ported by one Forbes. Seward had denied that
alleged conversation, and until a grand. jury had
indicted and petit jury tried Seward for insur-
rection and murder, they might well believe
Seward this Forbes, who, according to his
own showing, was implicated with Brown, and
taught his party their military tactics. The gen
tleman was too good lawyer to take such testi-
mony. Laughter


A Noice-John Brown a Black Repub-
lcan.


Corwin-Was he? If so, did it follow that
the whole Republican party was ready to march
with him to Harper's Ferry? Let them put
away all this illfeeling and unjust elimination.
There was no party, as there was no man, but
had committed some unwise act, of which il
afterwards repented. Why, some of the very
men who, in the crisis of 1928, rendered their
services to General Jackson, to put down nullifi-
cation in South Carolina, had supported dsunion
resolutions at Convention held at Cleveland
about the rescuers of runaway negro. In any
land where there was liberty of speech and lib
erty of the press there must ALWAYS be great
license among the people but that meeting
came near defeating the Republican party in
Ohio, because the people were not willing to toll
crate such movements.


Mr.. Vallandigham, of Ohio, said the Repub-
lican Governor addressed the meeting, and the
Republican Governor elect was also present
Corwin replied that Governor Chase did ad-
dress the meeting, counseling moderation but
the Governor elect was not present. If Governor
Chase had not denounced such extreme proceed.
ings, the people of that order-loving State would
have denounced him. Such were the sentiments
of the Republican party of Ohio, of which he
was the acknowledged leader and head Laugh
ter.


AS far as he knew the objects of the Republican
party, and he believed that he knew them better
than any of its other great leaders, they were the
very same as the founders of our Government.
That was his opinion, for which he held himself
responsible as lawyer. Laughter. There were
persons acting with that party from whom he
widely differed, but they were few, and if the
Democracy wanted them they were welcome. For
Gods sake, take them. Laughter.l There were





tertained opinions Numerically opposed to nine
tenths of the party. Let gentlemen remember
that there were nine millions of people in the
West-gentlem of the North and the South
might have heard there was such place as the
West-three times as many people as there were
in our whole country when our independence
was achieved and this great nation of the West
would not hold itself responsible to either North
or South, but meant to preach good, sound con
stitutional doctrines, and hold to them.
Wendell Phillips was an exponent of Republi-
can principles, was he? He had heard that tai
ented gentleman preach the very doctrine they
attributed to Seward, but Seward would no more
act upon them than he would commit suicide
Applause. In all the free States, Phillips was
well known to belong to that school of transcen.
dental philosophers whose ideas rise to the i'm.
mense and unreasonable nights which the hu-
man mind is expected to be capable of attaining
fifty centuries hence who say there is no Consti
tuition save that OF the pavement; that the United
States Constitution is only waste paper; that the
Government of Virginia is only an association
of piratical men, and that the earth must ascend
towards heaven, instead of heaven coming down
to the earth, Laughter. This was sup
posed to be a rhetorical figure, and he put il
candidly to gentlemen whether they be-
lieved that when Seward spoke of freedom in
vading the South he really meant to predict an
armed invasion9 Laughter He was not Sew
ards attorney, but he did not know how soon he
might himself be charged with completely with
John Brown. Laughter.] He was informed
that the next night after he listened to Phillips
eloquent rhapsody in Brooklyn he went to de-
liver it in the neighboring State of New Jersey,
but they would not listen to it, and he had to
substitute lecture on " The Lost Arts" Laugh
ter.l


The demonstrations of sorrow for Brown
which had been spoken of might be attributed
be said, to a sort of intellectual cholera, fol
there were epidemics in politics and religion
as well as in diseases. But Governor Wise
had said that Brown was brave man, and