at Amherst. Mr. Seward as an Advocate.-Practice at the Bar.-

United States Courts.-Patent Causes.-Invention.-Extract from

Argument. Criminal Cases.-Liberty of the Press.-Cooper vs.

Greeley. Capital Trial at Cooperstown. Fugitive Slave Trial.

Extract from Argument.-Eulogy on O'Connell.- Extract....

CHAPTER XV.

The Wyatt and Freeman Cases.- Massacre of the Van Nest Family.-

Extraordinary Excitement.-Conviction of Wyatt.-Trial of Free-

man. Unprecedented Proceedings.-John Van Buren.- Mr. Sew-

ard's Defence of Wyatt and Freeman.-Scenes in Court.---Popular

Feeling.-Denunciations of the Press.-The Verdict.-Extract from

Mr. Seward's Argument.--Sentence of Freeman.-Strange Scene.-

Mr. Seward's Bill of Exceptions.-New Trial granted.-Death of

Freeman. Change in Public Opinion.- Review of the Case... . . . .

CHAPTER XVI.

90

99

The Trial of Abel F. Fitch and Others for Conspiracy at Detroit in 1851.

- Fifty Persons indicted.-Michigan Central Railroad Company.-

Mr. Seward's Defence.-Extract from his Argument.-Character of

Mr. Seward's Professional Labors.- Liberty of the Press.-Fugitive

Slave Law. Rights of Inventors.-His Views of Libel-Suits....... 115

-

CHAPTER XVII.

Mr. Seward recalled to Public Life.-Retrospect.-Organization of the

Native American Party.-Burning of Catholic Churches.- Mr. Sew-

ard's Course. Henry Clay.-- Annexation of Texas.-War with Mex-

ico.- The Oregon Question.-Hunkers and Barnburners.- Constitu-

tional Convention, 1846.- Mr. Seward's Views.-Internal Improve-

ments. Right of Suffrage.-Decentralization.-- Presidential Election,

1848.- General Taylor.-The Canvass.-Mr. Seward's Speeches.-

His Speech at Cleveland.-Extract.-The Whig Platform in 1848.-

Freedom and Slavery.-Speeches in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania,

and New York.-General Taylor, Mr. Clay, and Mr. Webster.- Mr.

Seward's Estimate of the Presidency....

CHAPTER XVIII.

120

President Taylor.- Mr. Seward elected Senator.-Visits Washington.
-Effort for Freedom.- His Relations with General Taylor.- Cali-

fornia. -- New Mexico.-The Higher Law. -The Compromise. -

Freedom in District of Columbia.- French Spoliations.-The Public

Lands.-Kossuth.-Smith O'Brien.-Thomas F. Meagher.-Freedom

in Europe.--American Steam Navigation.-Survey of the Arctic and

Pacific Ocean.-American Fisheries.-Visit to Vermont.- Agricul-

tural Address.-Extract.-Visit to Canada.- Montreal.-Quebec... 131

CHAPTER XIX.

The Presidential Election of 1852.-Review of the Slavery Contest of

1850.- Mr. Seward's Opposition.- Mr. Clay.-Mr. Webster.- Gen-

eral Cass.-General Taylor's Position.- Mr. Seward supports it.—

Denounced as an Agitator.-Utah and New Mexico.-The Fugitive

Slave Bill.-The Compromisers.-Death of President Taylor.—Mr.

Fillmore. His Course and Coalition with the Democrats.-Mr. Sew-

ard's Opposition.-The Baltimore Conventions of 1852, Democratic

and Whig-Franklin Pierce.-General Scott.-Millard Fillmore.—

Daniel Webster.-Platform for Slavery.-Position of Mr. Seward's

Friends. Mr. Webster's Course. His Death. -Triumph of the

Democrats. Election of Franklin Pierce.-Overthrow of the Whigs.

-Defeat of General Scott.-Effect upon Mr. Seward.....

CHAPTER XX.

XXXII Congress, Second Session 1852-'53.- Mr. Seward's Speeches.

-John Quincy Adams and General Cass.-Vindication of Mr. Adams.

-John C. Calhoun.-The Monroe Doctrine.-Annexation of Cuba.

-Mr. Seward's Views.-Mexico and the Continental Railroad.-

Suspension of Duty on Railroad Iron.-Extract from Mr. Seward's

Speech on Railroads.-Texas and her Creditors.-Oration at Colum-

bus.-The Destiny of America.-Address before the American Insti-

tute. The True Basis of American Independence.- Eulogium on

James Tallmadge..

141

150

CHAPTER XXI.

XXXIIId Congress.-- Nebraska.-Inauguration of President Pierce.-

High Expectations of Beneficent Legislation.-Revision of the Tariff.

-The Homestead.- Pacific Railroad.-Disappointment.-Introduc-

tion of the Nebraska Bill by Mr. Douglas.-Veto of the Bill for Re-

lief of the Insane.-The Nebraska Bill.-Fruit of the Compromise

Measures of 1850.-Senators Everett, Chase, Sumner, Truman Smith,

Wade, Bell, Houston, and Fessenden.- Mr. Seward's Letter to the

New York Merchants.- His Position.-His First Speech.-Second

Speech.-Passage of the Bill.-Effect of Mr. Seward's Speeches on

the Country. His Speech on the Reception of a Remonstrance from

3050 Clergyen.-The Right of Petition vindicated.-The Gadsden

Treaty.-The Reciprocity Treaty.-Review of Mr. Seward's Course

in the Senate.-Eulogium on Henry Clay.-Eulogium on Daniel

Webster.-Debates in the Senate.-Address before the Phi Beta

Kappa Society of Yale College.-Honorary Degree of Doctor of

Laws conferred upon Mr. Seward.- His Relations to the Whig Party

and to Mr. Fillmore's Administration. Conclusion....

161

CONTENTS OF THE SELECTIONS.

AGRICULTURE.

Improvement in Agriculture Essential to the Security of Republican

Institutions. Extracts from Annual Messages.-The Homestead of

the American Farmer should be exempted from Involuntary Sale.-

Extract from Speech in the Senate on the Homestead Bill.-Popular

Prejudices against Improvement in Agriculture Unreasonable and Per-

nicious.- Address before the Vermont State Agricultural Society at

Rutland, 1852.-Improvement of Farms and Farmers.— Address be-

fore the New York State Agricultural Society at Albany, 1842............. 175

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

Internal Improvement the Policy of the Founders of the Republic.-

Extracts from Annual Messages.—Internal Improvement Wise and

Beneficent.Address at the New York and Erie Railroad Conven-

tion at Elmira, 1837.-Internal Improvement the Real Source of the

Prosperity of New York, and the only Sure Bond of Union of the

States. Remarks at the Celebration of the Completion of the New

York and Erie Railroad, Dunkirk, 1851.-The Suspension of the

Public Works of New York condemned and their Resumption recom-

mended. Extract from Annual Message, 1842.-New York and

Massachusetts.—Address at the Celebration of the Completion of the

Western Railroad between Boston and Albany, at Springfield, 1842. 184

EDUCATION.

The Proper Range of Popular Education.- Address at Westfield, N. Y.,

1833.- Popular Education a Leveller.--Address at Sunday-School

Celebration, 1839.--Female Education.--Improvement of Popular

Education must begin not with the Government, but with the Pec-

ple.-- Education preferable to Conquest.-Speeches in the Senate.-

The Bible the Basis of Republican Institutions.-Annual Messages

to the Legislature.-The System of Public Schools defective.-

Amendment proposed.-Education of the Children of Exiles.-- New

York Public School Society.......

FREEDOM.

John Quincy Adams.-Eulogy before the Court of Chancery.-Mutual
Rights and Duties of Nations.-Speeches in the Senate.-The Right
of Petition.-Remonstrance of 3050 Clergymen of New England
against the Repeal of the Missouri Compromise.-Political Equality.
-Religious Intolerance.- Intolerance.-Louis Kossuth.-The Trib-
unal of Public Opinion.-The Shade of Franklin.- Congressional

200

Compromises.—The Recaption of Fugitive Slaves in the Free States.

-Speeches in the Senate on the Compromises of 1850.-The Fugi-

tive Slave Law of 1793 Unconstitutional and Void.- Argument in

the United States Supreme Courts.-Extradition of Fugitives.—

Emancipation in the District of Columbia.-Admission of New Slave

States.-Uses of the National Domain.-The Higher Law.-Slavery

in the New Territories. Apprehensions of Disunion Groundless.--

Slavery. The Slavery Question can never be settled by Compro-

mises. Moderation.

219

COMMERCE.

Public Faith.-Speeches in the Senate.- French Spoliations.- Ameri-

can Enterprise.-American Steam Navigation.-Collins Steamers.-

The Whale Fisheries.-Commerce on the Pacific.-A Continental

Railroad to the Pacific.....

276

MISCELLANEOUS.

The American People.-Their Moral and Intellectual Development.—

Address at Yale College, July, 1854.-Insanity.-Argument in De-

fence of William Freeman, Auburn, July, 1846.-Insanity.-Some

of its Causes and Circumstances.-The Wrongs of the Negro.—The

Indians.-Speech
Indians. Speech of an Onondaga Chief.—Governor Seward's Reply.

-Letter.-Reply to the Colored Citizens of Albany, January, 1843.

-Speech in the Senate of New York, February, 1831.-The Militia

System.Reforms proposed.-Speech in the Senate of the United

States, 1852.-The Public Domain.-The Homestead Principle.-

The Whig Party.-The Albany Regency in 1824.-Secret Political
Societies.- Relief of the Indigent Insane.-The Union and the States.
-Speech on the President's Veto.-The True Basis of American In-
dependence. Address before the American Institute.- Peace......

ORATIONS AND SPEECHES.

291

The Destiny of America.- An Oration delivered at the Dedication of

Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, September 14, 1853.-Nebraska

and Kansas.-Freedom and Public Faith.-The Abrogation of the

Missouri Compromise.-Speeches in the Senate of the United States. 325

SEE INDEX.

401