Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-07-15

standard bearer of the party in the presiden-
tial campaign. 1t is well known that Mr..
Seymour had, prior to the Convention de-
clined to allow his name to be used before
that BODY. He was President Of the Conven-
ton, and on an early ballot, when some del
egate presented his name, he told the Con-
vention that they must not nominate him.
In obedience to this explicit request his name
was not again presented until Pendleton,
Hendricks and Hancock had been killed off
The Ohio delegation, on the twenty-second
ballot gave their votes for MIR. Seymour.
When they announced this purpose, Mr..
Seymour said, among other things
Gentlemen When said here at an early
day that. honor forbade my accepting nom
nation by this Convention, L meant It.
When in the course of my intercourse with
those of my own delegation, and my friends,
| said to them that | could not be a candI-
date, | meant it. And now permit me here
to say that | know, after all that has taken
place, | would not receive the nomination
without placing not only myself but the great
Democratic party in a false position
Gentlemen, l thank you, and may God bless
you for your kindness to me, but your can
didate | cannot be.
But Vallandgham said he must take it
and the delegates were tired and Disguised,
and wanted to end of the convention;
and the Western delegates were determined
to defeat Hendricks, whose vote was increas
ing, and to nominate an Eastern man, that the
track might be clear for Pendleton four years
hence and ba NH has men yere aDyiOus
to do something which would prevent New
York from leading movement to nominate
the Chief Justice; and all these considera-
tions nominated Seymour in spite of himself.
There are many Democrats, and more Re
publicans, however, who believe, as the truth
.in"h+ -, .h~+ Saymnnr's numerous de-
clinations. and his pretended support of Chase,
were all sham, while he and his q friends =
and the New York delegation were at work
from first to last to bring about just the re-
suit at last accomplished.
But it is now of little consequence how his
nomination was secured. Being in nomina-
ton, the country have a greater interest in
knowing who he is, and what principles, if
any. he represents, than how he happened
to get on the ticket.
Iloratio Seymour used to be what was
known in New York politics = Soft >
Democrat, as distinguished from the . Hards''
led by Daniel S. Dickinson and the - Barn
burners" led by John Van Buren,. The
popularity of that branch of Democracy was
that it had no principles which it was not
ready at any time to surrender for considera-
tions of policy expediency. This phase of
political character led Seymour always to
truckle to the South. In the Spring of 1861
he advocated the Crittendon Compromise,
which would have given the South all it
asked On the fall of Fort Sumter he re-
fused to take part in public meeting, in
which Democrats mainly participated called
to endorse the war for the Union and he
then deprecated all efforts to sustain the gov
ernment by force. After the Montgomery
constitution was adopted by the confederates,
he told a gentleman that it was better than
our constitution, and the North had better
adopt it, and thus end the trouble. In 1862
he was elected governor Of New York, Me
Clellans incompetency and failure. and the
general laundering management of the war,
having for time disheartened and democrat
lied Republicans, and giving the Northern
friends of the rebellion great comfort and en-
At the time of the draft riots
in New York in 1868, when unparalleled
atrocities were perpetrated in New York city
by brutal and infuriat ed mob of rebel sym
pathizers and negro hatcrs, Gov. Seymour,
supported on either side by ringleaders OF
the mob, addressed them in these encouraging
words:
MY friends Il have come down here
from the quiet of the country to what was
the difficulty, to learn what all this trouble
was concerning the draft. Let me assure
you that | your friend. [Uproarious
cheering. You have been my friends cries
of - Yes yes - :. That's SO " 90 We are,
and will be again ~ and now, assure
you, my fellow-citizens, that | AIN here to
show you test of my friendship. Cheers
wish to inform you that have sent my
adjutant general to Washington to confer
with the authorities there, and to have this
draft suspended and stopped. [Vociferous
cheers | ask you as good citizens to wait
for his return and | assure you that | will
do all that / can to see that there is no in
equality and no wrong done to any one. l
wish you to take care of all property as good
citizens, and see that every person is safe.
The safe-keeping of property and persons
rests with you, and l charge you to disturb
neither. 1t is your duty to maintain the
good order of the city, and | know you will
do it. | wish you now TO separate as good
citizens, and you assemble again wher
ever you wish to do so. ask you to leave
all to me now, and | will see to your rights.
Wait until my adjutant returns from Wash
ID gton, and you shall be satisfied. Listen to
me, and that there is no harm done to
persons or property, but retire peaceably."
The mob interpreted this speech, as they
had right to interpret it, a notice that
Gov. Seymour would protect and aid them
in their resistance to the draft, and 20 900
veterans from the Army of the Potomac had
to be sent to New York city to quiet Gov.
Seymour's * friends In 1864 Seymour
was defeated in New York, Gov. Fenton being
elected, and since, this q friend . of draft
rioters, and negro murderers, and rebel sym
has been in private life, and in
training for the nomination he has Just re-
ceived.
Such is the candidate the Democrats have
put before the people as an opponent of Gen.
Grant OF course he will command the great |
bulk of tho party vote, hooauso, during tho |
war. the great majority of the party occu-
pied the same ground occupied by him. But
VIC cannot understand how any voter who re-
ioiced to see the rebellion thoroughly sub |
dued, who hated treason even if he did not
hate traitors, and who cheerfully supported
IL.