Year: 1862




Governor Seymour m brooklyn.


The following extracts from the speech of Gov
ernor SEYMOUR can not be too often reproduced.
We place them here that men may read and pom
der them, both as wise ard statesmanlike words,
and also everlasting proof of the infamy of the
radical slanderers of the speaker:


shrink from no questions. seek to grapple
with every problem involved in our present posi-.
ton. 1T the people of this State shall see fit to
place me again in the Executive chair, | wish to
go there with the full understanding on their part
of all nv views and of all my purposes. ICheers.
What, then is now the situation of this landl
do not propose to look backward ! do not pro-
pose to review the past. l propose, in the first
place, to inquire what is now the condition of our
country and what duties does that condition i'm
pose upon US. 1 beiieUe the tcar might haze been
dUerted; but when believe thus, recognize the
fact of its existence; and recognizing that fact
accept it as a thing which am bound to regard
in all my views to the policy of the future. l
recognize and accept the fact that at this moment
the destinies, the honor the glory OF our country
hang poised the conflict of the battlefield. /
recognize the fact now that whether we would
have had war or not, 1t exists in all its vast pro-
portions in our land; and recognize the fact now
that it is the duty of every man who loves his
country of every true man who would stand BIZ
its institutions, to see that the whole measure of
his influence and all the weight of his power is
thrown in that battlefield on the side os the flag
of Our, Union. [Cheers For this reason, then,
are bound to do in the future what many of
us have done in the past. | have stood among
the hills and wales of the country where l live to
invoke our young men to rally around the stand
ard of our country. have done all that in
my power to uphold this Government. Although
A. Of cbo;o
still it was the Government of my country; and
have invoked all men to stand oyaIly by it, be-
cause such was their duty. [Cheers.


appeal to you as business men, | appeal to
You as men who, in all the concerns of life, re-
gard all the principles | have stated whether
they should not be regarded in the conduct of our
national affairSl Is corruption less dangerous
there than it is in the work shop or the counting.
rOOmI Is departure from sound principles and
rules Of conduct less dangerous in the manage
ment of national affairs than in the conduct of
private affairs 1t is only necessary in all those
matters to apply to the concerns of your nation
those same principles which YOU all adhere to
with regard to- your private interests TO learn
that yOu can not save the nations lie unless you
will do what we now urge you TO do, not only TO
maintain your army. not only % support your
Government, bnt, in add tion to that to demand
a clear statement OF the nations affairs: and
then, too, TO demand that those affairs shall be
conducted with economy, with integrity. and with
honesty. Now, my friends we must not only
save the nations lie, but want TO speak few
words as to the mode by which the nations life
shall be saved. 1t is not my remedy. do not
stand up before YOU to claim to be wiser than my
fellows. l do not urge this upon you, my radical
friend, because it is conclusion have arrived
at 1t is wisdom in which YOU are as much in
tereSted as | am; it is as much to your advantage
as it is to mine The remedy that l offer for you
is the result of the wisdom, of the patriotism, OF
the suffering and of the toll of patriots of our
own and of every laud. who for long years have
been endeavOring 10 work out principles of gov
eminent that should benefit the human race |
mean the remedy for all this thing is the Consti-
tuition of the United States. [Cheers. Now.
the nations lite will not only be saved but it
must be saved, by strict and rigid adherence to
that great charter OF your liberties. Renewed
cheers Why is it that in this day it is spoken
of lightly? Why is it. in a time when
our country is agitated-when we are in the
midst of civil war-that men so prompt to de.
sert the great barriers which uphold not only
the institutions of our country, but which pro-
tect you and each of you in your persons and in
your rights? Applause.l The Constitution of
the United States! Is it mere parchment Is
it mere dead letter? Is it mere record, hav-
ing vitality and no valuef Tell me that yon-
der flag is but piece of patchwork and of buDt-
ing, instead of being as it is glorious emblem.
instinct with everything thatarOuse our patriotic
feelings and appeals to the nations pride. Ap
pause Why we, as | have told you, are not
only in favor of a loyal support to this Govern
ment without coudition, but we have another ad-
vantage over our opponents. We propose
bring this war to speedy and successful concu-
81. a, bo, eo,t md
determined object, and that is, to restore the
Union as it was. Cheers.


/ have told you our positon have told you
what we must do to save the countrys life. and
what we must not do unless we would destroy
the countrys life. Let me say a word to you,
''higher law" men of the North. You must give
up that doctrine. Applause.l You must sub
NIT yourself to the laws. You must be obedient
to authority. You must come npOn the ground
we have ever held, and we intend to compel you
to do it in this way We do not like your teach
ings; we think you have taught this people fatal
errors; we think you are governed by wrong prin-
ciples: but you have confined yourselves within
the limits of your legal rights; for this
spect you, and therefore we shall put you down
by the ballot But with another class of higher
law men-thc higher law men of the South-who
also have erected themselves against the laws Of
the land and rightful authority, who have under
taken 10 resist Its decreeS, VINO would not content
themselves with the ballot. but would have the
bayOnet and the bullet, TO them we say we will
settle that question, then. with the bayonet and
the bullet. Great cheering.l We did not want
this We mplOred them not to engage in it,
We entreated the higher law men of the North
and the higher law men of the South to abstain
from this mOnstrous conflict. Now, when the
men of the South made the bayonet and the
sword the arbter (they elected and not WEI when
L. IL


the sword so far as the present is concerned, must
be the arbter: and in strong right arm il shall
strike vigorous and true blows for the life of our
country, for its institutions and for its flag Ap
plause.


Now let me say this to the higher law men OF
the North and to the higher law men ofthe South,
and to the whole world that looks on, witness
to the mighty events transpring in this country.
that this Union shall never be severed-no never.
Loud cheers. Would that my voice could be
heard through every Southern State, and would
tell them their mistake. Look at the conserva-
tive triumph in the North, and listen not TO the
teachings of those who say that we not true to
the Union and the Cor stitution You know that
we are those who battled for long years for the
Constitution, and vindicsted your rights, when it
was assailed and denounced. You know that
when you deserted your countrys flag, YOU de-
serted us who had been true the principles OF
this Constitution. Read these trumphs, and they
tell you that they bring Into power men whose
love for the Constitution is tradition-men who
Inherited it from their fathers-men who con-
slider il identified with the Constitution which We
pledged to uphold. Therefore it is we tell
you, aud we tell the whole world. that this great
conservative party will erect the shattered col
umns of the Union. Cheers. We will lift il
higher ap still, nearer Heaven than it was be-
fore, and from its lofty top and growing great
ness there shall ever wave your nations flag,