Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-10-24
President JOhnsOn'S Letter to
Gov. Seymour.
SEYMOUR'S SPEECH AT
ERIE.


CLEVELAND, Oct. 23.-Gov. Seymour
s-and narty arrived from Buffalo az P. NJ.
He w. received at all places where the
train stopped by considerable assemblages,
and spoke at Dunkirk, Weafeld, Erie.
Ashtabula and Panurville. His Erie
speech was as fellows:
Ibid not expect to meet here this great
coDcourse of people. have gone cut 10
speak to the ciizens of this country upon
The question which nov agitate the public
mind. 1t is said | am interested now,
and 80 is every man who pays taxes and
helps support the government.
As a candidate / am not to be looked
upon as one perfectly disint crested, al
though | am most earnest and sincere in
the views ! advocate. But how would it
be if none of those who had an interest in
this contest were to take part in it
who would have voted for the Republican
ticket little while since, if every office
holder had stayed away from the contest
[Cries of no, no. / find when | look
over the list of your officials, that they
number more than G0,0O0.
l contend that with the impartial peo-
pie who have 40 other relationship with
ihis government except as good tax payers
and citizens, that the Democratic party
have a great and commanding majority.
TCheeTs. | cannot address you now at
length1pon the questions of the day. l
am soon 10 leave here, and time will not
admit of my doing so. | can only give
you one or two words of eXhortatioH. We
are now about to perform a great aud SOL
emn duty, and one that is 10 be far-reach-
ing in its consequences.
Whatever mems political views may be,
they should exercise them fearlessly, I'M
scrupulOusly and honestly. No man can
afford to cast his vote on any consideration
but for the good Of his country, for upon
this action hangs many things that concern
notonly its present, but its future welfare.
Let's lay aside passion and pre3udices, and
address questions upon which we are to
act in a calm, dispassionate and patriotic
method.
/ impeaCh no mans patriotism because
be does not think as | think. | impugn
no mans notions because he can't see
things as | see them. ] emily eXhort all
men whatever their political views may be
at this time to reflect when they think on
the solemn duties of the day a. to what is
for the best intercsl of our country (cheers).
We are prone to indulge too much in
abuse. Let us act not upon our preiudices
against each other.
Let us not be influenced by the pictures
that may be drawn of the candidates for
office, for l may say for my political op.
ponent as well as for myself, that no man
ever contemplated the duties of the Office
Of the President of the United States, with
ont being filled with the most earnest de-
sire to do Justice to himself and to do duty
TO the land which We all love.
/ can't speak TO you longer. / am &C.
companied by men who may address you
upon the questions of the day. | am
wearied with my eIertions. Wherever l
have been our citizens have poured out as
they have done here, because there is some
thing in the condition of the government
that makes thoughtful men anxious.
! trust that, so far as the executive
office is concerned, if the people see fit to
vote for the Democratic nOmiees, that
thPg may not come short in serving the
country as tbey would wish ] bid you
good-by, my Friends, of whatever party,
and may God in his mercy bless this great
land of ours for our own good, and for the
good Of those who are to come after us,
cheers, and a voice, Thank God we
have a candidate able TO say something.
,The following is Governor Seymour's
suaech at Cleveland:
Fellow-citizens: ! regret have but
vety few moments to stand before you
tonight. There is much that would be
glad TO say to the citizens of Ohio, upon
questions which 80 greatly effect the pros.
pefity OF our common country and the in
terests of all classes of the people, mat
tersin which you, my friends, are so deeply
concerned. | come before you invested
with an especial interest, because | am a
candidate for your votes. Enthusiastic
cheers and applause
! should mistrust my own conclusion
upon this almighty subject connected with
the government. If they had been borne
amid the excitement of a heated political
CANVASS, but they did not four or five
years ago when ] looked carefully into the
sources of our national prosperity. Our
metropolis is the great centre of the COM
.merCe and trade Of the country, while we
SwhO live in the interior are enriched by
the great Chanoels of communication
which pass through, connecting the
East and West Our prosperity is based
on the prosperity of the whole and espe-
Cially upon that of the mighty West
| stand before you TO briefly allude &c
the conclusions | formed long since, not az
public officer but private citizen of this
nation. | must necessarily be very briet
as my time is short. 4 few years ago the
government wiped out all our States bonds
Ii burdenGd them with such heavy taxa.
tion that they could not live, and took
upon Itself TO give TO the people the cur.
Tencp, required for business.
When the government DESTROYED oul
currency, II gave us a new one, and it wa,
the duty of that government to see il wa
so appropriated that it would subserye IN,
best interest of the whole country. L
gave to Mass. tity-seven million dollars
and We find upon comparison that New
York, Ohio, and other States received mucl
less than their share 1t gave Rhod
Island seventy dollars to each lcitizen, ant
! 10 Ohio eight dollars TO each citizen.
Now if a great deal of currency ia goo,
f5r the people of Massachusetts ar
Rhode Island why is it not Just as good 70
son in Ohio? Loud cheers and cries c
yes, yes, that's whats the matter. j as
the business men Of your beautiful city {
Cleveland, TO look into these thiRgs-the'
have enterprise and iudgment-and as
whether the true sentiment of this impol
tsnt question Is not of vastly greater impol
lance than merely 10 win political victc
b ries- Cheers.
WEST VURGIKIA