The Van Buren press., 1868-10-02

could mention some signal instance
where this feature Of his character wa
put to the severest test which, in his case
could by any possibly be imposed, name
y-me alternative OF yielding or CHASING
WIN some OF his own personal and polit
ieai friends but he neve, faltcred. for nj,
moral courage was absolutely boundless
and when he felt himself to be risht. h,
was as answering as Truth itself Nc
other man IN this country would have
cared to confront the public feeling as he
md' when, being published as an officer
OF tue war meeting in Allyn Hall, he de-
nicd 'hat position in his celebrated letter
against the war, written in 1862, in the
very he'ght and middle of the war spir.
Gov seymour was MS true and sincere
lover oil his country---his whole coin.
Ity-:ls any man who over lived His
oroad and comprehensive patriotism
could not admit Of any narrower view
oi any merely sectional love or hate. At
a time when Others were idly gazing in
s.ohd amazement at the gathering specta
Gle OF the coming wsr-or worse, were
recSiessiy and blindly invoking the i'm.
pending crash, not realizing that it could
ever really come--he, on the other hand
had but too vivid a conception of the
awful future, upon whose very threshold
our country then stood and through its
already open door he beheld in advance
Tue iurid flames OF that fiery furnace of
ailllction into which God in his providence
had decreed that the United States should
enter The idea that his own fellow
countrymen should meet in actual armed
contlics was to him so dreadful a thought
that 1t robbed him of many a nights
sleep, ere the war actually began. This
grlet and the added fear of a dissolution
OF the Union, proved upon him through
out all those dark and dreadful years of
actual civil war, until the effect was. As
we believe, to undermine his health.
No other man lived whose name could
so arouse the enthusiasm Of the Connec.
tcut Democracy. No man lived-in this
State, at least--vho had so many or such
attached and devoted friends. His sing.
ular modesty, shrinking from all person
al praise or display, only made his friends
love him the more. With uncommon
gentleness of heart and manners, he pos.
scssed, also, certain lofty and delicate
pride OF character, a true nobility Of soul
made for him a world Of his own. into
The sacred inner privacy of which none
but those who were nearest and dearest
to him were privileged to enter.
A brief article like this must fail to do
iull justice TO the many virtues of this dis
tingulshed man. His character was with
out blemish. He was simple In his bab
its and unpretending in his manners. But
his nature was robust and manly. With
an imposing presence. and manner singu.
!ary .. sweet and gentle, he possessed the
tanned his opinion in storm as well as in
sunshine Though personally the most
popular citizen OF the State in his time,
his popularity was the spontaneous hom-
age of the masses for his noble and gen.
erous nature. His heart was profoundly
grateful to all classes Of the people for
the honors they showcred on him.
He never forgot favor, however
small. His heart was ever melted at the
sorrow Of others, and his hand was al
ways ready to relieve them to the extent
Of his means. But time fails us to re-
count the many beautiful traits Of his
character. He is gone, and the announce
ment Of his sudden and unexpected death
will carry geief to many thousands Of
hearts. The best, like the worst, pass
away, and the great drama Of life goes
on, unhceding the absent,
"Ahd the stately ships 20 on.
To their haven under the hill:
But o, for the touch of a vanishd hand,
And the sound ofa voice that Is stll'
- Co.