Year: 1868

i. A SOLDIER ON SEYMOUR.


Gettysburg-The Draft Riots in New York


The Lookout Mountain of RePubli-
6 canism.


One Of the speakers at the Grant and
Colfax ratification meeting in Brooklyn,
New York, on Wednesday evening, the
18th inst, was Lieutenant Governor
Stewart L. Woodford, of New York, q
brave and gallant soldier. Some Dem
ocrats present tried to hiss him down,
when he paid his respects to Horatio
Seymour in the following eloquent and
truthful language: e


"On the Fourth of July, 1863, when
Governor of the State, he stood at the
Academy of Music in New York, and
in a most elaborate address apologised
alike for slavery, the South. and rebellion.
He had no word of cheer for the patient
man who was bearing the nations sor-
row 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 Pennsyl-
vania; nothing but icy sneers, but cold
calculations, and but lily concealed
sympathy with treason You are right
Thank God, at the same hour Meade
gave the lie to his eloquent sopllistry,
as he hurled General Lee back in terri
BILE defeat from Cemetery Hill and
Round Top, at Gettysburg; and Grants
cannon made strange echo to his COW
ardly but concealed appeals for compro
mise and surrender, as Vicksburg fell,
and Penn berton's host cast down their
flags Of defeat. [Applause. At this
point there were some indications of
disturbance, when the speaker said it
was a good sign when, so 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 18th Of the
same year, the terrible draft riots broke
out in New York city. Now I do not
charge that Seymour did not seek to
quell the riot But do charge that
those riots were the natural, logical,
and almost necessary results of his
speeches, his teachings, and his public
official acts. 1t was the logic of his pol
ished brain rooted and growing in the
passion of the mob. And then when
the storm had gathered, he addressed
fhnco vno1InroI -:
his friends, and besought their patience
by the plea that he had sent his Adju-
tant General to Washington to beg that
the draft might be suspended. When
the tidings OF these riots and Seymour's
conduct and speech reached me with my
regiment, I was toiling along dusty
road of Maryland [applause and Kisses
in pursuit of the retreating rebels
Painting under the terrible heat, some
falling and even dying by the wayside,
our men were still pressing on. The
loyal arms had been victorious at Get
tysburg, and we had heard of glad news
from Vicksburg. We were weary, but
still we could see the victory drawing
nigh. Like thunder from a clear sky
fell the tidings of this cowardly upris-
ing of our own home against the Gov
ernment and the flag. Strong men wept
with shame and rage. Firm lips closed
in a firmer wrath as they whispered the
news down the ranks, and muskets
were grasped with vengeful feeling. such
as we had not known before in skirmish
or in battle. Could we have filed that
day in Broadway there would have been
bloody reckoning, and short work
would have been made of his Excellen
ce's especial friends. [Applause. We
had left home to fight your battles, and
we felt that you were bound to tex your
selves, if need be, to your last dollar,
to pension our widows, to succor our
wounded; and to feed our little ones
We were there just as much for your
sakes as for our own, and we felt that
when our ranks grew thin we had right
to reinforcements, that you were bound
in honor to send us your young men
and your strong men, even if your old
men and hoys had to work in your fac
tories, and the women had to till the
fields. We were terribly in earnest
We were fighting rebels We meant to
stand up to our work, and we very sol
emnly intended that you should stand
squarely up to yours. Applause. II
How reverently we thanked God when
the good Lincoln and the lion hearted
Stanton said the draft should be en-
forced. [Applause. And how we
cheered the soldiers who were sent from
our midst to enforce the law and upheld
the honor Of our flag against the North.