New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-11-03
TVE ISSUES OF THE CANVASS.
s,eceh of 4. r. Williams of NewXefk-
Al. Troy, Saturday evening, Nov. l.


months Of sorrow and Of night, in the paIn""S u
danger and on the highway of death, we nave mp
pace to the L" dead march, with our faces s.e"Oi!
turned toward the tomb Of our country WIZ" ion
two to one; with munitions OF war Ten " 0"'' 40
general resources, for long or an eN0V'iN' ""'A
hundred 10 one of those OF our enemy, We n1'o
struck Europe half dumb with auazenent, rs 'he!
have witnessed his prolonged this almost uhoroken
catastrophe TO our arms, from the hrst booming OF
onr cannon at Fort Sumter TO the hs' disgfaeeiui
defeat Of Buells army No trait OF nlii'ary genius
NO eIeam of civil capacity, no instance OF shining
npblic virtue Can be cited dspcy ed by either OF
our COMMANDMENTS Chief, or any one Of the HEADS
of cur Departments Of State, during struggle 60
srgularly calculated to draw forth mems powers, to
fire them with generous ardor, 10 nerve their arms
with new vigor kinde the spark Of latent genius,
until il blazed forth to engh en- and save the ma
ton. We have indeed drainsdthe Southern swamps,
us if it were our loving purpose 10 WOO our way
ward sisters" back from the craft Of slave-breoding
to the more wholesome pursuits Of agriculture.
And here may be told that l. civilian, am cIiti-
cisng military operations, Of which know nothing.
Gem lenen if the devil ever lent lis ingenuity and
cunning to the device of q wicked and destructive
nett IN for the ruin of free people, 1t was 10 TINS
notion that civilian ought not 10 review or crclse
tie acts or the operauons OF a General Ainid an
the resources of tyranny there is srmor in which
despotsm can more eiieotuaily achieve the isIcest
dreams Of its diabolical ambition. Give q General
immunity from criticism and he holds yOur liberties
in his feet Conce3e that military science is occult,
and unapproachable by the civilian, ard you give
the lie to history. Read Hugos description Of Wa
teroo in one of those immortal tales just published
end tell me who appreciates military scence-the
soldier in the heat Of battle, or the scholar. when
L.t.-. L. ffta lNF m
stances that time has brought to light? civilian
not to crlticise GeneHl Why not What Is
Jour General but O civilian Has he graduated at
West Point 7 In other words, has he spent foni
years of bis boyhood at military SCHOOL, Then he
may have been taught TO be Lieutenant, or an en-
ginser. So far, well. But what that distin-
guishes General from Lieutenant or an engineer
has he been taught Not thing. Besides, who
shall teach Generall Were bis Instructors GenGr-
ais, OF mere professorsl Who, say, shall he the
instructor of General God on high alone, by
that deep ms iraton by which "the Almighty CIV
eth him understanding" have alluded to our dis
asters however, not for the purpose OF crlticlsmg
our Generals, or those in authority. That Is not
necessary to any end / have in view this evening.
Besides, / do not thank they have been the cause,
slough in many instances think they have been
the instruments, of our disasters. All el0ug we
have felt that there must be some secret and mae,-
nant influence at work the precise pature OF which
We have not been able to detect. We have prayed
- for tongue 10 curse the slave,
Comes Ger the councils Of the brave,
And blasts them In their hour Of might"
without knowing precisely who or what night come
beneath the imprecation. But the approaching &C.
ton, thanks TO a more bengnant fate, has brought
our foes--the foes of our Countrywide foes OF lib
erty and Acknowledgment in full relief before US.
Now we may meet them, face 10 face. Stand forth,
then, Seymour and Wood Van Buron and Brooks :
and all who you abet-all whom you delude by the
banner Of Democracy, now 10y the true Democrats
Of the country thrown away in their zeal 10 seize
and hold up the flag Of the Uuion, but taken up by
traitors with all its incidental narhinsry and used
TO mislead and misguide those who were wont TO
bold 1t as the banner OF their faith, aud follow
whithersoever it might leadl Stand forth, now
that you have ventured 10 throw of the mask OF
patriotism, by which you have go long concealed
your trucuen. visagesl Stand forth and answer
your country, Zone OF thousand Ii you can
Was the war wrong IN the commencement Why
did you lot then step forth to arrest il, tefoe five
thousand hecatombs had been its dreadful Offering
You claim to be b majority now; were yon less IN
numbers influence then Or is It that your coun
try, exhausted by war, has now become so weak
tina. she may be your easy preyl You shrunk from
encouDtering your country in her strength. lou
assumed the guise Of patriotism secretly 10 plunge
the dagger to her heart. And low, when bleeding
and PROSTATE before You, you throw oil the diuise
with her foes, and ready to join them for her
throw. l congratulate the country, wounded aud
bleeding she is that her foes henceiort to be
not Of her own household.
Give but TO see and Al az a.ts more"
have now, gentlemen, In these few words shsd-
owed forth my views OF the state OF affairs 1T the
present crisis With your kind indulgence, | will
now endeayor TO group together under their aprro-
pirate heads, few o. the facts aud reasons That
have led my mind in this direction II they strike
Jour minds as they have struck my own, we shall
not separate until we agree upon this great matter.
1 cannot be other than anxious TO be right. ! be-
Iieye in truth, Whether il seem al the present to
hurt or to help the object which we may have
brought ourselves believe for the best. IL Is bet
ter that ends should fail to lie accomplished than
that they should be attained if not consOnant with
right, reason and truth; for, otherwise, we may lie
sure that in pursuit OF bets tbat will event
nally prove injurious 10 Ourselves, huuiul 70 our
country, and detrilne tai TO the great interests Of
humanity. When the wsr commenced, the popular
cry was, " No compromise with Rebels in arms
So overwhelming was this cry from the masses
that the leaders OF the compromise larty, who were
then 10 real sympathy with the Soulh-of WHOM
Nr. Seymours first lieutenant, Fernando Wood
was the most outspOken or rather the least Gis-
guised representstiye-felt almost constrained to
join In it; and thus, "coDsentiug against their
will, they remained az heart the steady and firm
supporters OF submission and compromise. i an
willing TO believe that most OF them were measur-
ably sincere in the belief that compromise and
patriotism went hand in hand. They were the
friends Of the institution Of SiaveryLad contracted
and cherished the extremes, haired Of the Adolf
tionsts. Under these circumstances, is it possible
Shat they should bave omitted 10 pursue the policy
that both their love and their hate urged them on 10
achieve IL Fernando Wood a man to reinquish
such an object II YOU think SO, read hs late speech
a. CLINTON GsIden-read his correspondence with
Robert Toombs in January, 1861. 1t runs 10 tbs
styles
,r,, "MILIEDGEyILLE, jan q, 1861
=" TO his Honor MoyOr WoOD:
true tina intended for, ard cousgrei TO- tie
StNe o. osoga have been seized by public authorities in
Yek l.sr answer important to ssd % New
AyiA answer Al once Il. IOOMBS"
Inc mandate. " Answer at once" Id obeyed. Mr.
Wood replies follows:
:" Hen. r. ToosBs, MaedgegiRe Gesyqfa: