New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-21
BORATJO SEYuOUFS LOYALTY.

HORATIO SEYUOURS LOYALTY.
Horati0 Seymour was conspicuous In our
National affairs throughout the long struggle
which eliminated in the overthrow of Slavery
and Rebellion. During the eventful four years
and a half which interviewed between Lincoln's
first election and the surrender of the last
Rebel organization, he not only made many
speeches, but delivered carefully prepared
oratiOns and addressed our Legislature in two
Annual Messages. If then, he at any time
expressed or evinced hearty sympathy
with the anti-Rebcl cause, it must be easy to
quote his exact words. Where are they? In
what one of his many utterances during those
eventual years did he in substance say, "The
Rebellion is causeless and unjustfabe, and
1T is emphatically right that it be put down
"by the strong hand. Let us help suppress it
"by all the means in our power Give us the
passagel
On the contrary, do VIC not all know that he
was barking at the heels of the Government
from the first to the last hour of the conflict !
Did he not cavil, and find fault, and embarrass,
throughout Were not the Rebels abundantly
justified in cheering and shouting over the
tdings of his election as Governor of our State 7
But it is said that Mr.. Seymour differed
from President Lincoln as to the management
and conduct of the War, and more especially
objected to the measures employed to repress
manifestations of dsloyalty in the States not
dominated by the Rebellion. Let us consider
this:
When the Twcddle Hall Convention was held
in Albany Jan. 81, 1861, Dir. Buchanan still
trembled in the White House. Mr.. Lincoln
had not yet been inaugurated, and had been
entirely silent since the popular vote which
insured his election. OF course, the Rcpubli
cans, having no power, had done nothing as
yet to excuse sympathy with treason. Yet
Mr. Seymour's speech held them uD TO popular
odium as tho responsible authors Of all our ills,
and had not one word of reproach or ccnsure
(when did he ever utter any y for those who
were then dragging the Southern States out of
the Union. There had then been no suspension
of Habeas Corpus, arbitrary arrests, or the like
to excuse virtual dsloyalty: Yet Mr.. Seymour
then saw fit to say:
owe arc advised by the Conservative States OF Virginia
ana heHVHy tI, , oIes stb od he an act ~
folly and madness, In entering uron this contest To UNI
disgrace Of defeat in nglor0us warfare Let also
IL successful coercion by the North Is less revolution
prevent revolution by being foremost in oVethi9Wlhg
the principles government and all that makes II
valuable TO our people, and distinguishes 1t among the
nations OF the carthf
Here we see Seymour virtually charging
the Republicans with bcng foremost in
overtlrowing the principles of our govern
"ment,n &c, because they threatened to
maintain the Constitution and enforce the
laws in resistance to Secession. He asserted,
Al. - Q,,I
''by the North would he no "less revolution
airy than successful secession by the South"
Of course, he was never pleased with any blow
that hit the Rebels hard, so that they were in
danger of losing breath. Two months there
after, he told Judge Charles II. Ruggles that
the best way to settle our difficulties was to
have New-York aud other Northern States
adopt the Montgomery Constitution and seek
admission into the Southern Coniederacy. He
saw nothing revolutionary in Hdt
In September, 1862, President Lincoln issued
his first Proclamation of Freedom. Mr.. Sey
mour of course condemned and denounced it.
The Utica Herald states that lie then declayed
that, if the Union could only he restored by
Emancipation, then it ought not to be restored
that Slavery's right to exist was paramount
to that of the Union. 1t pleased God that the
issue of our struggle should not correspond
with Seymours prccOnceptiOns.
In the Summer of 1862. Mr. Seymour was
nominated for Governor and made one or two
speeches which were claimed as War speeches.
We could not so understand them. He de-
clared that he would never give up the Union:
we have seen by what means and under what
conditions he proposed to maintain it, We
have heard that to one who told him that
Gen. Wadsworth would be his competitor, he
rcplied--"IIe will be strong candi-
date or soldiers run WeH this gear"
Owing to the absence of One Hundred and
Twenty-Five Thousand of our bravest and best
at the seat of war, of whom not less than
Seventy-fve Thousand were legal voters, who,
if they could have voted, would have given
vast majority for WadswOrth Mr.. Seymour
was chosen Governor. His Message to the
Legislature professed devotion to the Union,
but was emincntly calculated to embanass
and discourage those who were fighting to
restore it, 1t complained that New-York
had been drawn upon for too many
men. 1t grumbled over arbitrary arrests,
martial law, &C. It's whole spirit was CEN
serious and depreciating toward those who
were bending to the heavy task Of putting
down the Rebellion. That the North was ut
least as much to blame as the South for the
Rebellion, was the ever-recurring keynote Of
the Governors song. Here is a sample of it:
at was when the world was astonlshed with the power
and wealth growing out of our National Union, that
tional prcudccs and passions active IN destroying
fraternal affection and generous love of country
While We boosted most OF our Intelligence there were
those persstenty and aborousy engaged through the
press and in legislative halls IN teaching tho people OF
The North and the South TO underyaue aud desse each
other. Hostile legislation and tho division OF our
churches impaired religious ana social intercourse II
the North and the South had understood the power and
oo,fao 9TH