Connecticut western news., 1872-10-25
The Late Wm, H. Seward.

The late Wm. d. seward, WnOSo Ceatn las already been announced, was born n Orange county, New York, and edu. ,ated at Union College. He settled in Auburn in 1923 as lawyer. and has resided there. For nearly half century he has been o conspicuous figure in1 the affairs of: the State and na- ion. In 1925 he first became known as m antagonist of slavery, and in 1880 he was elected member of the State Sen ate as an Anti Mason. He was the Whig candidate for Governor 1884, and was defeated by William L.. Marcy but in 1888 he beat Marcy in turn and became Governor. MT. Seward retired from the office of Governor after having held it for four years, and again devoted him. self to the law and to politics. In 1944 he advocated the election of Henry Clay as President, and in 1949 he was prom inent supporter of Gen. Taylor, and be- came a member of the United States Senate, taking his seat on March 4, 1849. He filled this important position two terms. He was one of President Taylor's trusted advisers, and his influence had very much to do in giving the policy of the Administration an anti-slavery ten dency.
 Soon after the formation of the Re- publican party MT. Seward adhered to it, and in 1856 he labored zealously for the election of Col. Fremont as Presi- dent. He had himself been much spoken of as candidate prior to Fremont's and as the time approached for the selection of Republican standard bearer in 1860, 1t was generally believed that MT. Seward would be the man. This expectation, however, was disap' pointed, principally through the op- position of Horace Greeley, who exerted himself successfully against MT. Seward in the Convention at Chicago.
 Immediately after his election Presi dent Lincoln rendered to MT. Seward the post of Secretary of State. This office he retained during eight years. His ad- ministration throughout the war and the embarrassing questions which arose with foreign powers has universally been re- garded as masterly. When President Johnson broke off from the Republican party Mir. Seward went with him, sup porting his plan of reconstruction and opposing that adopted by Congress as pl egnant with danger. In the dispute between the Presidnnt and Gen. Grant upon the famous question of veracity MT Seward sided with Johnson. In the struggle which followed the nominations of Grant in 1868 Mir. Seward declined to take any part.
 Among the most remarkable occur rences of MT. Stewards life, his visit to Alaska and Mexico, and his journey around the world, must be reckoned. In Mexico he was received and enter tained as national benefactor in man. ner which could only Do compared to the welcome of Lafayette in.the United Ssates in 1924; and in Japan, China, Siam, Egypt, and Turkey, this aged man, without official character and with out power, was the guest of monarchs, and received honors more than royal.
 History twill judge MT. Seward as a man, lawyer, an orator, politician, and statesman. AS man, it will say his character was true, gentle, and atfec- tionate. He was generous and free from pretension. To this country and its institutions his devotion was genuine and constant. His daily life was un- affected and Democratic. He met every man upon equal terms. As companion no one could be more charming. He had delicate kind of humor, and his conversation was rich with the fruits o reading and of shrewd observation in every sphere of life. As lawyer MT. Seward was able and successful.
 At the time of the assassination o1 President Lincoln, Mir. Seward came near losing his life. At the time that Payne entered the Secretary's chamber after the scuffie in the hallway with his son, MT. Frederick Seward, he was lying upon hls side, close to the edge of his bed, with his head resting in frame which had been made to give him east and to protect his broken jaw which hac shortly before been broken by blow from pressure. He was trying to keeE awake, having been seized upon by { sick mans fancy-it was that if ho slep he would wake up with lockjaw. He wa. brought to full consciousness by tht scuff1e in the passageway, followed by the enterance of the assassin and tht cry of Miss Seward-"Oh! he will kill my father" but he saw nothing of hi assailant until hand appeared abov, his face, and then his thought was
 'What handsome cloth that overcoat i made of." The assassin's face then ap peared, and the helpless statesman onl,
 thought, "What handsome man.
 Then came 0 sensation as of rain strik ing him smartly upon one side of hi face and neck, then quickly the sam
 upon the other side, but he felt no sever
 pain. This was tho assassin's knife
 The blood spouted. He thought "M
 time has come," and falling from tn
 bed to the floor, tainted. His first sen sation of returning consciousness wa
 that he was drinking tea, and that
 ''tasted good" Mrs. Seward was giv
 ing him tea with a spoon. He hear
 low voices around him, asking and re plying as to whether it would be pos
 sible for him to recover. He could no
 speak, but his eyes showed his consci
 ousness and that he desired to speak
 They brought him a porcelain tablet
 on which he managed to write, "Giv
 And from that moment he slowly
 but steadily recovered health an
 strength.
 Dr. Russell, the famous corresponden
 of the London Times, said of MT Seward
 about the time he left the Senate to as
 sume place in MT. Lincoln's Cabinet
 "Mr. Seward is 8 slight, middle-size
 man, of feeble build, with the stoo
 contracted from sedentary habits an
 application to the desk, and has pecu
 liar attitude when seated which imme
 diately attracts attention. A well-form
 ed and large head is placed on long
 slender neck, and projects over the ches
 in an argumentative kind of way, as
 the keen eyes were seeking for an adve1
 sary; the mouth is remarkably flexible
 large but we'll formed, the nose promin
 ent and aquiline, the eyes secret bu
 penetrating, and lively with humor C
 some kind twinkling about them; tn
 brow bold and broad, but not remark
 ably elevated; the white hair silvery an
 fine-a subtle, quick man, rejoicing i
 power, given to perorate and to oracula