The Portland daily press., 1868-04-07

The following is the first of series OF al
tcles that are TO appear in the Church Uniol
on 'Fallen Statesmen
| IL IS impossible to undelsta the charac
Ter OF William I'll. Seward without studyins
1t with that of his political associate, and the
man who was eyes to his own understanding
ThuTlow Weed
| In 1910, when William III. Seward received
| lesson in politics which he never forgot
| that If he would be President he must choose
| the party of progress and wait, or the party
| of demagoSuism, and hold himself ready
for currents of availability to sweep him in.
to the White House, he deliberately chose
the progressive ranks then coming to the
busle-call Of James G. BirDey and John p
Hale. Mr.. Seward became a radical without
eyes to see the future. Not originally brought
to join this Gideon's band by any intrinsic
love for its principles, but always an elegantly
refined aristocrat of Auburn, with hope
full temper, and perfectly bewidered uncon-
sciousness OF the storm he was raising, he
began. His first thoroughly radical move
was the rushing right in the face of popular
opinion and rescuing half idiotic, half crazy
negro, who had upon one OF the coolest
nights in winter murdered the Vaness family,
who resided near the shores of Cayuea lake.
BY the force of his will, and aided by his
blindn ass whereby heaven sometimes makes
men brave, by keeping their eyes from be-
holding dangers, he wrestled with the public
will until he beat back courts, defied even
the jeering murderer in the very court, and
carried his case. here Mr.. Seward laid the
foundation of his success. The people had
well nigh cast him out, but they did not
know their man. A man who had gone be-
hind his ticket in the gubernatorial contest,
suddenly yaulted into the Senate by the
grace of Thurlow Weed. For just here it
must be understood, whether Messrs. Seward
and Weed ever thought it of themselves,
hat all the success of William Fl. is due
to the forecast of the king OF the lobby.
They are as unlike as two men can possibly
be. Mr.. Weed is friend of every man he
is friend to. Mr.. Seward has no intmates
among the people. The shake of Thurlow
Weeds hand tells his character al once, as it
does that of any man; he finds you out then
and there. The shake of Mr.. Stewards hand
is cold, diplomatic, lordy, and that OF an un-
feigned aristocrat.
The former is true as steel to all he can
trust, and terrible in his wrath toward one
who deserts or tells. For example the
simple facts are the hatrei of Il. W. tor
III. G. is due to the fact that III. G.. stumbled
into the great managers counsels, was receiv-
ed into partnership, and not being able to
stand the tactics, bewildered and bemazed by
the combinations and wire-workings, left in a
huff, and told all about the great magician's
doings. Never can Mr.. Greeley be forgiven
for this, and he has hitherto been wise enough
not to become entangled again at that yoke OF
bondage, Seward, Weed, Greeley & Co. Now
this gives US clew at the mystery OF the sue
cess OF Seward. In the providence of God il
was all right. A man OF the people would
have overturned the nation and its liberties
had God chosen such an one in 1910 to lead
the Radicals up to where they now are. His
tory tells us that the people will throw up
their liberties at a toss to reward a man who
leads them to liberty. There is that anomaly
OF intoxicated joy SO great in freedom that
the very cup OF Joy passes from their lips by
their will to the man who leads them to it.
Witness Napoleon, Cromwell, Caesar. 1t would
have been so with Washington, only the peo-
pie did not love him personally; they only
reverenced the aristocrat. Now the people
of this nation never loved William III. Sew
ard. From the time that his one vote against
the whole Senate began to be registered to
the absurd prophecy in 1861 that this revolu-
ton would be at an end in sixty days, Mr..
Seward never had the confidence of his par
ty. He did just as he was told to by some
body who was eyes to him. He foretold the
irIepressibiity of this conflict, but there was
no more of the John Brown in William Ii.
Stewards composition than there was oil
Cromwell in Pym's.