The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-06-25
THE ASSASSINATION OF THE SEW.
ARDS.

y
tributiGns to political history.-ED.
At tie breaking out of the war we
find Mr.. Seward in the Cabinet, and
all his sons, William, Frederick, and
Augustus in the service of their coun
try.
Frederick, q man of letters, was
selected by his father as his coadju.
tor in the Department OF State, with
the position of assistant secretary.
Augustus already held a commits
sion as paymaster in the regular Ar,
my. He is a graduate of West
Point.
William left very lucrative bust.
ness, a young wife and baby, and, as
Colonel of the Ninth New York Ar.
tillery, came to brave the hardships
of a soldier. At the battle of Mo-
nocacy he distinguished himself and
was wounded, for whica he was
raised to the rank of brigadier gen.
eral
In 1868, while commanding at
Fort Foote, on the Potomac, VIII
liam was seized with an acute attack
of dysentery, induced by exposure in
that malarious district. He was
brought home to Washington by the
surgeons in charge, who looked upon
his case as one to excite the greatest
alarm. For several days he lay be-
tween life and death, causing the
greatest solicitude to his parents. At
his bedside l had the opportunity
of estimating the character OF
that angelic woman, who, NOV
ing around his couch as though
an ethereal form, administered to his
wants with so much judgment and
infinite maternal love. He rallied,
and his convalescence brought con-
sciousness of happiness in that house
hold, which, without excessive de-
momstrations seemed to prevade the
very air. AS be became GONZALES
cent, l recommended temporary
change of climate, and ordered him
to his home in Auburn. There he
improved greatly, and gave hope of a
speedy recovery; but few weeks af-
ter, the malaria still remaining in his
system developed into a dangerous
form of typhoid fever.
About the first of November Mr..
Seward requested that | should i'm
go with him to Auburn.
He had received a telegram that a
consultation of physicians had given
but little hope Of the recovery Of his
son. Furnished with an extra train,
accompanied by his daughter Fanny
how his almost inseparable compan-
ion-we started for Auburn.
During this long journey he con-
versed so freely that ! ventured to
ask him the question chow it happen
ed that he, the acknowledged leader
Of the Republican party, was not Sc
lected as the candidate for the Prcsi-
dency in lS60?r I put my question
with some degree OF timidity, for /
feared that he might be sensitive on
that subject. He surprised me with
his frank and unaffected answer.
There was no bitterness nor disap-
pointment in the tone of his voice.
If he had had the ambition to be-
come the Chief Magistrate of the ma
when his party,
the child of his brain came into pow
er-it was smothered by the nobler
desire of serving his country rather
than himself. His answer was:
"The leader of political party in
. country like ours is SO exposed that
his enemies become as numerous and
as his friends, and in an
election you must put forward the
man who will carry the highest num-
Der of votes. Pennsylvania would
not have voted for me, and without
her we could not expect to carry the
election hence / was not the availa-
BILE man. Mr.. Lincoln possessed all
The necessary qualifications to repre-
sent our party, and being compara-
lively unknown, had not to contend
with the animosities marshalled