Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1868-09-26
sEYMoUR,s DEFENSE.

| satiate thirst on the blood of revolution, and
the ghostly wreck and wild devastation Of
internecine war still remains to remind u:
of the terrible ordeal through which oul
country has but just passed. scathed but un-
broken, yet do We find the sufrages of the
loyal people demanded by one whose record
for patriotism and loyalty has been blotted
by mistrust and suspicion. is not absolutely
disflgured by the dark. damning lines of trea-
son and disloyalty. Who would have be-
lieved, when traitors threw down their arms
| in despair before the victorious army OF
| Grant, and, with them, surrendered up all
| hope OF the accomplishment of their hellish
designs, when the glad cry of victory and
devastation, that any American citizen could
be found, who even professed a love for
country, who could ever be induced 10 grant
his support to one whose record for loyalty
during the rebellion needed defending Who
would have believed that one, who in 1868
most heartily denounced the efforts of the
country to suppress the rebellion, and pro-
nounced the war a failure, could hope, in
1868, to obtain the votes of loyal men, much
less win political fight waged against an
opponent, who, at the very time those SEN
timents were uttered, was laundering at the
gates of Vicksburg, and undermining the
mighty ramparts of secessions Yet, such
an one we find in the person of Horatio Sey-
mour, the Democratic candidate for the high
est Office within the gift of the American
people. He has been arraigned by sover-
eign people for disloyalty; and we fnd-it
is useless to deny the fact-few protesting
loyalty, and even who fought rebellion as
loud -mouthed traitors, public journals claim
ing to have always been for union, and those
sek-accused and self convicted of treason
entering earnestly upon his defense. They
have succeeded in securing up the single
bright spot they have been able TO discover
upon his political escutcheon, and guided
it over until they really begin to think that
its whole dark surface has become illumin-
ated thereby. This Mgle bright spot is the
prompt action he evinced in forwarding
troops, at the request of the President, when
Pennsylvania was invaded. Self-interest and
self-protection demanded that; for had Get
tysburg falleE, the peaceful fields of his own
State would have become the theatre of war,
been laid waste by the rebel hordes in spite
of the efforts and protestations of the SYM
pathizing Democracy. Was this single act
sufficient to establish his character for pat
riotism. prompted by self-interest, as it was
If his record ended here it would be far moro
satisfactory. But we find him the nominee
ofa convention controlled by-inhuential and
active traitors; applauded by the rebel press
which claims his election as rebel victory
an accomplishment of all they Tough; for.
We have seen him, in the hour of our most
eminent peril. presiding over an important
political body which publicly declared the
war II failure, and demanded a cessation of
hostilities, which sentiments he endorsed.
If he has never been disloyal, he was craven
hearted and vascillating, and therefore unfit
to control the destinies of nation over
which, even now. the cloud of peril casts an
minous shadow. 1t is indeed a sad COM
mentary upon the character of the American
people that their memories so lily serve them,
for they either seem already to lave forgotten
the outrages and horrors of the rebellion.
and those who caused them, or they extend
the principles of charity and forgiveness to
too great latitude by far. In their private
the suspicious end untrustworthy would
by no means give their interests into the
hands of an unreliable or dishonest person,
yet they would blindly entrust their most
sacred rights, their most holy legacy. the
liberties of their country. in the hands of
man who has, by his own acts, proven him.
self untrue to his country, craven hearted
and distrustfu'. In the present hour we want
man to rule our national affairs who never
finched. to whom reverses served but to
give greater strength of purpose and deter
mination, whose patriotism stands out as
bright and clear as the MONDAY sun, who
has made up his own record for loyalty and
lf-sacri6ce for country, and whose record
requires no defense. Horatio Seymour is
not such man, but we do find such an one
personifed in Ulysses S. Grant.