Mr. Seward has made a speech at Auburn on the
parable of the Prodigal Son. The South is the prodigal son. Mr. Seward opens his arms to the prodigal, and promises him a fatted calf,—hinting that the fatted calf means a remnant of slavery,—if he will only come back in time. "They are verging," he says, "on a time when submission, coming too late, will leave neither slavery nor slaves in the land,"—which, if it means anything, means they are verg- ing on a time when Mr. Lincoln will keep the faith which he gave last January, but only intended as a threat. "The insurrection," he says, "will perish under military power, and slavery will perish with it. Nevertheless, I am willing that the prodigal son shall re- turn. Neither men nor angels can prevent the fatted calf from being slain for his welcome, whenever he does come back, saying penitently, 'Brothers, I have offended, and desire reconciliation.'" Angels will scarcely take the trouble to wrestle with Mr. Seward ; but if they did, they would probably begin by remonstrating against his impious parody of our Lord's parable. Mr. Seward would have had the prodigal's father hint privily to him, while still devouring his living with harlots, that if he chose to bring back with him the worst of that foul company, her presence would be winked at and permitted, and penitence dispensed with. It is not easy to be too thankful for the Providence which substituted Lincoln for Seward in the Presidential chair.
