Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-02-26
Hard Blow. on the copperhead, inN.Y.

\ warm debate took place in the y y.
Legislature on the 10th. \ section of the
Appropriation bill, providing 5000 for
the expenses Of the '' National Guard. -,
called, wa> under consideration. Nj. Al,ori
on the floor denounced the appointment, oi
Commissioned officers under tine new law a>
extremely partisan, and asserted that thcy
were in his district a. nineteen uniricndlv Q,
the Government. to one who ws- true to the
fag.
Another gentleman, says the y 5. Eve
Pofi-Mr. lIesley. Of Wyoming said thar 100
hs county the regiment organized aa> entirely
partisan; the colonel Is chairman OF the County
e Democratic Committee; the lieuteuant-co.o-
mel is a leading " democratic politician" the
major has been " democratic candidate f0r
the Assembly, and the captains and lieuteuant-
are democrats. Their followers were all told
that if they joined this regiment they would be
exempt from the draft. They were told that
Governor Seymour had control Of this Guard and
he was all right
The evidence is conclusive that the persons
engaged in organizing the National Guard have
endeavored 10 surround themselves with men
who do not sympathize with the government, in
its struggle with rebellion. Some, indeed, OF
the more prominent managers have openly la
bored 10 array the State against the general
government. In nearly every instance extreme
men have been appointed by Governor Seymour
Out Of niHefy-sir colonies. all bit one are
- democrGfsi" Repeatedly loyal men have
been turned away without commissions. to make
room for partlzan favOrites. In one case, when
in the hour Of the nation perils full regiment
wa soffered to Governor Seymour, Il reject
ed without single commission having been
given for no other reason than the disposition Of
the men 20 fight for the country, while almost
Immediately thereafter commission was given
to a man who is a colonel without single sol
der In another case individual has been
made colonel of regiment who Is an open
ccssionist, boldly opposing the war, and ayow-
ing publicly that he would rather see the coun-
try divided than the rebels subdued
Another fact equally significant was disclosed
in the course Of this debate OF all the regi-
ments that went from this State last July to the
defence of the North against invasion, not one
belonged to this pet National Guard. -
The ire of the democrats was greatly
aroused BY what was stated during the de-
bate. A correspondent Of the y. Y. Com
meroal says
Charges of deliberate fslsehood were freely
| given and retorted, until Gen. Crooke, Of Brook
| lyn, obtaining the floor, hoped his old Demo
| cratic friends would not show so much over-sen-
sitiveness whenever Democrat was charged
with being Secessionist. These charges really
meant nothing, and should be taken in " Pick
wickian' sense. Everybody knew that Democrats,
| as body, were not all secessionists, but it
/ a lamentable fact that when a man was found
whose sympathies were with the rebels he Hdtu-
rallv sagged over to the Democratic party-it
was their misfortune. This " brought down the
house. He said that on his return from Get
| tysburg With the Brooklyn troops last July, he
was informed that organizations were forming
/ for secret purposes. He made Investigations in
! relation to this matter, and ascertained that
/ there were in Kings County two such, with
! over fifteen hundred members each. sworn to
! oppose any draft by the General Government
/ and to stand by the State Government; and
| further. that every man of these was either a
/ so-called Democrat or an alien. He did not
state this on hearsay, but actual fact.
This was a stunDer, and progress was report
ell on the bill Ii wa> made a special order for
March lst. The entire Appropriation will be
stricken out. the Act Of 1862 repealed, and the
F old law revived, with some improvement pro-
vided. always" that the Executive veto does
not prevent all this.