The Portland daily press., 1865-08-08
Tuesday Morning, August 8, 865.
Mr.. SEWARD Du.

MR.. SEWARD DURING HIS ILLNESS.
Mr.. George Woke, who attended Mr.. Sew
ard, gives the following account, which is trans
lated from the Illinois Stadts Zeitun1
On the morning after the assassination he
said to his nurses his sensations immediately
after the assault had by no means been of an
unpleasant nature He had experienced nc
extraordinary pains, but while the blood had
been gushing from his arteries he had suppos-
ed that his last end was nigh, and thought al
the same time what pleasant thing it was to
die without pain. Ff
Toward his nurses and toward all who came
near him during bis sickness, Mr.. Seward was
uniformly friendly, even afectionate and
never, when awake, did his philosophical firm
desert him. Only when asleep he would, at
times, during the first two weeks after the at
tack, suddenly start up and beat around with
his hands when dreams brought the assassin
to his imagination, but in two or three minutes
he was always quieted.
During the first three weeks Mrs. Seward
was constantly, day and night, at the bedside
either Of her husband or that of Frederick.
and these exertions have since fastened the
death OF lady equally distinguished for the
excellent qualities of her head and of her
heart No less noble was the conduct of Mr..
Stewards daughter, Miss Fanny. Indeed. it is
country owe the salvation of his life. Like her
mother, Miss Fanny was an untiring attendant
upon her suffering relatives.
The greatest trouble to the physicians was
Stewards mental activity, which did not abate
even during his greatest physical weakness
and severest pains. In order to prevent all ex-
element during this critical period, and on ac-
count Of his shattered jaw bone, the physicians
enjoined on him not to speak, but it was diff
cult to get him to comply.
1t was not mere idle lOquacitv that render
ed silence so irksome to the statesman, but
chiefly his patriotic anxiety about the Repub-
lie. He desired to express his mind about the
condition of the country, to fulfil bis official
duties as Secretary of State. The attending
physicians had prohibited speaking before the
attempted assassination, but to express his
thoughts by writing was also impracticable, as
his right ann was broken. But as soon as the
condition of his fractured bones would allow
the medical gentlemen had to bandage and fas-
ten the upper third of the arm, (where the
fracture eXisted,) so as to enable him to use
the lower part and the hand for writing. In
this manner he conversed with the President
turing the last days ofthat lamented function
ary's life. The President would sit at his bed
aide and express himself on the exciting ques-
sions of the day, when Seward would write
his views on slate. In the same manner be
COluUctcu Ills llItIfleWSs before ana AFTER the
assassination, with Mr.. Hunter, the Assistant
Secretary Of State and thus actually conduct
ed the affairs of the Department of State, the
papers, dispatches, documents, &C., of which
had to be carried to his bedside, even during
the critical periods of his illness.
1t was the same patriotic restlessness and ae-
tivity of Mr.. Seward which prevailed on the
physicians to send for skilful physician OF
New York, who arranged an artificial wire ap-
paratus in his mouth, which enabled him to
speak without risk, even before his jawbone
was healed. This apparatus caused the Illus
trious patriot excruciating pains, and at one
time became displaced, so that the New Y York
physician had to be telegraphed in order to re-
place it. But all these great and little annoy
ances did not for moment disturb Stewards
philosophic intellect nor slacken his patriotic
activity.
Few men in history have evinced such sub
Unity of character and strength of mind as
William Henry Seward on his bed of sickness,
surrounded by the terrors of assassination and
conspiracy. He maintained these qualities
even when, after his partial recovery, he re-
ceived the additional blow of the intelligence
of the death Of his faithful spouse.