Year: 1876

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the denial, which the committee has been
circulating that the candidate had not de-
clined is proved to be only part of the dis
! ingenious transaction which led to the dis
grace and confusion Of the democracy of the
State


The position of the democrats may be, it
is charitable to suppose, only the result of a
blunder-a mere farcical muddle of the man
ayers without any obllquo intention behind
it ; but it may be-and we are inclined to be-
lieve it is-the consequence not simply of n
blunder, but of the miscarriage an intrigue
1t does not present to the public mind the
aspect of n mere mishap that honest men
may deplore, and with the victims of which
people spontaneously sympathize ; but, on
the contrary, it is judged by common con-
sent as case of cunning that has over
reached itself and is ridiculous in the midst
Of its schemes 1t presents that common
situation of the farces where the bitter is
bitten.


The conduct Of the Saratoga Convention
toward Mr. Seymour is disgracefui, even if
sincere and honest; while toward the party
for which the Convention acted it is worse
than disgraceful On one hand is seen the
admission that the party has but one man
SO well known for capacity and purity that
his name is an encouragement in any cir
cumstances, and on the other is presented the
fact that the Convention acts by agencies so
coarse and so little able TO comprehend the
relations of q party to its candidate that its
one great man fails to receive from those
who are presumably his ardent admirers the
simple politeness and consideration that are
always due to a gentleman, great or small.
How wonderful the change that in this En-
pire State the democratic party should have
but one good man and no good manners


These persons who were appointed by the
Convention to the delicate duty of waiting
upon the candidate to ascertain if he would
accept the nomination simply never went
near him. They discovered a man named
Spriggs who was going in that direction,
and they made him their messenger He
was to see the candidate and send de-
spatch by wire as agreed upon. He sent
the despatch and may have seen the candi-
date but that point is open to doubt, mas
much as it is now declared that the Conven-
ton was misinformed by him. But the
point of interest here is that the committee
appointed by the Convention-supp al
ways that this committee acted honestly
seemed to be profoundly indifferent to what
Mr.. Seymours views might be as to the use
of his name on the State ticket They ap-
al
were Of no possible account in the case
Either that or else they impertinently as
sumed that standpoint from which small
wits have jeered at Governor Seymour as
'the great decliper who always accepts"
They acted on the notion, apparently, tina.
this citizen, whom their own Convention
thought the only man worthy its suffrages,
was, in fact. an insincere trickster who
acted with the patent cunning of Reynard,
the fox, and constantly refused proffered
gifts only that they might be thrust more
certainly within his reach If they believed
he would accept an idea like this was evil
dently the basis of their confidence. They
thought it was only necessary to insist and
be tedious, and that Spriggs could do that
as we'll rs anybody and that the result was
certain. Clearly the democracy, if not quite
gone to the dogs, is far away in that direc-
ton when this is the tone in which it deals
with its most honored men.


But if it were only case of bad taste and
bad manners perhaps the democracy might
still get on. 1t is great deal worse for
convention to assume that party which
casts over :our hundred thousand votes in
the State has but one man who can be safely
opposed to Governor Morgan as candidate
for office. If the list of known and distin-
guished democrats is so small, SO poor, so
inadequate to great occasions rs this would
imply, what security have the people that
in supporting the democratic party they do
not hand over their government to coterie
Of pygmies and puppets? But it is not true
that Governor Seymour is the only man the
democracy has, and the act which seemed to
do him the strange honor of pretending that
he is did not originate in any good will
toward him nor in any sincere intention to
magnify his good qualities, for cheats do
not really admire an honest man. There is
throughout the State no scarcity of
distinguished men known rs faithful demo-
Gratis and as upright and capable men, who
would fill the Office of Governor as satisfac-
torily as any man that ever held it. 1t is
scarcely yet time to conclude that this party
has lost the great principles and the vigorous
impulses that secure the adhesion of strong
and earnest men; but we should be forced to
this conclusion if we accepted the notion that
Mr.. Seymour was the one necessary and in
evitable candidate of the oc ,ason.


Indeed this pretence of necessity was only
contrived that very popular name might be
used to cover discrcditable intrigue. In