There is “the irrepressible conflict.”  How they rail at Seward for that saying!  They repeat it constantly; and, although the proof has been thrust under their noses again and again that almost every good man since the formation of our Government has uttered that same sentiment, from General Washington, who “trusted that we should yet have a confederacy of free States,” with Jefferson, Jay, Monroe, down to the latest days, yet they refuse to notice that at all, and persist in railing at Seward for saying it.  Even Roger A. Pryor, editor of the Richmond Enquirer, uttered the same sentiment in almost the same language, and yet so little offence did it give the Democrats that he was sent for to Washington to edit the States—­the Douglas organ there—­while Douglas goes into hydrophobia and spasms of rage because Seward dared to repeat it.  This is what I call bushwhacking, a sort of argument that they must know any child can see through.

Another is John Brown:  “You stir up insurrections, you invade the South; John Brown!  Harper’s Ferry!” Why, John Brown was not a Republican!  You have never implicated a single Republican in that Harper’s Ferry enterprise.  We tell you that if any member of the Republican party is guilty in that matter, you know it or you do not know it.  If you do know it, you are inexcusable not to designate the man and prove the fact.  If you do not know it, you are inexcusable to assert it, and especially to persist in the assertion after you have tried and failed to make the proof.  You need not be told that persisting in a charge which one does not know to be true is simply malicious slander.  Some of you admit that no Republican designedly aided or encouraged the Harper’s Ferry affair, but still insist that our doctrines and declarations necessarily lead to such results.  We do not believe it.  We know we hold to no doctrines, and make no declarations, which were not held to and made by our fathers who framed the Government ’under which we live, and we cannot see how declarations that were patriotic when they made them are villainous when we make them.  You never dealt fairly by us in relation to that affair—­and I will say frankly that I know of nothing in your character that should lead us to suppose that you would.  You had just been soundly thrashed in elections in several States, and others were soon to come.  You rejoiced at the occasion, and only were troubled that there were not three times as many killed in the affair.  You were in evident glee; there was no sorrow for the killed nor for the peace of Virginia disturbed; you were rejoicing that by charging Republicans with this thing you might get an advantage of us in New York, and the other States.  You pulled that string as tightly as you could, but your very generous and worthy expectations were not quite fulfilled.  Each Republican knew that the charge was a slander as to himself at least, and was not inclined by it to cast his vote in your favor.  It was mere bushwhacking, because you had nothing else to do.  You are still on that track, and I say, go on!  If you think you can slander a woman into loving you or a man into voting for you, try it till you are satisfied!