Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-05-02

IN Tue clty OF washington ltSclt IL becamo dtf-
ieult TO find among the residents persons
wholly free from It. II such was the condi-
lion of the dsaffected party, IL was scarcely
better with the loyal side. The President elect
was still at home In Illinois, giving no signs of
life, and there was no one OF the faithful men
vested with authority to speak or act in his
behalf. That something ought to be done to
keep the control Of the Capital and bridge over
the interval between the 4th OF March In peace
and quiet was manifest.
In this emergency have II in my power to
speak only Of what | know Mr. Seward effect
cd on his sole responsibility. OF his calmness
in the midst of difficulty OF his fertility i'm re-
source, OF his courage in at once breaking up
the remnants Of party ties, and combining, as
firmly as he could, trusty men, whether In the
Government In the army, in the municipal
boards or elsewhere, TO secure the policy OF
keeping everything steady, | had abundant
evidence The hearty cooperation of General
Scott, then Commander-in- Chief, although
surrounded by less than even lukewarm as
sistants, proved Of the highest value. The day
Is, perhaps, not yet come, IL IL ever does, when
all the details Of these operations will be dis
closed. But IL 1t should, it will only add one
more to the many causes of gratitude due by
the country to the memory of Mr.. Seward.
But out OF all the sources OF anxiety and dis
trust hcapcd up in this most fearful interval,
that which appeared to many the most appal-
ling was the fact that we were about to have
for our guide through this perious strife n
person selected partly ON account of the alb
sence of positive qualities, so far as he was
known to the public. SO it seemed absolutely
Indispensable on every account that not only
Mr. Seward should have been early secured in
prominent post, but that his advice, at least
should have been asked in regard to the COM
pletion of the organization. The value of
such counsel in securing harmony in policy Is
too well understood to need explanation. But
Mr. Lincoln as yet knew little of all this.
Hence it was at quite n late period of the scs-
sion before he had disclosed his intention TO
place Mr.. Seward in the most prominent place.
SO doubtful had some of Mr.. Stewards friends
been made by this proceeding of the spirit of
the President, that they were disposed to ad-
wise him not to assume any responsibility under
him.
Let me not be understood as desiring to say
a word in a spirit of derogation from the mem
ory of Abraham Lincoln. He aftcrward proved
himself before the world a pure, brave hon
est man; faithful to his arduous task, and lay
ing down his life at the last as the penalty for
his country's safety. At the same time 1t Is
the duty of history, in dealing with all human
action, to do strict justice in discriminating be-
tween persons, and by no means to award to
one honors that clearly belong to another.
Furthermore, he was quite deficient in his ac-
quaintance with the character and qualities of
public men or their aptitude for the positions
to which he assigned them. Indeed, he never
selected them solely by that standard. Admit
ting this to be an accurate statement, the diff
cultes in the way of Mr.. Seward on his assum-
ing the duties of the Foreign Department may
be readily imagined. The immediate reorgani-
zation Of the service abroad was imperatively
demanded at all points. 1t may be easily con
ceved what an effect could be produced in all
quarters by the equivocal, half-hearted tone
prevailing among the American agents them
selves. Yet, assuming it to be indispensable
that the foreign service should be reorganized,
avery grave difficulty forthwith presented it
self. The Republican party had been so gen
orally in opposition that but few of its prom
inent members had had any advantages of eX
perience in office. And, in the foreign service
especially, experience is almost Indispensable
to usefulness. Mr.. Seward himself came into
the State Department with no acquaintance
with the forms of business other than that OBJ
tained incidentally through his service in the
Senate. He had not had the benefit of official
presence abroad, an advantage by no means
trilng in conducting the foreign affairs.
The marvellous fertility of Mr.. Stewards pen
spread itself at once over every important point
on the globe, and the lofty firmness of his tone
infused a spirit of unity of action such as had
never been witnessed before. The effect of
this was that from a state Of utter demoraliza-
ton at the outset, the foreign service rapidly
became the most energetic aud united organi-
zatiOn thus far made abroad. The evidence of
this will remain patent in the archives of the
nation so long as they shall be suffered to en-
dure. 1t may be questioned whether any head
Of an executive department ever approached
Mr.. Seward in the extent and minuteness of the
Instructions he was constantly issuing during
the critical period of the war. While necessa-
rily subject to imperfectiOn, consequent upon
the rapidity with which he wrote, his papers
will occasion rather surprise at their general
excellence than at any casual defects they may
contain. Even in the darkest hours his clarion
out 51,.trNN and pla IN fIll
faith of the triumph of the great cause than
even in the moment Of its complete success.
And the consequence is thatsthe fame of VIII
liam II. Seward as a sagacious statesman is
more widely spread over every part OF the
globe than that of any preceding statesman i'll
our history.
1 am not going to touch upon the incidents
of the great war. 1t is enough to say that
Gettysburg and Yicksburg turned the tide, and
the Administration had nothing more to fear
from popular distrust The election confirmed
it in power, and little was left to do but to heal
the wounds inflicted and restore the blessed
days of peace and prosperity. Scarcely had tho
necessary measures been matured, and fortune
begun once more to smile, when the hand OF
the assassin, unerring in its instructive sagaci
ty, vented all the rage of the battied enemy
upon the heads of the two individuals of all
others who most distinctly symbOlzed the
emancipation Of the slave and the doom of tho
masters pride. Then followed a successor tC
the chair sadly wanting in the happiest quail
ties of his predecessor, but readily moulded Il
the very same policy which had been inaugu
rated by him. In his earnestncss to save it Mr.
Seward subordinated himself just as before.
In the spring of 1869 he bid last farewell t.
public life. The veteran who had fought fo
the establishment of the great principles o
liberty-clear of all hampering compromises
L :. e. = 1. H.. .s~u..sN L.
cause he had worked too well, scar whicl
would have made lifelong political FORTUNE
| for any purely military man-was permitted t.
| repair in silence to his home, now lonely iron
| the loss of those who had made it his delight
| with fewer marks of recognition of his bril-
| liant career than he would have had If he hat
| been the most insignificant of our Presidents
| Such is one more example of the fate tina
awaits ''those who hang on princes fayors,
whether the sovereign be one, or be many
| And now his native State, having bestowed o.
| him all the honOrs within her gift during hi
| life, with a natural pride in the career of s.
great a son, has sought outside her border
| for one of the humblest of his disciples to cul
| a few neeting flowers and place them on hi
grave. While do honor to this manifestation
| on her part, trust | may be pardoncd for re
mcmbcring that he did not save the State alon
| he saved the Nation.
| Let1ne turn from this subject to the NOR
i y
| culiar qualities of Mr.. Seward, which meri
close attention in any view taken of his charac
| ter OF these the most marked was his indom
table courage. BY superficial observer
among his contemporaries, the breadth of hi
popular theory was set down as little NOR
| than the agitation not unusual with our ordinu
ry demagogues. Hence the prcjudices more o
less imbibed by many of his own party, an
| others who knew nothing of him personally
! Yet the fact is indisputable that very few pull
| lie men in our history can be cited who hay
shown so much indifference in running directl
counter to the popular passions when highl
excited as he did. And in such action it
clear that he could have been prompted by n
motive other than the highest of persons
| duty.
Hitherto have treated only his public life
now propose to touch on his professional c,
reer, to which, though not attractive to hin
he steadily adhered so long as it was practi,
able. Had he devoted himself to it teXclusivel
| l have not a shadow of doubt he would hay
attained position of the very first rank. Tn
speaker here related the circumstances of tn
memorable defense of the friendless negro
William Freeman, charged with murder. NJ
Adams concluded by pronouncing eulog