The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-08-12
Grave Charge Against Governor Seymour
Startling DeN eIOpmcnts

Startling DeN elOpments
The Buffalo (N y Express contains the fol-
lowing
The Commissioned officers of the Goth regi
ment y. G. :. \. Y, residing in the Second As
sembly district OF Niagara county. have publish
ed an address to the citizens OF that district.
which contains a statement Of facts calculated
to starte, not only the community to whom II is
addressed, but the loyal people of the entire
state. The narrative of these officers NAV be
briefly given.
On receiving the general order issued by the
Adutant General of this State on the lath OF
June, directing the organization of a regiment
of the New York National Guard in each As
sembly district, the officers of the Goth appoin-
ted a meeting TO be held at Wilson for the Dur
puse OF taking the proper steps in execution of
the order. Their district contained four fully
organized companies of the Goth, but the Colonel
OF that existing regiment, resided elseW here.
/ In such case, according to the terms of the or
/ der, Colonel for the new district organization
was to be appointed and these officers as a
matter OF course, to be consulted in the selec-
ton OF the same. Before their meeting was
+ held, however, they received information that
one VIM. McCrea, OF Cambria, a man unknown
to them, without military experience, aud pre.
viOusly unconnected with the militia, had been
/ appointed Colonel.
/ Necessarily the appointment was unsatisfac.
tory. They met and found themselves unani-
mOusy desirOus OF securing the appointment of
Col George l.. MOote, of Porter Their feelings
were communicated ~ NJ Af-T x
pressed Himself favorably disposed 10 an accom-
mOdatiOn OF the matter, which should place Col
Moote at the head Of the regiment, himself ia
king lower commission. A meeting Nas appoin-
] tl,- - ~
Mr.. McCrea's disposition underwent change: he
repudated his own proposition, refused to attend
any conference, and declared his resolution to
proceed in the arbitrary exercise of the author-
ty conferred on him by the Governor
And now comes the startling development to
which those difficulties led. In conversation
with some OF the officers, Mr.. McCrea gave an
explanation of his conduct, and this explanation
is reported in their address, as below. Ii is the
statement of Capt. Seahlenon, and in introlu-
cling il the officers saw: " This statement was re-
duced TO writing very soon after the conversa-
ton, and 1t. Petit declares that Mr. McCrea
told him the same in substanee-in fact, nearly
word for word Those who know the gentle
men, place implicit reliance in the truth Of the
statement to which they are ready at any time
to testify, which is a. follows
." saw Col. McCrea, Jsy Z, 1868 He said
/ 10 1
colonel in this district; bu, as it was pressed on
me by men that | knew to be right for our Gov
ernOr, I accepted. / will say TO YOU, but conf
dentially, the object of this is to get this militia
force into our hands-have proper men appoin-
ted-and, If the Governor wishes TO resist the
National draft, which he intends to do as be
thinks it unconstitutional, he can do so safely ::
for he then will have proper men in office over
this National Guard, so as to control il to his
wish, resist the draft, AID the people cannot
help themselves, as they will have no military
that they can control to their wish. have this
from headquarters, from gentlemen that saw
the Governor on this subject. 1t is not only my
view of this matter, but the Governors and our
party's.'"
The gentlemen who bring this statement Of
alarming facts before the public are eleven in
number, and by name as follows:
Capt. James NJ. Newman, Capt. II. Eschbaugh,
Capt J. W. Egcleston, Capt S Y SeahlenOn,
1t VIM. o. Petit, L. Alvin Wilson, 1t. J.
Vincent, 1t. H. Ontwater, 1t. B. Miller, L..
VIM. Pool, Quartermaster J. VI. McChesnev.
They say in their address considerable
! portion OF our number are democrats of l0aK
standing" and express the " belief"-which s
evidently, so far as the first clause Is concerned
a dubious hope, rather than a belief-that
Mr.. McCrea grossy misrepresents Governor
Seymour and the great majority of the demo-
crat party
Now, what, it becomes every loyal citizen to
ask, are We to think Of this matters II the ties.
tmony here brought came 70 US unsupported by
any other indications or evidences of mon
strOus design, in the reorganization Of the
State militia, to make t the instrument of
treason to the National Governmeni-a subser-
Went power in the hands Of q rebellious State
Governor. 70 be used in resisting the execution
Of a national law-then We might Justly refuse
to consider il warrant sufficient for the harbor
ing OF so dreadful a suspicion. But il does not
stand unsupported. here has been more than
one proceeding In connection with Governor
Seymour's sudden undertaking TO reorsanize the
State militia, Of a strange aui suspicious charac-
ter. Who could find, for instance, loyal ex
planation Of the appointment of -Iohn i. Green,
Of Syracuse-the notorious opponent Of the war
and sympathizer with the rebelion-to a Briga-
der Generalship? and why DO we hear il init
mated from all directions that the minor appoint
ments have been made Of the same outrageous
character?
The action of Governor Seymour IN relation
to the riot Of last week in New York Is not
calculated to discredit the testimony Of his Mag
ara county Colonel