The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-11-02

AN ORIGINAL sEcEssIoN1sE>

Mr.. SevmOur's secession views In the
following passage from bis published
. Diary North and South" Mr.. Rus
seI i describing IA dinner party In
New York In 1861:
1.-The occasion offered itself to Mr..
Horatio Seymour to give me his views
of the Constitution of the United
States, and by degrees the theme
spread over the table. \
y There was not a man who
that the Government had
any power to coerce the people of a
State or to force a State to remain in
the Union or under the action Of the
Federal Government.
"Mr. Seymour is a
man Of compromise, but his views go
farther than those which were enter
tanned by his party TWO years ago.
Although secession would produce
revolution, it was. nevertheless, in his
opinion, a right founded on abstract
principles, which could scarcely be
abrogated with due regard to the
original compact"
PREFERRED THE REBEL coNsTITU-
TON.
In 1861, Mr.. Seymour, meeting
Judge Charles III. Ruggles, asked
him:
Judge, have you read the Confed-
crate Montgemery1G Constitution? |
have; and it is better than ours
1.-THE FEDERAL. "Then why not" he
continued, obviate all difficulty by
simply adopting that Confederate
Constitution2" 6esaso
He proposed to settle the wal by
having the whole North join the Con-
federacy and adopting the rebel Con-
stitution.
IAN VICTORIOUS WARFARE,
Following up this right, which
could scarcely be abrogated, he
again said at the Tweedie Hall Con-
vention, in Albany, New Yord, Janu-
airy 81, 1861, before Sumter was fired
on, land before any measure of an
arbitrary nature was instituted:
I'VE are advised by the eonserva-
tive States of Virginia and Kentucky
that if force is to be used, it must be
exerted against the united South. 1t
would be an act of folly and madness,
in entering upon this contest, to I'M
derrate our opponents, and thus sub
ject ourselves TO the disgrace of de-
feat In an inglorious warfare. Let us
also see If successful coercion by the
North is less revolutionary than sue
cessful secession by the South. Shall
we prevent revolution by being fore
most in overthrowing the principles
of our Government, and all that
makes it valuable to our people, s1d
distinguishes it among the nations Of
the earth?"
HIS FRIENDS" THREATEN BLOOD
SHED NORTH.
AT the sans convention, James P.
Thayer, a delegate and friend of Sey-
moEr, followed this speech in the fol-
lowing words:
The public mind will bear the
avowal, and let US make it-that if q
revolution of force is to begin, it shall
be inaugurated at home. And if the
incoming Administration shall at.
tempt to carry out the line of policy
that has been foreshadowed, we an
nounce that, when the hand Of Black
Republicanism turns to blood-red
and seeks from the fragment of the
Constitution to construct a scaffolC
for coeision-another name for exc.
cution-we will reverse the order Of
the French Revolution, and save the
blood Of the people by making those
who would inaugurate a reign of ter
ror the first victims off national gull
lotine." Enthusiastic applause.]
SHALL WE COMPROMISE BEFORE OR
AFTER WAR?
This question is simply this: Shall
we have compromise after war, OF
COMPROMISE without war? Shall we
be aided in this settlement by the loss
of national honor, the destruction oil
individual interests, and the shedding
of bloOd?"-Speech at Albany, Jdnu.
arg, 1861.
HOW SHALL THE WAR BE CON.
DUcTED?"
I'VE have been mad enough tc
muster armies to occupy their terri
tory. y \ X But SEINE
have suggested with compIacent air,
that the South might be easily subju-
gated by blockading their ports with
a few ships of war eynaonr's Speech.
AssAILING HIS GOVERNMENT.
What a spectacle do we present
to-day! Already six States have
withdrawn from this Confederacy
Revolution has actually begun. The
term secession divests it of none OF
its terrors, nor do arguments to prove
secession inconsistent with our Con.
stitution stay its progress nor mitigate
its evil. All virtue, patriotism, and
intelligence seem to have fed from
our National Capital; it has been
well likened to a confiagration of an
asylum for madmen-some look on
with idiotic imbecility; some in sui.
len silence; and some scatter the fire.
brands which consume the fabric
above them, and bring upon all 8
common destruction. Is there one
revolving aspect in this scene
which has not its parallel al
the capital of our country? Do you
not see there the senseless ~imbecility
the garrulous idiocy, the madened
rage displayed with regard TO petty
personal passions and party purposes,
while the glory, the honor and the
sa1ety OF the country, are all forgot
tenE The same pervading fanaticism
has brought evil upon all the institu
lions OF our land. Our churches al
torn asunder and desecrated to pa.-
tlsan purposes. The wrongs of our
IocaI, Legislation, the growing burdens
or debt and taxation, the gradual de-
structlon of the African in the free
States, which is marked by each re-
curing census, are all due to the neg
lect OF u own duties, caused bv a
complete absorption of the public
mind by a ~senseIess, unreasoning ia
naticism."
OPPOSED TO COERCION.
September /, 1864, Horatio Sey-
mour, the Democratic candidate for
President, made a speech at Milwau-