The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-10-18
WILLIAM h. SEWARD DEAD
Sketch of his Life and Acts.

nouncement that William Henry
Seward died at his home in Auburn,
New York, at a quarter past three
o'clock that afternoon. We give
a few particulars of his life, most of
which is obtained from Appleton's
New American Cyclopedia.
William Henry Seward was born
in Florada, Orange county, N. Y,
May 16, 1901. His ancestors were
of Welsh extraction on his fathers
side and of Irish on his mothers.
His father, Sam. S. Seward, who died
in 1849, was physician, and com
bined with his profession a large
mercantile business, by which he
amassed fortune. For seventeen
years he held the Office of first judge
of the county. William Henry
nine years old was sent to an acad-
emy at Goshen, among whose pu-
pills had been Noah Webster and
Aaron Burr. At Is he went to
Union College, qualified for the ju-
nior class, though he entered the So
phomore. In 1919, while in the Sc
nior class, he spent six months as
teacter in Georgia, where he re-
ceived impressions strongly unfa-
vorable to;slavery. After taking his
degree he became student at law,
and was admitted to the bar in 1922.
He removed to Auburn next year,
forming a law partnership with
Judge Miller, whose youngest daugh-
ter, Francis Adeline, he married in
1924 His first public political act
was in 1924, when he prepared an
address for q Republican convention
boldly announcing an opposition to
the albany regency" as the leaders
of the Democratic party were then
styled, which was continued until
crowned with success in 1888. On
July 4, 1926, in an Grafton at Syra-
cuse, he defended the cause of liber-
ty, occupying very similar grounds
| to those he assumed at more recent
periods. In August 1928, he was
chosen President of the Young
Mems Convention, one of the largest
ever held in New York, called to ia
vor the reelection of John Quincy
Adams to the Presidency. On his
return home from the convention he
was rendered a nomination as mem
Der of Congress, which he declined
Two years later he was elected to
the State Senate as an anti-MasOn
by a majority of 1000, although the
district had given large adverse
majority the preceding year. Among
the measures which he advocated in
the Senate of New York were those
relating to internal improvements,
education, the reform of the mill
tia system, the abolition of imprison-
ment for debt, and the improvement
ond melioration of prison discipline.
He originated an opposition to cor
porate monopolies which has since
ripened into a system of general
laws. In 1888 he visited Europe,
and made rapid tour of Great Brit
ain and a portion of the continent,
publishing the result of his observa-
tions in a series of letters which ap-
peared in the Albany EUen61g Jour
nal.
1t 1884 he was nominated Gov
ernor by the Wing party, but was de-
feated in the election by W. L. Mar
cy, although in every county he led
the ticket. In 1886 he became the
agent of the Holland Land Company.
In 1888 he was again nominated for
Governor by the Wings, and in a
hotly contested election was success
full by majority of10,O00 over his
former competitor, Governor Marcy.
He entered upon his duties in 1889
amid unusual difficulties. His party
were in power for the first time, and
food of financial troubles was
sweeping over the State and country,
greatly embarrassing and complicat-
ing all political relations. Among
the measures to which he early di
rected his attention were the exten-
sion of public education, the vigor-
Gus prosecution of the public works,
including the enlargement of the
Erie canal, and the removal of the
illegal disabilities imposed on for
eigners. Perhaps the most promi-
nent feature of his administration
was his effort to secure the diffusion
of common school education among
children of every class, especially
those of large cities, and of foreign
parentage, advocating an equal dis
tribution of the public funds among
all schools established with that OBJ
ject. His policy, at the time vehe-
mently condemned, was in lS47 sub
stantially adopted, and enacted as
law. The courts of law and ofchan-
cery in New York, organized on the
model of the English system, were
marked in their practice by all the
prolixity, technicalities, and expen-
siveness of the English courts.
Amid much opposition Governor
Seward exerted all his influence in
favor of reform, preparing the way
for the radical changes effected in
the constitution of 1916. The ge-
illogical survey of the State, the per-
fection or the general banking sys-
TEN and the establishment OF luna
tic asylum were also measures OF his
administration. Imprisonment for
debt was entirely abolished, the
formidable anti-rent rebellion was
subdued so that the laws were duly
executed, and every vestige of slave
ry was cleared from the statute
books, while he was Governor. A
controversy sprung up between Gov
ernor Seward and the executive OF
Virginia in relation to slavery and
the sendition of fugitives from JUS
tice. The case arose on the applica-
tion of the Governor of VirgInlr for
the return of two seamen charged
with abducting slaves. In the cor
respondence between the parties
Governor Seward maintained that no
State could force a requisition upon
another State founded on act which
was only criminal by its own legis
lation, and which, compared with
general standards was not only inno-
cent, but humane and praiseworthy. |
The correspondence known as the