Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-08-14
5fiscellauu.
I" Almost at the Top"
SPEECH OF GEN. wooDFoRD.

bioohigu, ~. :, Stn. w OOulOru, now |
Lieut.. Governor of that State, made a
strong speech. He served in the Union
army himself, and we make the follow
ing extract from his speech:
"And now would that I could Justly
close these words without reference to
Horatio Seymour. (Hisses.) But fdel-
ity alike to history and to my old COM
rades in the army, living and dead, COM
pei that | should speak of one passage
in his public history. l make no attack
upon Gov. Seymour as man. Most
courteous and gentle in his manners, cul-
tured in mind and persuasive in elo-
quence, his private character is without
spot or blemish. But his official acts are
proper subjects of criticism. On the 4th
of July, 1868, when Governor of the
State, he stood at the Academy of Music
in New York, and in most elaborate
address apologized alike for slavery, the
South and the rebellion. He had no
word of cheer for the patient man who
was bearing the nations sorrow in the
capital. [Applause.] He had no word
of encouragement for our gallant soldiers
who that very hour were graphing with
Lee in a life and death struggle among
the hills of Pennsylvania nothing but
icy sneers, but cold calculations and lily
concealed sympathy with treason. ['You
are right.'l Thank God, at that same
hour Meade gave the lie to his eloquent
sophistry as he hurled Lee back in terri
BILE defeat from Cemetery Hill and Round
Top in Gettysburg, and Grants cannon
made strange echo to his cowardly but
concealed appeals for compromise and
surrender as Vicksburg fell and Pember-
toms host cast down their flags in defeat.
[Applause.], CAT this point there were
some indications of disturb bance, when
the speaker said twas a good sign when,
soon after democratic convention, the
devotees of that school are finding their
way into the democratic church.) A few
short days passed, and on July 13 of the
same year the terrible draft riots broke
out in New York City. Now I do not
charge that Seymourdid not seek to quell
the riot. But do charge that those riots
-were the natural, logical and almost nee
essary results of his speeches, his teach.
ings and his public official acts. 1t was
the logic of his polished brain rooted and
growing in the passion of the mob. And
then when the storm had gathered, he
addressed these maddened, brutalized n
oters as his friends, and besought theil
patience by the plea that he had sent his
adiutant general to Washington to beG
that the draft might be suspended. Wher
the tidings of these riots and Seymour
conduct and speech reached me with m.
regiment, I was toiling along dusty roa'
of Maryland [applause and hissesl IL
pursuit of the retreating rebels. Faint
ing under the terrible heat, some fallin
and even dying by the wayside, our NE
were still pressing on. The loyal arm
had been victorious at Gettysburg. an
we had heard the glad news from Vick'
burg. We were weary, but still we coul
see the end and the victory drawing nigl
Like thunder from clear sky fell tn
tidings of this cowardly uprising at OF
own home against the Government an
the flag. Strong men wept with sham
and rage. Firm lips closed in a iierc'
, wrath as they whispered the news dow
! the ranks, and muskets were gripped wit
. vengeful feeling such as we had n
. known before in skirmish and battl
Could we have filed that day into Broa
way there would have been a bloot
reckoning, and short work would ha
been madewith His Excellency's especl
friends. [Applause.l We had left hor
to fight your battles, and we felt that y
), we're bound to tax yourselves, If nee
be, to your last dollar to pension
= widows, to suecor our wounded, and
feed our little ones. We were there j
as much for your sakes as for our ov
:, and we felt that when our ranks gr
, thin we had right to reinforcement
that you were bound in honor to send
ID YOUR young men and your strong mi
even if your old men and boys had
u work YOUR factories and your women h
o. to till the fields. We were terribly
ts' earnest. We were fighting rebels.
= meant 10 stand up to our work, and
very solemnly intended that you sho1
stand squarely up to yours. [Applaui
How reverently we thanked God vi
= the good Lincoln and the lion-hear
Stanton said the draft should be enforC
lApplause.1 And how we cheered
rY soldiers who were sent from our mlds
IA enforce the law and uphold the homo
our flag against the northern mob.
= can now understand how we soldiers
.,rJ His Fxceilency. HOratlO )