Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-10-18
From the Inter Ocean.]
The Death Of William H. Seward.

Another brilliant life has flicker
ed and expired. William Henry
Seward, one of Americas most
eloquent orators, most earnest re-
formers, and most skillful states
men, died at his home, in Auburn,
N. Y, at 8 o'clock yesterday. We
will briefly recapitulate the leading
events of his career, remarking, at
the same time, that to our middle
aged or elderly renders at all famil-
lar with national politics, the SER
vice is hardly necessary.
Mr.. Seward was born in Florida,
Orange County, N. Y, on the 10th
OF May, 1901, his father being DR..
Samuel S. Seward, a gentleman of
large means and influence. The
son was sent to the same school lat
Goshen, N. W which educated
Noah Webster and Aaron Burr, and
graduated from Union College at
10 years of age. He had been a
precocious scholar, and having
studied law a few months was ad-
mitted to the bar at 81. He mar
ried, in 1924, the daughter of his
partner, Judge Miller, and in the
same year entered politics with
much zeal, serving in a Republican
convention by preparing a scathing
address on the tyranny and corrup-
ton of the "Albany Regency"
During the fourteen years. struggle
against the Regency which ensued,
his political advancement was
rapid.
Attending Young Mems Con-
vention held at New York, in 1928,
in the interest of John Quincy
Adams as a Presidential candidate,
he was made it's President, and on
returning home was nominated for
Congress-, but declined. In 1884 he
was nominated for Governor of
New York by the Wings, in OPP
position to William L. Marcy, but
was defeated by him. Four years
later, however, he won in similar
contest against the same strong
adversary, and the Regency was for
the first time vanqished. His ad-
ministration was very arduous
one, marking an important epoch
in the progress of New York from
the old and narrow to the new and
broader gauge of politics. He con-
tinued in the Executive chair four
years, at the expiration Of which he
returned to his profession.
His interim Of absence from pub
lie service was, however, brief.
With the election of Taylor to the
Presidency, in ls4s, came in
strongly Wing Legislature in New
York, and this body elected Mr..
Seward to the United States Senate,
to succeed General John A. Dix.
Senator Seward became one of Pres
dent Taylor's most influential ad-
visors, at the same time the leading
opponent of the aggressive slave
power Of the South-a cause in
which he had long been jealous
laborcr. 1t was during speech
in the Senate, in March, 1850, in
opposition to the admission of Cali
fornia az slave State, that he made
use of the expression "higher law"
in contrast with the obligations sup
posed to be imposed by the strict
letter of the Constitution. Another
expression OF Mr.. Stewards passed
into the current talk upon politics,
and will survive it's author. 1t was
made at Rochester in 1853, where,
speaking Of tho collision between
the slave and FREQ labor systems, no
said: at is an irrepressi6le conflict
between opposing and enduring
forces, and it means that tho United
States will sooner or later become
either entirely slaveholding nation
or entirely free labor nation"
Mr.. Seward continued in the Sen
ate two terms, retiring in March,
1901, Immediately to assume the
first place in Mr.. Lincoln's Cabinet.
He had previously declared and re-
iterated in the Senate Chamber his
adherence to the Union Sin every
event Of peace or war, with every
consequence of honor or dishonor,
oflife or of death, with or without
his friends, party, and State"