The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-10-22
a Few Plain Words IN Regard 20 the
Debt and the Democracy.

Horatio Seymour was once Governor
of New York. He is now prominent
Democratic candidate for the Presi-
dency. When he was Governor he had
in New York city a peculiar constit-
uencY, of men whom he publicly re-
cognized as his especial friends, and
whose votes and acts demonstrated be-
yond dispute their close sympathy with
him. They resisted the laws that bad
been passed to save the national life,
murdered national officers, and burned
down orphan asylums. They refused
to fight for the flag of their country, but
enthusiastically y cheered the name of its
chief enemy. They rose in rebellion
in the North to aid. the rebellion in the
South. AS Governor, MIR. Seymour
was called on to suppress the riot; aud
in discharge Of this duty he sent no
orders backed by grape shot, but words
of undisguised hattery and cajolery.
II he had had the nerve, as he had the
will, he would probably have set the
State against the nation; as 1t was, laok-
ing the practical stamina of a revOlu-
tionary chief, he contentsd himself
| with cozening the traitors whom the
nation fought.
This man, of such antecedents, has
recently come out from his hiding-place
| and spoken at great length on national
| issues. He now seeks 10 accuse the en-
lightened men who saved the nation.
He, the unpatriotic magistrate, has
yentured to assail the statssmen who
stood by their post in the hour of dark
ness and peril. He now charges that
''the people are robbed ~ that whereas,
| in 1860, the expenses OF Lhe government
were S5S, ,0O0. 900, they are now SIS, 900, :
| 600, apart from the interest of the ma
tional debt. There may be no doubt OF
all Ihis-but who created this debt?
Who caused southern leaders to believe
that "tire in the rear" would aid their
efforts to revolt3 Who sanctioned and
advocated the theories which resulted
| in the war; Whose administration
dispersed our navy and scattered our
army, and supplied the traitors with
maskets and artillery, in order 10 facil-
itate their plot Tor the destruction OF
| the Uuion7 From what party did the
southern generals recruit their armies 2
Whose hands fired the shot at Sumter,
and whose rifles were aimed At north
ern hearts? Will Mr., Seymour dare
TO say that single republican was q
party to any of these causes OF the war z
Not oven he has the audHcity TO do So
These question: completely answer
the democratic clamor ab0ut expense.
II the government had spent our last
dollar, instead of having incurred the
debt that We now owe, the great heart
of the American people would have
SnnClIOHbu anu hPPiaahGN LIE % %
Whatever the aInou Mt on the debt side
| of the ledger might have been, the en-
| try on the other page, by Use UItioHt
sGped, !" would have balanced the books.
And when democrats harp about
| finance, or when rebels applaud them,
| the ioyal republicans need furnish no
other reply than that our party saved
| the nation which the democracy, North
and South, did their best TO destroy.
4Itis unite true that our expenses are
| heavy; but It is equally true that they
cannot be less until the South IS recon
structed. When we forget Memphis
aud New Orleans, and the testimony of
eUerV military district commander, or,
| on the other hand, when the South ex-
hibits a patriotic spirit, 1t may be time
| TO withdraw our army and restore civil
government there-but not ttil then.
bnt IL is not on record that he was
thanked for his economy. Mr.. Bu-
chanan kept our military expenses