Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-08-25
GOV. SEYMOUR AND TINE NEW voRI
RIOTS.
Mayor Opdyke's.v iudic0sieos
From the Albany Argus.

From the Albany Argus.
1t Is unnecessary for US TO ds'enn uos,
ernor Seymour from the bitter attacks OF
HE opponents. That serrics hiss been per-
formee by members Of the Republican par
". We need not irast TO hearsay or doubt
fol expressious. Their vindicasion Of him
has become . part Of the official records Of
the country, and No one cen disYots or ex
plain II away.
Hon. George Opdyke. prominent 70.
puhlicsp. w.s MAYOR Of the city Of New
York during the tisss Of the rists in 1858.
He sss Also A psember Of tbs State Cons;i-
tutiousl Convention which assembled in
this eity last summer. In the course Of
ths debate. on the 0ovssnmsnt Of Cities, 81
great deal Was said about the Nsw York
riots. In the course Of the discussion,
Mayor Opdyke spoke o. follows. W. take
the extrac, from the Official report Of the
debates ::
Mr.. Ood,kc-Governor Seymour ar
rived on Tuesday morning, and came TO
Nv rooms At tho st. Nicholas Hotel, where
he remained With the during tho entire
riots, except that soon after HE arrival be
accompanied me to the City Hall. where il
was not possible for Us to accomplish any
good, as tho riots were going on in tbs up
per part OF the city, and mort Of oil the
murder aud devasta,ions Of property were
in that part of the city. Blu. many evil
disposed persons had gathered about the
City Hall. aad the newspaper Offices were
| threatened. Ny friend from Kings Mr..
Schumaker could no. have extended his
views very far from tho steps Of The City
Hall. or he would not have stated that the
| ~ III 1911
have seen, by extending bis vision, many
scene, IKE this: pssccabls coiorcG men
crossing the Park or walking along the
streets attacked by crowds Of asssilants
and flscing for their lives.
Mr. Schumsker-1 only spoke Of the
time whom Governor wis there.
Mr.. Opdyke at that very mo-
mont there might not have been anything
Of the kind. Bat Immediately after he
was there, sho,e scenes did transpire, and
on the same day newspaper of3cs front
ing the City Hall, was attacked. nov
come to the point Of advising the Governor
to address the crowd. shook my head
when my friend from Hinge mr.. Sehuma
ksr made thu remark. Aud. on reflection
while ! have not tho slightest doubt that
concurred in recommending it, ! am quits
sure that others suggested that he should
address the cro.d. Ny colleague, Mr.
llutchius, who was present, now inform.
me that NY recollection is correct. But tn,
terms in which he should address them, Of
what words Of endcarment he should u,
Laughter certainly had nothing to do II
suggesting: nor had any share IN fran
ns the speech no made TO Thorn He lef
very soon after, IN carriage with sotns
friends. to 60 where 'hs riots we're taking
place. and then returned 70 the ST. Nicho
las Hotel. where no remained during tn,
riots. Il was not until the military unde,
Gen. Brown. who was second in command
70 Gen. Wool, was united TO the police force
that they succeeded in withdrawing ant
repelling the rioters, who outnumbsre ter
TO one the organized force against them.
also urge. the pslioe commissioners to AIN
their force. They said they would not de-
80 without the sanction 81 the Governor.
offered to take tho responsibility Of making
the rsquisition for the arms and furnishing
them. But they declined it.
Wh,n Gorernor Seymour drrired, no GER,
cassJptty and pro.pily scquiesesd in a.
sngg' st,on, aud sare reputation .fos arms
which were taken to tho police head uar
tiers; but "a the military strength was 10
creasinR, II turned out there Was no occa
zion for the police to use them, thou.
. they could have been used very effecuvcl,
at AN earlier stage Of tho rot | mean L
be entirely just to Governor Seymour i,
i. regard to his conduct during the contnu
: ance OF the riots, though he has not bee,
just to me. Prior to the riot made a 40
rious Misrepresentation Of my oflicial con
j in message to the Legislature, Of which
. asked public retraction. lie very frank,
and promptly gave . verbal retraction, - III
apromise Of giving ono for publieat ion
After patiently waiting week after week an,
mcnth after month. during which time thu
promise was more than once rene ed. bu
never performed, abandoned the effort. l
TO say OF Gov. Seymour he was surround
ed during the riot by many bad advisors
scores OF them on some occasions thinl
: there we ono hundred in my room-most o
them ursiug him to exert his influence L
withdraw the military resistance TO the ri
otsrs. and to sndeavor to quiet them By
moral suasion
In opposition to them, nearly every cit
, official, all Of whom. except myself. wer
Democrats, earnestly conseled otherwise
and Indignantly condemned the advice ths
be was receiving Fl ON his more numerou
friends. Ind mhiis thought, sometime,
ne was Facilitating, and disposed to sate,
fers IN a mssner Thieh IN my judomen.
'conid be d,sasfrous TO the best Interests o
the city, 1t turned cut fhot my appreciation
'csre mgfoundti. He never yielded 1
these bad counsels, but. TO THE Emu
STOOD FIRM. EVERY THING TIA,
lr WAS POSSIBLE FOR HIM To ID
WAS DONE. TO AID IN THESUPPRES
SION OF THE RIOTS. At my instanc
he gave acquisitions tor arms to scores. an,
even hundreds OF private citixsns, who's
warehouses or dwellings were threatened
lie did not hesitate In . single jnstapee
whenever vouchsi for The rssps ,tsbilit,
J Of tho applicate for arms. On one occs
sion, think it was Wednesday afternoon
. conference was to be held among IN,
Oil ,eais at the police hssdquartsrs 10 de
termin, on the line Of action and dsfenc,
during the afternoon and evening. N,
Trend, Mr.. Hutchns, was there Ct In,
time, and will confirm the, truth of wha
say.
Governor Seymour came in with q lees
tweaty OF his political and personal frisnds
aud among them several gentlemen vhe
vsrs very much excited, because. a. the,
declared the troops under the command O
General Brown. III tho Twentieth Ward
were shooting down innocent and peacee
J bic citizens, who had congressted from
more curiasity, under the excitsmsnt "a.
WAS existing. and that they were not riot
ers at oil General Brown asked II the,
had not been firing buildings aod barrica
} ding the streets. They answered in III,
affirmative. bat said it waa in self defence
The General replied il this was not riotip,
he did not know what was. These ron
t.smcn urged that Governor Ssymou,
? should recall the troops. and they pisds.d
. themselves that they would disper,s ~.
crowd by pcaccable means and moral su.
sion. The friends Of Governor Sevmou,
we're urgent that he should exerc;.. ~.
murray authority ~ governor Of I'M,
State and commander-in-c chief. to m,s.
General Brown Withdraw bis troors. tn.
Governor very properly felt, | have No
doubt that he bad no authority to interfere
at Oil events he did not interfere.
Tbs police commissioners also ioinsa i,
urging General Brown to Withdraw nj.
troops. vas the only one 10 counsel 0cn
Brown to turn deaf ear to any such Al.
vice. bscsuse oil history proves that n,
oaiy way to put down 4 rio, A farm;1.h.