The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-02-17


York, at the Academy of Music, Gov
ernor Seymour of New York, Seymour
of Connecticut, Fernando Wood, and,
in fine, all the representative men OF
New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana
and elsewhere, of the Opposition, should
have endorsed Vallandigham Why,
on les account, did they seek to influence
the people almost to the point of revolt!
Were these honest, true, faithful, loyal
men who did this =? Who did this when
the nation was in great peril; when the
administration needed most the strong
hand, and fervid hearts, and whole infiu-
ence of united people to fill up our thin
ranks, and aid our noble defenders in
the field? Who were they who cavilled
and pettifogged about the draft, until
New Y York was deluged in blood by riot
ers? Certainly these were not the acts
of friends of the administration; but
they were the deeds of the Opposition.
Even the defeated candidate for Cover
nor of Pennsylvania, Judge Woodward,
was distinguished only by, and recon-
mended, therefore, to, the Opposition by
his hostility to the conscription act for
barely was he defeated before he hasten
ed to announce, in an elaborate judicial
opinion, his view that the draft was un-
constitutional and void. For what rea-
son have the Opposition thus conducted
themselves? Why is it that even now,
in his last message, Governor Seymour
of New York, publishes to the whole
world of men, to Europe and to the Re-
bellion, an elaborate statement to insin-
uate the glaring and dangerous lie, that
we are a bankrupt people? Their reasons
have been given and considered already
in this article, wherein we have treated
of Military Law and Arbitrary Arrests.
Did these leaders really feel the force of
such reasons to be so all compelling as
to overwhelm even their apprehension
for the fate of the National arms? Can
any one believe that these men were ac-
tuated by any other designs than those
which forever impel the maneuvers of
gambling politicians? Nor must it be for
gotten that large portion of this Opposi-
ton held immense peace meetings in the
city of New York; that they even went
so far as to juggle large proportion of
the people into almost insubordination
on that idea; and that leaders among
them were imprudent enough to assume
that the rebels should be treated with,
without paying the slightest regard to
/ the existence of the Government
Now if the Opposition had had their
way, we should have had no Eman-
| cipation edict; no draft; no declaration OF
military law unless on the stage of ac
tive hostilities public sentiment, intlam-
! ed by pernicious sympathy with the re
/ bellion, would have run riot; the courts
would have been loaded down by infam-
atory cases of arrested persons; and in
cendiary lawyers, incendiary speeches
and an incendiary press would long ago
/ have betrayed us to the rebellion.
But the '.sober second thought of the
people came. They saw the precipice
to which their leaders were decoyine
them, and they recoiled. With a hearty
/ good will they came back to the support
of the administration; and, thank God
we thus escaped the greatest peril which
/ the country has known since the rebel
+ lion broke out.
! This conduct of our noble people in
duced the leading actors of the Opposi-
/ ton to assume new parts in their cum
ningly devised play. Suddenly they be
came very patriotic. Even now, those
members in the Congress who were float
/ ed on the wild (but now rebuked) wave
of public excitement and impulse, (mem-
bers without constituency will be
found exceedingly loyal in their votes
and speeches.
But can they deceive again? Is the
reptile any less venomous because he has
shed his skin? Is he not the same snake:
What are we to infer would be the con
duct of such men if, like Mr.. LINCOLN
they held the sword and purse of the ma
ton? If they controlled the vast patron
age of this war? If they directed its
arms; if to them were confided the trus
of negotiating peace? Is it not pain
fully evident, even to the plainest mind
that these men are not patriots; but tha'
they are mere politicians, whose only
hope of a restoration of the politica
power which has departed from then
consists in some such sort of re union
as shall enable them, once more. to EN-
ploy the political element of slavery a
the foundation of their hopes of party
success?
What are the antecedents of the leaders o
this Opposition? Remember that thes.
are the men who crushed DOUGLAS be
meath the car of slavery; the men who
palzied the hands, the heart and heae
of Buchanan; and who fed their expiring
hopes on the fortunes of the armed trai
tor breckenridge. One glance at those