Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-10-31

William Henry Seward was born in
Florida, Orange County, N. Y, May 10,
1901. He graduated at Union College
in 1920, was admitted TO the Bar in 1922,
and commenced practice at Auburn, IN
his native State, in 1923, 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
company with his father in 1888, and
wrote a series Of letters during his tour
for an Albany newspaper, and they after
ward appeared in separate form. Hav-
ing been brought forward for the Govern
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 by a large
majority. In this position he recon-
mended the increase of education, inter.
nal improvements, liberal policy to-
ward foreign immigrants, and took the
side Of abolition in the growing contro-
verses on slavery. Mr.. Seward held the
office of Governor for two terms. He re-
sumed, afterward, the practice Of law,
llFSI III TUG COURTS vi MS OWN 1tHle, uItu
afterward acquiring lucrative share of
patent causes in the courts Of the United
States. In lS49 he was cleGted to the
Senate of the United States, where he be-
came the aCknOwled ed leader of his
party, and in the debt Re 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
,,l, sad In
ity " Congress over the national domain
the law of God and the interests Of hu
manity." In speech at Rochester, n.
Y, in 1853, he declared that there was an
"irreprcssible conflict between opposing
and enduring forces" and that "the Uni
ted States must become either entirely
slave or entirely free" In 1859 he reyis-
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 inter
ests finally secured the election Of Abra
ham Lincoln, while Mr.. Seward accepted
the important post of Secretary of State,
in which he guided the diplomacy Of the
Federal Government through the perls
of War and Secession with an almost un-
pdlhlNltb iiiNihobl NitAEJJ "iiN
success On the 14th of April, 1865, at
the sa,nc time President Lincoln was as,
sassiratcd by John Wilkes Booth an0th
or assassin, named Payne, entered the
house of Mr. Seward (then confined to his
room by fall from his carrage), danger
ously wounded his son, and with a
! poniard inflicted wounds upon him which
were at first believed to be fatal, but from
which he slowly recovered. After the
death of Mr.. Lincoln, Mr.. Seward con
| tinued to act as Secretary until the close
of Mr. Johnson's Presidency. In 1s6S-69
he took an extended tour through the far
| Northwest, Alaska California, Mexico,
etc, and in 1870 again set out for atraYel
| through Eastern Asia. In October Of
| the same year he was received by the
Mikado of Japan, being the first foreign
er to whom the honor had been accorded.
( The works of Mr.. Seward have been
published in vol. syo., New York,
| ls53-60. They include his oratons, adj
dresses, political speeches, official cor
rcspondence and miscellaneous writings.