The New York herald., 1862-10-20

patriotism There was Curtius, fine. hand
some young Roman who rode bis charger gal
lantly into the huge gap caused by an earth
quake, and sacrificed himself and his horse
under patriotic but mistaken idea that be
could thus save Rome from destruction. There
were the Horatii. who boldly offered themselves
as their country's champions, fought most
courageously and came off victorious. There
was Leonidas, with his Spartan band, who
barred the advance of their enemies through
mountain pass, first by their bravery, and then
by their bodies, and 80 became immortal Any
historical student can furnish, at short notice,
the names Of a hundred such patriots among
ancient and modern heroes Are we to find
none among our present politicians Have we,
or have we not, political patriot among usg
Here are two very clever gentlemen, General
Wadsworth and Ex-Governor Seymour, who are
desirous of locating themselves in the Guberna-
torial chair Of this State, at time when the ne
cessities of the country demand unanimous
North and single, great, conservative Union
party. Both of these gentlemen are fully aware
that they are not acceptable to the majority of
the people Both Of them understand, also,
that they. are not even popular in their
own parties. Thurlow Weed and that Little
Villain, Raymond, did not hesitate to tell Mr..
Wadsworth, even after his nomination, that
he was not the candidate desired by the con-
servative portion of the republican party.
Prince John Van Buren, and other leading
democrats were equally candid with Mr.. Sey
mour, and assured him that he was not the
man for whom they had expected to work and
vote Mr. Wadsworth knows that his nomi
nation was forced upon the Republican
Convention by poor, crazy, ragged Greeley, who
used the Presidents emancipation proclama-
ton to terrfy and belabor conservative mem
bers. Mr.. Seymour knows that his nomina-
ton was forced upon the Democratic Con
vention by old War Horse Purdy and The
corrupt managers of Tammany and Mozart
who shrewdly prevented ballot-which
would have defeated Seymour-by insisting
upon nomination by acclamation, and then
making great deal more noise than their
numbers authorized. Both Wadsworth and
Seymour are aware that Major General Dix
was the candidate for Governor on the slate
of the conservative republicans and on the
oA"sO OA VIZ AAAcNuJ AsS6OhSy. DOsA "iS ""0Ao
that Major General Dix was the predestined
and foreordained candidate of both conven-
tions Both are aware that Major General Dix is
emphatically the candidate of the people, of
all classes and all parties, while they cannot be
ignorant that Wadsworth is the candidate of
only the Tribune Office, and that Seymour was
nominated by uor ct presterea Mill, and is sup
ported only by few candidates for Congress
and their friends, who are also candidates for
the Assembly, or for something else. Now that
General Dix is to be put in nomination by the
Federal Union party, why cannot both Wads-
worth and Seymour retire gracefully from the
contest, into which, like incompetent briga-
ders, they ought never to have entered and
thus make the election of General Dix unani-
nous? Such an arrangement would be salts
factory to both political parties, and to the
great loyal Union party Of the people, and it
would make Wadsworth and Seymour forever
immortal as political patriots.
Surely, all things considered, immortality is
dirt cheap at such price as this. We do not
ask Seymour and Wadsworth to initiate Curtils,
and leap into the gulf which now divides the
Union. Too many brave fellows have thrown
themselves into that gulf already, without at
all filling it up. Nor do we ask them to draw
their swords and become their country cham
pions, like the Horatii or sacrifice themselves,
like Leonidas and his compatriots. We
know our men altogether too well to make
any such sanguinary proposals. Wadsworth,
although a brigadier general, has evidently
no stomach for fight. His only battle was
the first Bull run. He prefers attacking Nc
Ciellan to attacking the enemy. The atmos-
pherc of Washington is much more con-
genial to him than that Of the battle field. He
thinks it much better to be military governor
than military hero. He can manage emanci-
pated and escaped contrabands much more
easily than he can marshal martial squadrons.
He becomes the champion Horatius only when
the civil authorities interfere with his inevitable
Africans and attempt to return fugitive slaves
to their lawful, loyal owners. He is Leonidas
only when 1t is necessary to guard the passage
to the negro Jail against the sheriff's peaceful
posse comitatus. Seymour, not being a briga
dier general, might possibly be warlike man;
but he is not His opponents accuse him of re-
treating to Michigan at the first rumors of war,
and employing his destructive faculties only
| against the non-combative trout. Ii he ever
offered his services to the government, it must
have been in the style Of Prince John Van
Buren, who expressly stipulated that he was
not 10 be ordered 10 any place where he might
become excited, as excitement was dangerous
] to his health, and that he should be at perfect
liberty to resign at any moment when his
principles, his politics or his skin was
endangered. 1t would be useless for
us, therefore, to call upon either Wadsworth or
Seymour to become patriot by means Of war
like exploits We offer them an easier immor-
tality, and insure il to them, without their risk
l r-H :,