The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-10-25
WILLIAM HENRY SEWARD.
Death Of the Eminent statesman-The Last
Hours of his Iliness-3rief BiOsra phicml
AEeteh


the evening of Thursday, Oct. 10. A
telegram furnishes the following par
ticulars of the sad event:
Mr.. Seward having taken cold and
been somewhat unwell for day or two
was, on the evening of SATURDAY, the
5th, seizeG with severe chill, and his
physician was summoned to him. He
had been, during the summer, in his
ordinary good health, suffering only
from the Inconvenience of the muscular
palsy OF MS arms, and had been en-.
gagged in preparing for the press his
account Of his recent journey around
the world. The chill was that of ordi.
nary tertian ague, accompanied by
harassing catarrhal cough. 1t was fol-
lowed by feYer and delirium, which
lasted till late in the night on Sunday.
He was up in the afternoon, took din.
ner and passed a comfortable night.
On Monday, with the exception of his
cough and catarrh, he was comfortable,
and dictated as usual TO his assistants
on the completion of his book. He
played whist on Monday evening, but
al 10 :. n. slight chill occurred, fol.
lowed by del!rium and fever, with ag-
gravated catarrhal disturbance of the
chest, which lasted nearly all night, his
physician seeing him on this account
after midnight. On Tuesday morning,
after some sleep, he was a gain better,
and drove ont in the afternoon, but
fever, delrium, and restlessness re.
turned with the cough on tuesday
night. On wednesday he drove out for
two hours. and dictated TO his amanu.
ensis as usual, though harassed all day
with the cough and the catarrhal etfu-
sion in the chest.
"On Wednesday evening his congh
aba'ed for while, and there seemed
promise Of q good night, but the fe.
yer, residences, and cough returned at
bed time. lie was nearly sleepless un-
til o'clock IN the morning. At a. M,
to relieve the te6ium of lying sleepless,
he had mis- son William read the New
York Times OF Wednesday morning to
him. He slept after pretty well till ii
a. N. Of to-day, though his fever kept
up without any real remission. At half.
past he was seized with great difficult
~ in breathing, caused by sudden
catarrhal ettdsion into the lungs. COM
mencing WITH the right lung, and soon
involving the lett also, which occa-
stoned his death IN about two hours.
He entertained no apprehension but
that he shoU!d recover 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 ne mas uttered so long the fact
that the fevec was increasing upon h NJ,
together with the catarrhal disturbance.
led his physicians to apprehend a fatal
result in the course of q week or more,
yet no immediate fear was felt, and his
dissolution was sudden and unexpected.
Mr.. Seward intellectual faculties were
clear and vigorous 10 the last, save
when disturbed by paroxysms of fever.
Just after the ettusion from the lungs
to-day, and thinking it would relieve
his breathing. ne 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 his
books and his Literary and other papers,
and surrounded by his relatives and a
few friends and his devoted depend.
ants, he breathed his last. For the last
hour OF hi. ,:te, IS the powers of nature
were giving away, his condition became
easy, and ne spent his time in affec-
Tomato leave-takings of relatives and
dependents, and finally sank quietly to
his last rest, - if going to sleep"
William II. seward was born in Orange
county, n. J., May II, 1901. His an.
cestry was Cel;ic,-W Welsh on his fathers
and Irish or his mothers side. His
father was q wealthy physician, who
died in lS49. At 10 William Henry
entered Union College; at 10, while
still a student, he visited Georgia, and
taught school there for six months. lie
then returned 10 New York, and was
admitted to tae bar in 1920. The next
year he changed his residence to Au.
burn, entering law partnership with
Jude Miller. and a year later married
his partner daughter, Miss Frances
Adaline Miller. In 1924, he began the
war upon the Albany Regency" the
leaders Of the Democratic party. In
lS2S he presided at Young Men )
Convention held in New York favoring
the election Of John @. Adams 10 the
Presidency, and in the same year de-
clined q nomination for Congress. In
1880 he was elected 10 the State Senate.
In 1888 he visited Europe, publishing q
series of letters in the Albany Eveaiag
Journal In ,34 he was candidate
for Governor Il New York, and was op-
posed and defeated by Mr.. Marcy, and
in lS3S was again nominated for the
same Office, tAis time beating his former
opponent. n $40 he was reelected
Governor, and, upon retiring. in 1912,
resumed his practice of the law.
In lS44 he vi:orously supported Hen
ry Clay, and m Isis Gen. Taylor, for the
Presidency. The Legislature of New
York, chosen in 1918, elected Mr.. Seward
United States Senator FOX the term be-
ginning March 4 1919. In 1855 he was
reelected to the Senate. In the Chicago
Convention Of 1850 he had been can.
didate FOR the nomination, receiving as
high as l73 votes. In the composition
of his Cabinet, Mr. Lincoln appointed
him Secretary of State, and during the
war controlled our relations with foreign
Governments. Upon the death of Mr.
Lincoln. in 1865. Mr.. Seward was con
tinued in Office by President johnson
and remained Secretary of State unit
March 4, 1859. having held the Office
continuously for EIGHT wears