The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-07-24

mise between the two extremes of the
party, as the country approached the
great struggle of 1860, the Northern
States contained no more trucking de-
voice of the slave power than Horatio
Seymour. He advocated the Crittenden
compromise as measure of pacifcation,
thus yindieating his reputation as a
trimmer and half-ahd-half man. He
was invited by the committee of the
great Union Square meeting, held upon
the fall of Fort Sumter, together with
rem, Fernando Wood, Archbishop
Hughes and the like, to indorse the cause
of the war for the Union. Hughes wrote
a vigorous letter recommending the
maintenance of the government. Even
Wood for the time took the same stand.
But Seymour declined to cooperate,
and deprecated all effort to maintain the
Union by force. He has asserted that
while at Milwaukee heaided in, paying
the expense of sending a regiment TO
Washington, and that on his return he
made speech before the New York
Legislature, which was so far loyal that
Governor Morgan Thought it calculated
to modify the opposition of the Cop
perhead members of the Legislature TO
the war and therefore moved rute of
thanks. He also allowed, his name
to be placed by the Adjutant General at
the head ola county committee for fur
thering enlistments all of which facts
prove rather the desire of the Union
men to win him to good behavior than
any intrinsic loyalty on his part. In the
fail of 1862, under the influence of Nc
Cellan's disastrous failures in the Chick
ahominy campaign. which were ingeni-
ously distorted into charges. not against
the President. the Union cause was de-
pressed In New York, and Governor
Seymour was nominated against Cen
eral Wadsworth. Gen. Wadsworth was
defeated by a gang of corrupt politicians
who. failing to rule the nominating con-
vention, took revenge on its patriotic
candidate by secretly supporting the
Democratic nominee. Seymour was
elected. though running, as OH all other
occasions, largely behind his ticket. AS
Governor, he pursued his characteristic
timorous course, occupying himself
mainly in reducing the quota of New
York, in proving that it had been filed
instead of filing it, ETC., until the July
rioti this city in opposition TO the draft.
The object of these riots, which were
undertaken while Lees army was still
in Pennsylvania, was to stop the draft not
only in New York, but in all the States,
and so compel the government to aban-
don the war. A series of vast murder
GUS mobs of many thousands each,
swayed wildly through the city, killing,
burning and robbing, venting their
vengeance especially on negro orphan
asylums, schools and tenements. but
killing also Republicans, soldiers, draft
officers, police and whoever came adj
versely in their way. From 1000 to
800 were thus murdered. AT the time
of Governor Seymour's arrival at the
city hall large mob ofrioters, who had
assembled in front of the Tribune Of
fee, and were being urged by their
leaders to make an assault upon it, hear
ing that the Governor wanted to adj
dress them, they moved en- m0Sse over
to the city hall, where Seymour deliver
ed to them the following speech, their
ringleader standing beside him while
he spoke. He said:
MY FRIENDS: / have come down
here from the quiet of the country to see
what was the difficulty; to learn what
all this trouble was concerning the draft.
Let me assure you that am your friend.
(UprOarious cheering.l You have been
my friends-[Cries Of Eyes. yes, that's
SO, and we will be again" and now [
assure you, my fellow citizens, that l am
here to show you test of my friend
ship. Cheers. / WISH TO INFORM YOU
THAT HAVE SENT MY ADJUTANT GEN
ERAL TO WASHINGTON TO CONFER WITH
THE AUTHORITIES THERE, AND TO HAVE
THIS DRAFT SUSPENDED AND STOPPED.
lVOciferous cheers.1 l ask you as good
citizens to wait for his return, and | as
sure you that will do all that can to
see that there is no inequality and no
wrong done to any one. l wish you to
take good care of all property, as good
Oft hot .
safe. The safe keeping of property and
persons rests with you, and l charge
you to disturb neither. 1t is your duty
to maintain the good order OF the city,
and 1 EnolO you tCiU do 1T. / wish you
now to separate, and you can assemble
again 1chenerer you actSh to do so. l
ask you to leave all to me now, and l
will see to your rights. Wait until my
adjutant returns from Washington, and
you shall be satisfied. Listen to me and see
that there is no harm done to either per-
sons or property, but retire peaceably.
The draft was not stopped, and so far
Governor Seymour's promises were falls
flied, but its enforcement required 3d.
600 troops to be withdrawn from the
army to New York, at time when they
were most needed to confront the en-
envy. Probably no public officer ever
more sigpally disgraced himself than
Governor Seymour did on this occasion
by making promises which he could not
perform, to those who were contending
against a government he had sworn to
support. AT this time Governor Sey-
mour prepared the way for Pendleton,
by predicting reputation, by arguing
the hostility between the East and
West on the national debt question, and
by advocating taxation of the bonds.
Pendleton having since stolen his thun-
der and surpassed his elOquence On
these questions, he has recently spoken
more moderately, and atlast leaned suf-
fclently the other way to raise an issue
on which to defeat Pendleton. In 1864
Seymour was again nominated for Gov
ernor. but was beaten by Governor Fen
ton, Seymour again running far behind
his ticket. In the National Democrat.
&c convention of that year, at Chicago
Seymour was permanent President, and
the New York delegation exercised q
ruling influence. The platform, which
declared the war failure was Jointly
concocted by Seymour and Vallandig-
ham, the two leading spirits of the com
mittee on resolutions. Thus, at the
darkest crisis of our great struggle with
the rebellion, Mr.. Seymour took the
lead, and exercised a more potent in.
huence than any other one man in de.
nounciDg the Ear as failure, eneOur.
aging the rebels to fight on, and spread
ing distrust in the minds of our army
and people, and disEnay in the hearts o.
the friends of the American Union
throughout the world. The means BIZ
which HOratio Seymour has ohtainoc