Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-10-24
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Death of William Henry
Seward.

i OeatQ OF w1u1a1u aeuIy
| Seward,
This eminent statesman died at his
home in Auburn, New York, Oct. 10th,
at the advanced age of seventy-One
years. Few distinguished men of mod
ern times ever enjoyed 4 wider distinc-
ton than that which he obtained; nei-
ther does it fall to the happy lot of
many to cultivate the preju,lices of po-
litical opponents so thoroughly as Mr..
Sewerd was able to do; or at the close
of an unusually protracted and COM
manding public career, to be held in
such universal respect.
Mr.. Sewarl's public life and services
have already passed into the worlds
history, and hardly need be recited here.
Born i'm 1901, of a family notable for its
intellectual yigor, he very early in life
gave promise of the rare powers which
were afterwarl welded with so much
force and effect for his country, civiliza-
tion and humanity. Entering the po-
litical arena when but twenty-three
years old, he soon became Il recognized
leader of the party of progress in New
York. Before reaching the age of thir-
| ty he had, as a Senator of that State,
elected by the whig party, originated
measures relating to internal improve
ments, education, the reform of the mill
| tia system, the abolition of imprison-
ment for debt, the amelioration of pris-
on discipline, etc., which stamped him
as one of the most enlightened legisla-
tors of that period. Most of these
measures, which encountered great op-
position at the time, and subsequently
when he became Governor of the State,
have since been substantially adopted
and enacted as law. The reform of the
abuses of the courts, the perfection of
the banking system, the creation of a
geological survey, the establishment OF
lunatic asylum and the blotting out of
every vestige of slavery from the stat
ute books, were also distinguishing fea-
lures of his administration as Governor,
which extended through two terms. Du-
ring this period Governor Seward PROV
ed himself to be one of the ablest and
staunchest as well as earliest members
of the anti-slavery party. In 1919 Gov
ernor Seward was elected to the Senate
of the United States, of which body, on
almost all questions, he soon came to be
regarded as the leader. While thus serv-
ing he openly avowed his determIna-
ton to make no further concessions to
the slave power; declaring that there
was "higher law" than the Constitu-
ton, which regulated our authority
over the national domain. This phrase,
"higher law" was made the subject of
much angry comment in the Senate and
the public prints, and Mr.. Seward was
hotly denounced by his political enemies
as seditious and dangerous agitator.
He also declared that the constant col
Iision between the systems of free and
slave labor in the United States was the
result of an 'irrepressible conflict" be-
tween opposing and enduring moral
forces, which would continue until we
"became entirely slaveholding nation
or entirely free labor nation" Mr..
Seward was reelected to the Senate in
1855, his second term ending with the
close of Buchanan's administration. In
1850, as had also been the case in 1856, a
large portion of the Republican party
favored his nomination for the Presi-
dency. But failing to obtain the nomi-
nation, he promptly and warmly sup
ported Mr.. Lincoln, and soon after the
meeting of the electoral college, was
rendered the chief place in Lincoln's |
cabinet-a position which he held |
throughout his administration (being |
reappointed by the President at the
commencement of his second term),
down tosthe close of that of johnson.
His calm and comprehensive mastery
of the vast burdens and duties of the
office of Secretary of State, during the
war, ave,given him an acknowledged
place among the foremost statesmen of
history.
On the night of the assassination of
President Lincoln, and almost at the
identical moment of Booths entry into
the theater, 4 murderous attack was
made on Mr.. Seward by a confederate
in the Internal plot, who succeeded in
forcing his way into the Secretary's
house, and, after wounding several other
persons, in inflicting a number of fright
full but providentially not fatal stabs on
the neck and face of his intended vic
tim-then confined to his bed by very
serious injuries received a short time
previously by having been thrown from
his carriage.
Since his retirement to private life
Mr.. Seward has devoted his leisure
chiefly to study and travel, some two
years ago making i tour through the
principal countries OF the world, and
everywhere being received with almost
regal honors. The history of this no
table journey, in the preparation of
which he was engaged until short
time before his death, is about to be
published in permanent form, and will
constitute an important addition to our
literature of travel.
MultifariOus and arduous as were the
professional and official duties of Mr..
Seward during his public career, he still
found time for the pursuits of science,
philosophy and literature. His printed
works, which are quite numerous, bear
ample testimony to the high standard
of his scholarship and attainments,
while as a lawyer and jurist he also took
very high rank. He has gone down to
the grave covered with honor and affec-