Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-10-16
Vim. III. Seward.

| jf American statesmen.
| Mr. Seward was born in Florida, Orange
'ounty, New York, May 10, 1901. His ia
er was Of Welsh, his mother Of Irish e1-
/ -raction. He was graduated at Union Col
! ge in 1920 and com neneed the practice of
| lw at Auburn in 1922. 10 1924 Mr.. Sew
| I'd commenced political warfare upon the
Democratic party in New York. In an ora
ion on the 4th of July 1925, he took strong
ati-slavery ground. He favored the re-elec-
s0n OF John Quincy Adams as President 10
%. In 1880 he was elected as en- Anti
Jason to the New York Senate, defeating
ae candidate Of the jackson party. 10 1884
e was Dictated as the Wing candidate for
,vcrnor Of New York, but was elected in
1898, beating Gov. Marcy. and being the
irst Wing governor of that state. lie
sas reelected governor in 1910. He oppos-
j the nomination OF Henry Clay for Presi-
,snt in 1874 but supported him as a cludi-
late; opposed vigorously the annexation OF
tcxts; and cordially supported Gen. Taylor
Pr-stIsnE ~ 1913. lie wIs elected to
he United States Senate 10 1S49 supported
zen. Scott as a candidate for President 10
So. and Col Frem mt 10 1856 Ia 1860 he
Vac a cinIidlt for the Republican nJmina-
ION Tor President at the CIicago cOnve Itiou
nd received l73 votes. He supported Mr..
L.nc1ln's candidacy, however, cordially. and
,Is liz Secretary Of State, and remained in
nat Ufi.e until the death of President Lin
Din and during Mr. JJlnson's term. Wnile
secretary Of State he barely escaped ass sssin-
.tion az the time Of the murder OF President
Lincoln. and h. ever after bore the mark OF
ne znue OF the assassin, Payne. tie favor
i Gen. Grants election, aud upon the lat
--r r accession TO off e he virtually retired
rom ficial life; and he has spent his life
nee in extern led foreign travel and 10 lit
-rtry and historical work. In his journeys
re first travele through California and Mex
TO, and since nearly made the circuit of the
lrth, visiting among other countries China
nd Japan.
Such IN brief is the sketch of the life Of
Hr. 5 ward. It is perhaps too soon to
measure his realI greatness as a statesman;
bat nc is evident that he will take rank
,mong the greatest public men of America.
Il was perhaps given to him as much as
% any man to crystalline into phrases the
thought Of the great body Of intelligent anti
slavery men of the nation, during the long
-tru1 gIe with the slave power. lie spoke
f the 80 irrepressible conflict and Of - the
Igber law and be lived to see the - ire
prrssIbIe conflict fought out through a
bloody war, and {" tho higher law - written
70 the constitution of his country. Yet it
g bat Just to say that at the last, when
Be- forces which he had so clearly seen were
rreconcllably antag mi site, stood face to face
a armed conf CT, he refused 70 acknowledge
chat fred Jm and slavery were at war. and
wrote and spoke Of that death struggle of
,pp,sing civilizations as only strife that
.,uld be ptcitsi ia ninety days. leaving sla-
lm ition aud the great amendments to the
e,n tiru.ion apparently owed very little Of
their success to his active sympath. or work.
Tie gave President Johnson's policy a cor
dial support; and although he favored Gen.
CRAFTS first election. and was understood to
prefer him in this campaign TO Mr.. Greeley,
ue has since 1868 been almost wholly retired
rom politics.
Mr. Seward, as Secretary of State, un-
d1ubteily conducted our foreign affairs with
great prudence and wisdom during the war
md after it's close However ready he was
ro sneak Of the rebellion as a storm that
would soon blow over, he saw as clearly as
my one that 1t was likely to furnish us all
the Sighting we c1uld attend 10 and ne most
wisely kept us free from danger Of a foreign
war. which would have been a most power
al ally of the rebellion. Yet it is probable
that be never yielded a point to any nation
chat ought not to have been yielded he
only was careful to avoid the entrance to a
gu-rrel While buster and bullying are
-enetimes popular, firm and just policy Is
alter al. the true craftsmanship; and the
credit Of maintaining such policy during
the time he WAS Secretary of State is largely
if not chiefly due to Mr. Seward.
As q politician Mr.. Seward was, perhaJ =
neither bitter nor worse than the politicians
Of New y ,rk will average. He believed in
the free use of money in carrying elections
not. probably. in directly bFibing voters. but
m the hundred ways in which it secures in
4 renee: AMI those with whom he had the
most intimate political associations were sci
ilm o pulous or over-conscientious in
r1eir method Of conducting camp ,igns ; and
rhat class Of politicians are largely chargea-
hle with the CORFU tions that have made pol
tics almost a synonym for dirty work,
have inclined many persons TO let it alone,
and have almost made it disreputable for
clcrgymen and judges to take an active in
terest in it.
With all this, Mr.. Seward is secure of an
enduring and a noble fame. The great
,,eeches AMI the graf work of political
life Of more than forty years have done too
much for freed ,m and for progress to be for
.ottcn on account Of evil political associa-
lions or the hesitation of later years. Al
though he was not always the most agrees
/ ; We of the workers again It slavery, and was
lOt a reormer 10 the best sense, his speech g.
> made thousands of recruits to the cause o.
bsrty who were ready TO push forward even
where he fatere1; and liberty will in tn,
end bring all REFORMS. The impartial his
/ oriau must credit him with large share il.
| me fnal achievement of emancipation even
81 the gathering in Of. the harvest was left t,
jther hands.
BANK RoBB ERY.-One of the most daring
tnd successful bank robberies on record, oc-