Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-10-25

o'clock In the morning. At four a, m. to
relieve the tedium of lying sleepless, he
had his son William read the New York
Times to him of Wednesday morning. He
slept after five pretty we'll till eleven a.
n. OF to-day, though his fever kept up
without any real remission. At half-past
one he was seized with great difficulty in
breathing, caused by sudden catarrhal
efusion into the lungs, commencing with
the right lung, and soon involving the
left also, which occasioned his death in
about two hours. He entertained no ap-
prehension but that he should recover
from from the attack OF catarrhal ague
till last night and this morning.
While at his age, and with the
condition of muscular palsy, from which
he had suffered 80 long, the fact that the
fever was increasing upon him together
with the catarrhal disturbance, led his
physicians to apprehend fatal re-.
suit in the course Of week or
more, yet no immediate fear was felt, and
his dissolution was sudden and unex.
pected, Mr. Stewards intellectual facul-
ties were clear and vigorous to the last,
save when disturbed by paroxysms Of
fever. Just after the effuston from the
lungs to-day, and thinking it would relieve
his breathing, he was, at his own desire,
placed on lounge and bolstered up and
moved from his adjoining bedroom into
his study, where, in the midst Of lis
books and his literary and other papers,
and surrounded by his relatives and a
few friends, and all his devoted depend.
ents, he breathed his last. For the last
hour of his life, as the powers of nature
were giving away, his condition became
easy, and he spent the time in affectionate
leave-takings of relatives and dependents,
and finally sank quietly to his last rest, as
if going to sleep.
The following brief biographical sketch
of the Hon. William H. Seward is taken
from ZeWs Encyclopedia;
William Henry Seward was born in
Florida, Orange County, New York, May
10, 1901. He graduated at Union College
in 1920, was admitted to the Bar in 1929,
and commenced practice at Auburn, in
his native State, in 1928. He was elected
IN 1880 to the State Senate of New York
IN which he came forward as a champion
OF internal improvements, of the abolition
of imprisonment for debt, and of giving
the people more power In the election Of
public officers. He visited Europe In
wrote a series of letters during his tour
for an Albany newspaper, and they after
Yard app6aued in PuSPJafitf tGJfF Frne-,tu5ern-
orship of the State, he was defeated by
Mr.. Marcy, afterward Minister for Foreign
Affairs under President Franklin Pierce,
but was successful in 1888, when he was
elected Governor of New York ny
large majority. in this position he rec
commended the increase of education, in.
ternal improvements, liberal policy to-
ward foreign immigrants, and took the
side of abolition In the growing contro-
versies on slavery. Mr.. Seward held the
office of Governor for two terms. He re-
sumed, afterward, the practice of law,
first in the courts of his own State, and
afterward acquiring a lucrative share of
patent causes in the courts of the United
States. In 1849 he was elected to the
Senate of the United States, where he be-
came the acknowledged leader of his
party, and, in the debate on the admission
of California, he promulgated what was
called his "higher law" doctrine, in say
ing that there was "a higher law than
the Constitution which regulated the au-
thority of Congress over the national do
main-the law of God and the interests
of humanity" In speech at Rochester,
N. Y, in 1868, he declared that there was
an ''irrepressible conflict between oppos-
ing and enduring forces" and that "the
United States must become either entirely
tied Europe, and extended his tour to
Egypt and the Holy Land, and in 1860
was the most prominent man of the Re-
publican party for the nomination for
the Presidency, but personal and local in
terests finally secured the election of
Abraham Lincoln, while Mr.. Seward ac-
cepted the important post of Secretary of
State, in which he guided the diplomacy
of the Federal Government through the
perils of War and Secession with an al
most unparalleled industry, energy, and
success. On the 18th of April, 1865, at
the same time President Lincoln was as
sassinated by John Wilkes Booth, anoth-
er assassin, named Payne, entered the
house of Mr.. Seward (then confined to his
room by a fall from his carriage), danger
ously wounded his son, and
with poniard inflicted wounds
upon him which were at first believed to
be fatal, but from which he slowly recov-
cred. After the death of Mr.. Lincoln,
Mr.. Seward continued to act as Secretary
until the close of Mr.. Johnson's Presi-
dency. In 1968-69 he took an extended
tour through the far Northwest, Alaska,
California, Mexico, ETC., and in 1870 again
set out for travel through Eastern Asia.
In October of the same year he was re-
ceived by the Mikado of Japan, being the
first foreigner to whom the honor had
been accorded. The works of Mr.. Sew
ard have been published in vol. Svo.,
New York, 1S53-60 They include his
addresses, political speeches,
nf1 oil VN1n
writings.