Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1868-08-12
LETTER OF HON. HORATIo SEY-
MOUR ACCEPTING THE DEMO
CRATIC NOMINATION FOR
THE PRESIDENCY.
UTICA, August 4.


| ed to me its unanimous nomination as its
candidate for the office of President of the
United States, stated had no words "ad-
equate to express my gratitude for the
good will and kindness which that body
had shown to me. Its nomination was
unsought and unexpected 1t was my ambi-
lion to ,ake active part, from which am now
excluded, in the great struggle going on
for the restoration of good government, of
peace and prosperity to our country. But
! have been caught up by the whelming
tide which is bearing us on to a great polit
ical change, and find myself unable to re-
sst IFS pressure. You have also given me
a copy of the resolutions put forth by the
Convention, showing its position upon all
the great questions which now agItate the
country. AS the presiding officer of that
Convention, | am familiar with their scope
and import; as one of its members, | am
party to their terms. They are in accordance
with my views, and | stand upon them in
the contest upon which we are now eEter-
ing, and shall strive to carry them out in
future, wherever | may be placed, in polit-
ical or private life"
l then stated that l would send you
these words of acceptance in letter, as is
the customary form. / see no reason, up
on reflection, to change or qualify the tel ms
of my approval of .the resolutions of the
| Convention.
| have delayed the mere formal act Of
communicating to you in writing what |
thus publicly said, for the purpose of see
ing what light the action of Congress
would throw upon the interest of the coun-
try Its acts since the adjournment OF the Con
ventiOn show an alarm lest change of po-
liticaI power will give to the people what
| they ought to have-a clear statement of
what has been done with the money drawn
from them during the past eight years
Thoughtful men feel that there have been
wrongs in the financial management which
have been kept from the public knowledge
The Congressional party has not only allied
itself with military power, which is to be
brought to bear directly upon the elections
of many States, but it also holds itself in
perpetual session, with the avowed purpose
of making such laws as il shall see fit, in
view of the elections which will take place
in few weeks. 1t did not, therefore, ad-
jonrn, but take a recess. to meet again ii
its partisan interests shall demand its reas-
sembllng. Never before in the history Of
our Country has Congress thus taken a
menacing attitude towards its electors.
Under its influence some Of the States or
ganized by its agents are proposing to de-
prive the people of the right to vote for
Presidential electors, and the first bold steps
are taken to destroy the rights of suffrage
1t is not strange, therefore, that thoughtful
men see in such action the proof that there
is with those who shape the policy of the
Republican party, motive stronger and
deeper than the mere wish to hold pollt-
ical power; that there is a dread of some
exposure whicE drives them on to acts so
desperate impoitic.
Many Of the ablest leaders and journals
of the Republican party have openly de-
plored the violence of Congressional action
and its tendency to keep mp dseord in our
country. The great interests of our I'm
ion demand peace, order, and return to
those industoral pursuits without which We
cannot maintain the faith or honor of our
Government The minds of the business
men are perplexed by uncertainties. The
hours of toll of our laborers are leugthen-
ed by the costs of living made by the di-
rect and indirect exactions of Government
Our people are harrased by the heavy and
frequent demand of the tax gatherer.-
Without distinction of party there is a
strong feeling in favor of that line of ac-
ton which shall restore order and conf
dence, and shall lift off the burdens which
now hinde: and vex the industry of the
country. Yet at this momentthose in DOW
er have thrown into the Senate Chamber
and Congressional Hall new elements Of
discord and violence. Men have been ad
mitted as Representatives of some of the
Southern States, with the declaration upon
their lips that they cannot live in the States
they claim to represent, without military
protection. These men are to make laws
for the North as well as the South. These
men, who few days since were seeking as
suppliants that Congress would give them
power within their respective States, are
to-day the masters and controllers of those
bodies. Entering them with minds filled
with passion, their first demands have been
that Congress shall look upon the States
from which they come as in conditions OF
civil war; that the majority of their popu-
latons, embracing their intelligence, shall
be treated as public enemies; that military
forces shall be kept mp at the cost of the peo-
pie of the North, and that there shall be no
peace and order at the South save that
which is made by arbitrary power. Every
intelligent man knows that these men owe
their seats in Congress to the disorder in
the South; every man knows that they not
only owe their present positions to disor-
der but that every motive springing from
the love of power, of gain, of desire for
vengeance, prompts them to keep the South
in anarchy. While that exists, they are
Independent of the wills or wishes of their
fellowcitizens. While confusion reigns,
they are dispensers of the profits and the
donors which grew out of the government
of mere force. These men are now placed
in positions where they cannot urge their
views of policy. but where they can en-