, 1868-08-14
seymour,s War Record.

The more unscrupulous of the radical pa.
pers, finding nothing in the private life or
habits of Governor Seymour to assail, trump
up the charge against him that he was un-
true to his country at time when armed
rebels sought to overthrow the Government.
Fortunately his record on this question is
full, and here we quote his own words. Gov.
Seymour, at the meeting of the State Mill.
tary Association in January, 1862, said
awe denOunce the rebellion as most wicked,
because it wages war against the best Govern
ment the world has ever seen. Remember there
Is guilt IN negligence well as in disobedience,
and there ls danger, too. We complain that the
arms OF the General Government were heretofore
unequally distributed. This was owing in part
to the reasonable purposes of officials, but it is
due in part to our own neglect of our constitu'
tional duties Our enrolled militia should count
more than five hundred thousand, but they do
not exceed one-haf of that number. Hence our
quota of arms was diminished and that of the
Southern States increased. The want of these
arms and proper military organization has adj
ded immensely to the cost of this war and to the
burden of taxation. More than this, if we had
respected our constitutional obligations we
.
force that would have put out this rebellion
when it was Grst kindled"
In nearly every proclamation issued durin
his term of 63-'64 Gov, Seymour urged the
people to pray that the rebellion might be
put down." In his message of June 9,
1868, Gov. Seymour said
Under no circumstances can the division of
the Union be conceded" E"
In 1861, when Gov. Seymour was up for
no Office and had no anxiety with respect to
any election, be said, in an address to his
townsmen:
awe owe our duties to our Government. We
must strengthen our armies and furnish it with
means to conduct this war to a successful ISSUE
The day has gone by for efforts to avert it.
When the American people refuse to live together
in the spirit of the Constitution when they reject
all adjustment of controversies, they make the
sword the only arbiter. Consistency demands
that we who strove TO avert the should now
strive to make it productive of those ends which
we sought to reach by peaceful measures. All
theories of Government, that of Capitalization,
or that of State rights, requires that we should
stand ty the standard of our Government and
the standards of our State in the battle field"
In 1862, Gov. Seymour said (:
To-day are putting forth our utmos: eff
forts to reinforce our armies in the field. With
out conditions or threats we are exertng our
energies to strengthen the hands Of the Governs
ment, and to replace it in the commanding pos>
tion in which it can either propose peace or con-
duct successful war. And this support is freely
and generously accorded. We wish to see our
Union saved, our laws vindicated, and peace
once more restored to our land"
In speech in New York, October 18th,
1862, Gov. Seymour said:
" was gratifed that while was in a remote
part of the great West it was in my power to
promote the formation of company OF as bold
and as sturdy men as ever rallied in defence of
our country's flag. | recall with pride th cir ar
ray when drawn up before my lodgings they
expressed through their commander their good
will toward myself, and their obligations for such
assistance as had been able to give them.''
Such is the record of the democratic can
didate for President - record which can
defy the assaults of fanaticism and run mad
radicalsm.