Year: 1862

pOlIilcdl CAREER, ullu Utu d TipHl W aspire 10
higher honor. return to t-(applause) WAS
to take step backward. to resume again the du-
ties of an Office in which he had acquired, by
single act, an honor which he could not exceed


if he should serve for fifty years. (Applause.)
He had the great good fortune to be enabled to
set his heel, by his vote, upon that spawn Of
mock philanthropy, that invasion of personal lib
New York Maine law, and if he could serve fifty
years in that office, he mi ght not have the good
fortune to render similar act of justice to the
country and of honor to himself. (Applause }
Now, then, let US look for a few moments at the
merits OF these two candidates. They are bot
gentlemen in the prime of life. They are. fortu-
natey, IN Independent circumstances that place
them beyond the reach of temptation in official
positon.-They are very likely competent to
discharge the strictly official duties that belong to
the post, and they have the good fortune both
of them, to have wives who could govern the
women as well as they could govern the men.--
If | were to select between them, |, of course,
should prefer the lady of Gov. Seymour, who is
Dutch; but which ever OF these gentlemen is elect
ed-and | conceive this to be of some importance
the executive mansion will have in it a lady
who will prove that the people of the State of
New York have proper sense Of, and desire to
show to their fellow citizens of other States, as
well as the strangers who may visit them. what
they think the wife OF an American Chief Magis
trate ought to be. [Applause.] Now, in entering
into the contest there are great nImber Of
men. | make no doubt, who agree with me in be-
ing governed by one consideration. They feel
that whatever can be done for the vigorous prose-
cution of this war is the thing that should be
dole at this election. If | believed and | say
with entire truth and sncerity-if l believed
that by voting for Mr. Wadsworth | should con-
tribute to the success Of our arms and bring
about more certainly q victory in this war and an
honorable pence i should vote for him without
, moment'c hos itotion Rut If is hacl 7 do not
so believe because am entirely confident that
a different course would be more advantageous
to the country. and would tend more certainly to
conquer an honorable peace, which is the legiti
mate object of all war, that shall support Mr.
Seymour [Applause.] Now. gentlemen, | do
not stop to consider how we became involved in
this war. 1t is sufficient for me that we are in it.
| have never condemned the con uct Of those who,
having friend fighting in the street, pitch into
the contest, put him through if they can, if not
get whipped with him-take him afterwards to
the nearest place of reireshmcnt, brush the dust
OFF his Clothes wipe the blood off his face. and
then say to him: "Now. when you are entirely
rested, be good enough to let me know how it be
gun" believe the true wy is to tlke a part
with your friends without stopping to inquire
very narrowly what may have originated the
controversy; but we have arrived now at period
when it becomes exceedingly important to know
precisely where We are. There is for moment a
lull in this contest and if we have been brought
into this war unnecessarily by means that can
here ftcr be avoided, then it is our duty to avoid
them. | say that the President OF the United
States was fully informed before this war began
what was the nature OF the struggle in which he
was going to embark and what the tremen-
dous contest upon which he was entering. Those
who said that it was small affair, that it would
blow over in 60 days that it would require but
few men, that southern men would not tight were,
misled [Laughtcr,] But the President had no
right to be misled himself. for he had Information
from a good source which never could have de.
ceved him in regard to the struggle upon which
he was entering. do not believe be was misled
but | believe that he yielded to the advice of
Others, those to whom am now going to REFER
and who have brought the country to the condi-
ton in which we find ii tonight On the 81 of
March. President Lincoln, about to lie sworn into
office, found himself in the City OF Washington,
having reached it in disguise : laughter cover
ed with Scotch cap[ [renewed lilughter]--and
wrapped with blue cloth cloak--tor the first
time in the history Of this country the President
found himself thus at the seat OF government
And it was through the active exertions and great
discretion of Gen. Scott and Cen Wool that he
was enabled even to take the oath. And on the
Sd day of March, as he was about entering upon
these duties. before he took the oath, letter was
addressed to him. which | now propose to read
to you, and l ask you to notice (because |
have not time to return to iD the wond erful spirit
OF prophecy an extraordinary JuuStHeuI, lis Wcll
as unquestionable patriotism that animates every
word and every line of this letter. | should say,
however, that am not authorized by Gen Scott
to make this letter public. The letter was in
form submitted to Secretary Seward. but was laid
before the President, and reached him thus in
proper official model


WASHINGTON, March Sd. 1861.


DEAR SIR:--Hop that in day or two the
new President will have happily passed through
oil porSono1 I,p and find him self in at ll led
honored successor Of the great Washington, with
you as the chief of his Cabinet beg leave to re-
peat in writing what have before said to you
orally, this supplement to my printed ''views'
dated in October last) on the highly disordcred
condition Of our $50 late) happy and glorious
Union.


To meet the extraordinary exigences of the
times, it seems to me that | am guilty Of no ar
rogance in limiting the Presidents field of selec-
tion to one of the our plans of procedure sub
joined


/. Throw off the old and assume dcsgna
measures proposed by Mr. Crittenden or the Peace
Convention [applause] and my lite upon il we
shall have case OF secession, but on the
contrary, an early return OF many, il not of all
the States which have already broken off from
the Union. Without some equally benign measure
the rem lining slaveholding States will probably
join the Montgomery contederacy in less than
sixty days. when this city, being included in a
foreign country, would require permanent gar
rson of at least 350 900 troops to protect tic gov
ernment within it.


II stop here to call your attention to the fact
that Maryland did not join the Montgomery con-
federacy, and yet with Maryland on our side to-
night it requires a garrison of 10000 men to
protect Washington. Applause.l


g. Collect the duties on foreign goods outside
the ports of which this government has lost the
command close Such norris bV act OF Congress-
and blockade them.


(And this, unhappily, was the course that was
entered upon)


g. Conquer the seeded States by invading
armies No oubt this might be done in two or
three years by young and able general--a Wolfe
a Desaix, or Hoche, with 800 900 disci Plined
men, estimating third for garrisons and the
loss Of yet gre ter number by skrmishes sieges
battles and Southern fevers. The destruction of
life and property on the other side would be
trightiul. however perfect the moral discipline Of
the INVADERS