Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-10-03
MORNING LEADER.
MoSDAY MORNING OCrOBER ;.
Deafh of ExGovernOr wood.

It is our melancholy uuty TO announce
the death of Ex-Gov ernor Reuben Wood,
which took place Sa turday at o'clock,
at Evergreen place, ROckpOrt-
Gen. Wood was 70 years old at the time
of his death. He came to this city from
New York in the year 1917, and entered
upon tn e practice Of law. Subsequently,
about 1910, he was appointed to the
office of Supreme Judge of the State of
Ohio. a position which he filed with honor
TO himself. In l849 he was nominated by
the Democratic party for the office of Gov
ernor and was elected by q heavy majority
over Judge johnson, the Whig candidate.
In March, 1850, the new Constitution went
into operation. which vacated his Office of
Governor, and he was reelected by $4,000
majority, in the fall of 1850, for the new
term, commencing as above. When the
Democratic National Convention met in
1852 10 nominate candidate for the Pres
idencv. Governor Wood was spoken of
prominently in connection with that office.
In fact, sfter the Convention had balloted
some forty or fifty times without making
anv nomination, the Virginia delegation
sent ommittee to the Ohio delegation
Offering to give the entire vote of Virginia
in the Convention to Governor Wood, If
Ohio would bring him out. Owing to
some Of the Ohio delegation having per-
sonal feelings against the Governor this
proposition was declined The Virginia
delegation then sent the Committee to the
New Hampshire delegation, rendering the
support of Virginia to Franklin Pierce
if New Hampshire would bring him out.
This offer was promptly accepted, and
Pierce was proposed The result was his
nomination and election as President.
There IS no doubt that, if it had not been
for the personal feelings which some Of the
leading delegates from Ohio had against
the Governor, which induced them to use
their influence against accepting the prop
osition of the Virginia delegation, Gov
srnor Wood would undoubtedly have been
nominated and elected President of the
United States instead of Franklin Pierce
In that case, perhaps, we would not have
had the present rebellion on our hands, fol
the resson that he would not have encour.
aged the border rufIian raid int
Kansas as Pierce did, and thu
he would have avoided that terri
bic state of anarchy which existed
IN that haploss State during the year
of 1855-6-7, snd also that he woul(
not have lent his aid, as President, to th,
passage of the Nebraska Bill, which wa
really the foundation of the present wal
In 1853 Gov Wood was appointe'
United States Consul to Valparaiso
where he served for eighteen months, wit
credit to himself and his Government
when he resigned and came home, lesvini
the Consulate in charge of his son-in-laW
George B. Merwin, ESQ, wno was vice-Con
ul at that port.
Since his return home from Valparaiso
Gov. Wood has resided on his beautifu
sfarm. known as Evergreen Place, in RoeI
port. where he has lived like moderl
, Cincinnstus, sharing with his worHme
the labors of the farm and field.
Z Hewas universally beloved by all of hi
acquaintance for his kind-heartedness an
many excellent traits. His converse
tionsl powers we're of the highest order, 6
the many visitors at mis- hospitsble mansio
( can testify His death will be regrette
p BY a large circle of friends and admirers.
The Governor leaves family consistin
Of his widow and two daughters, Mrs. Ge
B. Merwin, of Lakeside, Rockport an
Mrs. Seabury Msstick, of San Francisco
California.
His funeral will take place at II o'cloc
/ tomorrow Tuesday morning, at his lat
!, residence.