Disunion Feed

New York Herald @NYHeraldOct 19, 1859 · New York

Seward's friends say he means to carry out his destructive tendencies only through constitutional means. They might as well argue a murderer does not wish to kill a man — only to cut his jugular vein. His 'irrepressible conflict' bloomed again at Harper's Ferry.

Original passage & context
"Mr. Seward's friends defend him, by asserting that he wants to carry out these destructive tendencies only through constitutional means; but they might as well argue that a murderer does not wish to kill a man, but only to cut his jugular vein. Should William H. Seward ever be elected President of the United States, his brutal and bloody "irrepressible conflict," started by political demagogues in Kansas, and blooming again at Harper's Ferry, will spring into life and action in all the northern border counties of the slave States."

Bennett's Herald, two days after the raid, pins Harpers Ferry on Seward's 'irrepressible conflict' doctrine ahead of the New York election. From rough microfilm OCR, reconciled per policy ('Shquld' -> 'Should').

Read it in the original — LoC scan, NY Herald, Oct 19, 1859, p. 6 ↗

Northern press · Democratic-leaning Condensed — not verbatim Source scan differs from our text — see the record
New York Herald, "William H. Seward's Irrepressible Conflict at Harper's Ferry — A Warning to the Men of New York," Oct. 19, 1859, p. 6 ↗

Next in order

New-York Daily Tribune @NYTribune · New York

The way to Universal Emancipation lies through peace, not insurrection — we regret this outbreak. But we will not, by one reproachful word, disturb the bloody shrouds wherein John Brown and his compatriots are sleeping. They dared and died for what they felt to be the right.

Original passage & context
"Believing that the way to Universal Emancipation lies not through insurrection, civil war and bloodshed, but through peace, discussion, and the quiet diffusion of sentiments of humanity and justice, we deeply regret this outbreak; but remembering that, if their fault was grievous, grievously have they answered it, we will not, by one reproachful word, disturb the bloody shrouds wherein John Brown and his compatriots are sleeping. They dared and died for what they felt to be the right, though in a manner which seems to us fatally wrong."

Greeley's famous sympathetic-but-distancing first word — 'fatally wrong' yet not one reproachful word against the dead — the split posture the Democratic press attacked from both sides. Cross-checked against the LoC page scan (sn83030213, Oct 19, p. 4).

Read it in the original — Furman Secession Era Editorials transcription ↗

Northern press · Republican Condensed — not verbatim Source scan differs from our text — see the record
New-York Daily Tribune, lead editorial on the Harper's Ferry insurrection, Oct. 19, 1859, p. 4 (Furman Secession Era Editorials Project) ↗
Same day, the other side: Charleston Mercury →

Where this sits

America has argued itself to the edge before. The words come from 1854–1861; the arguments are the ones we are still having.

One passage from the Harpers Ferry weeks, Oct 18, 1859 – Dec 2, 1859 — 22 posts, each linked to its primary source.

Part of 134 verified passages across 5 flashpoints, Jan 6, 1854 – Apr 13, 1861 — read the feed from the start.

Read on, in order← Charleston Mercury, Oct 19, 1859New-York Daily Tribune, Oct 19, 1859 →

Anywhere in the feedA passage at random →

In contextHarpers Ferry, 1859

The other flashpointsKansas-Nebraska, 1854The Sumner caning, 1856Dred Scott, 1857The secession winter, 1860–61

Printed the same dayCharleston Mercury →

How this was made