Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1868-07-24
HOR.fTEO SEy.nOUFs,

Voters of both parties, Democratic and
Republican, will be interested in the follow
ing brief sketch Of the political career of
Horatio Seymour. II is taken from one of
the ablest and most reliable papers in the
country, and is worthy of Il careful peru
SAIL
Horatio Seymour, who was unanimously
nominated for the Presidency by the DEM
ocratic Convention, is well known TO the
people of New York city and State; altho'
wholly without a national reputation.
He was born in 1911, in Onondaga county,
and began life as a lawyer in Utica. As
carly as 1872, he had already become known
in that then rather small country village rs
ono of the most prominent members of the
local bar. lie then entered political life.
became at once distinguished as a village
politician, and was elected to tho State Leg
islaturc for three successive years. But
finding that his achievements and reputa-
ton in in politics were not ~ all conrpenap-
fdtC Wltn MS position ut the county bar, he
returned to the practice Of his profession.
In 1850 Mr.. Seymour was nominated by
the Democratic party for Governor Of the
State, after very animated contest between
he"Old IIunkers" and the "Barnburners," :"
Mr.. Seymour being Of the former faction,
and then understood, rs Of late years. to be
Il passive tool in the hands Of the ultra pro-
slavery managers. He was defeated, run
ming far behind all the rest of the Demo-
cratic ticket which was elected by large
majorties.
In 1852, General 5 Oft having buried the
Wing party by his speeches, Mr.. Seymour
was more fortunate; being elected bv less
than three tn usand majority, while Mr..
Church, who was elected Lieut.. Governor
on the same ticket with him, had Il majority
of more than six thousand. Mr.. Seymour's
administration was signalized by no re-
markable event except his veto Of the Lia-
uor Law bill. This act, indeed. remains
his chief claim to the title of statesman.
In 1854 the Democratic party, as well rs
the opposition, was split in two. Mr.. Scy-
mour, without committing himself on the
slavery question, or saying word that
could be construed into an offense to the
ultra-slavery propagandists, yet permitted
his name to be used by the "Softs," ," the sue
ccssors of the old "Barnburners," or Van
Buren men. Notwithstanding this alliance.
which left Judge Bronson, the candidate of
the opposition faction, no strength at all,
Mr. Seymour's vote fell or more than one
hundred thousand, and he was defeated.
lie was now, by general consent, permitted
to retire to private life. The mention of his
name for the Presidency by some indiscreet
friends at the Democratic Convention in
1856, was received so coldly by the very few
who knew him, and with such wonder bv
the rest of the party, that this privacy SEEM
ed unlikely to be disturbed
But in 1862, the pressure of the war was
heavily felt in New York, and the rapid de-
cline in popularity of Mr.. Seward, weaken
cd the Republican party so seriously that
the Democrats were ENCOURAGED to come out
boldly against the war. Horatio Seymour
was again made the candidate for Governor
and although his singular genius for alien
ating voters of his own party again showed
itself, yet he was elected, although running
decidedly behind the Lieut. Governor and
Canal Commissioner, chosen the same tick
ct. Gov. Soymour's disgraceful career at
the head of the State government, his open
and persistent opposition to every measure
of the National administration in defense of
the Union, his shameless management of
the worst classes of this community in their
resistance to the government, which ended
in fearful local rebellion, and in countless
murders, are familiar to every citizen of
New York, and will soon be equally famil-
lar to the whole nation.
81,
those views of the future of our national
finances, which he has since reiterated in
nearly the same words in every public
speech he has made and in which he strives
earnestly to create sectional bitterness be-
tween the Fast and the West or, as he calls
them, the creditor States and the debtor
States. He then denounced the destruction
of civil rights, as he called it, by the admin
istration, and predicted the reputation of
the public debt. of late years he has spok-
en- more moderately but his one fixed
idea on the finances is the rreconcilably
hostile interests Of the two great sections
named.
Mr.. Seymour was nominated again in
1864 for Governor, but was beaten by GOV.
Fenton, by much greater majority than
that obtained by Lincoln over Mcclellan.
Thus his one characteristic as candidate
before the people, is that he has uniformly,
without one single exception, from tho be-
ginning of his career, run much behind his
own party vote in his native State. This
record, it may be confidently asserted, is
peculiar 10 him alone, among all men ever
prominently named for the Presidency.
As Mr.. Seymour has never obtained a
seat in either house of Congress, nor an Of
flee Of any kind under the national govern
ment, as he has never served in the army
or navy, as he has never been identified
with any political measure of national inn
portance, as he has never written or uttered
paragraph or saying of interest to the
whole people of the United States, as, in
short, he is a mere negation in national pol
itics, adopted because the party itself is di-
vided, and adopted because he represents
nothing at all in particular, his nomination
can hardly be a strong one. 1t is free from
the positive weakness which would attach
to such representative man as Pendleton,
but has not either in the man himself, or in
his record, or in his creed, a single element
OF positive strength. He will serve, as well
as another, to hold together the party under
another overwhelming defeat.-Ne,g York
Evening Post.
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POLETHfEE IN N.1.H, ,.r. q, -.