The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-07-10
HORATl0 SEYMOUR
SPEAKS ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
TO STATE PRISON CoNvICTs.
How the Evil They Have Done May be Changed
to Good Errors Making Folks Wise
The Conversion Of Wrongs into
Blessings.
[FIOm the Utica Herald. Univ 6l

7 have declined all invitations this year To
make public addresses, but when your Warden
asked me to speak to you to-day I made I'D nv
mino 10 do so, although at the hazard of nv
health My interest in the inmates OF this and
otner prisons grows out Of official duties, as
nave mad TO act on many cases of applications for
parqons have learned from long experience
with men In all conditions Of life that none are
Without faults and none without virtues. have
studied Characters with care. have had to deal
with Presidents and with prisoners, Ihave asso-
ciated with those held in high honor by the
American people. On The other hand, the laws
OF our State have placed the lives of criminal
men IN my hands, and 1t has been my duty to de-
eide they should live or die. The period In
Wnleh took the most active part in public
anairs was one OF great excitement, when pas.
slonh and preluolces were aroused, and, in com.
mon with all others engaged in the controversies
Of the day have felt the bitternt IS Of partisan
STRIFE Nevertheless, experience has t ught me
to think kindly of my fellow men. The longer l
live the better think Of their hearts and the less
OF their heads Everywhere from the RESIDENTS
mansion to the prisoners cell, have learned the
wisdom OF that prayer which begs that we may
be delivered from temptation. Another great
truth is taught by experience hoIe is the great
reformer. We must instil this into mems minds
II we wish to cultivate their virtues or enable
them to overcome their vices. It has been said
thai despair 10 the objectionable sin for IL para
ly zes every sentiment that leads to virtue or haD
piness. For this reason, when Governor OF this
State, did ell could to gain the passage of laws
which enable each one Of you, by good conduct,
TO shorten the terms Of your imprisonment, and
II had my way you would have a share in the
pIohB OF your labor. But stand before you to-
day TO speak OF another ground OF hope, Of q
ht her and more lasting character than mere
money gain or shortened terms OF imprisonment,
Gnd what l have to say does not point TO you
alone but men Of all conditions, do not me an
TO take the place of those who teach you your re.
ligious duties, They are far more able to make
these clear to your minds; yet It is some times
The case that we see things In lights in which
they are not usually placed before us, and some
thoughts which have occurred to nae In review
Of lie may be OF interest and value to you. When
we grow old we are struck with the fieetness of
time; our lives seem to be compressed Into one
brief period, and we suddenly find that pursuits
we have followed are closed, and we are con.
fronted with the question, not what we have
what we are In ourselves. We know 1t is our
duty to do what is right, and to avoid doing
wrong, and when we look back II we id up all
Of our good deeds on the one hand and our bad
acts on the other we fud startling balance
against u.s. When men reach my time of life
their minds turn towards the past and they trav.
el backward the paths they have followed. They
see things from the opposite side on which they
were viewed from youth onward, and are struck
by truths which never break upon their minds
until they look back upon them.
Sitting before my fire on winters 'evepipe
and muslng as old men are apt to do about their
acts, their errors their successes or their failures
1t occurred to me what | would do if had the
power, and was compelled to wipe out twenty
acts of my life. AT first 1t seemed as II this was
an easy thing 10 do, l had done more than TWEEN.
ty wrong things for which | had always felt re.
gret, and was about to seize my imaginary
sponge and rub them out at once but thought
1t best to move with care. to do as had done to
others, lay my character out upon the dissectinR
table and trace all the II huences which had
made or marTed 1t. found, to my surprise. II
there was any golden threads running through IL
they were wrought out by the regrets felt at the
wrong; that these regrets had run through the
course of my life, guiding my footsteps through
ell iis intricscies and problems, and II should
oblitPrate all OF these the act to which these Qol
den threads were attached-whOse lenRtbenjng
lines were woven irto my very nature-ii sho'd
oblierate all Of these should destroy what little
there was Of virtue In my moral make up. Thus
learned that the wrong act, followed by the lust
regret and by thoughtful caution to avoid ali er
rors, made me better man than should have
been Il had never fallen. In this found hone
for myself and hope for others, and Tell you who
sic before me as say TO all In every condition
that II you will you can make yourselves better
men than II you had never fallen into errors or
crimes. mans destiny does not turn upon the |
fact OF his doing or not doing wrong for all men
will do 1t; but Of how he bears himself. what he |
does, and what he thinks after the wrong act. 1t
wa well said by ConiuciuF, the Chinese sase,
lhatA mau's character is decided, not by the
number Of times he falls, but by the number of |
Limeg he lifts himself up.
l Do not know why evil is permitted in this
world. but l do know that each one Of us hes the
magical power TO trankmute II into good Every /
Dne before me can, II he will make his past errors
sources OF moral elevation. Is this not grand
thought, which should not only give us hope but
WhiGn should inspire us with the firm purposes 10
exercise this power which makes US akin to the
Almighty For he has given II 10 US and has
pointed out His word how we shall use It. The
problem eels us at every step. There is nothing
we do which will not make us better or worse [
10 not speak merely of great events but of the
thoughts upon Our beds, tue toll Ia the workshops
and the little duties which attend every nonr.
lod IN His goodness does mot judge US so much by
What we do; but when we have done things right
Dr. wrong our destiny mainly turns upon what
We think aud do after their occurrence 1t ia then
l.tF Fska .alI
Dr. bear us down to lower grade Of morals Our |
lcis mainly spring nom impulses or accidents
he sudden temptation. imperfect knowledge, or |
srring Judgment. II is the afterthought that gives
hem their hue. The world may not zee this 1t
ney ffowA upon the deed and upon the man, who
leveftheleSs by his regrets makes II one which
hail ilm,nister t) purity aud vrue In all his after
lite You who sit before me In some ways have
Advantage over other men VIII SO minds are agl.
aled by the hopes and tears Of active pursuits,
who hnd no time by their thoughts to make them
end 10 virtue aud 10 happiness With each of
you IN little time the great question will be not
4 yOQ are 10 be set free not what the world thinks
u you, and what you have, but what you are, for
ieate often knocks at the door Of your cells, and
orno Of your number are carried from their mar.
low walls to the more marrow walls OF the grave.
Lot Il not DO thought that prove wrong may be
lone 30 that good may follow. With 81, Paul
protest against such interference from the truth
hat men are Aaved by repentance Of their sina
"Bpt let US look further into this subject, for II
ieeply concerns US. Though we are unable to
'ecal the errors OF the past, we may so deal with
hem that they will promote to our virtue, our
wisdom and our hapDiness Upon this point
I'm not theOriziug. Whoever thinks will learn
hat human experience proves this. Let us take
he case of our error. We could hnd II we could
ub them all out that we should destroy the wis
lon they have given us. II we have taken care
o make our errors teach us wisdom. Who could
pare their sorrowt2 How much that is kind and
ympathetc in our natures which leads us to
niniser to the griefs of Others and thus make our
'wn give us consolation and sympathies, grow
ut OF what are lelt as keen casmities when they
'efall us? Following out the line OF my thoughts
when assumed that l had the power, and was
compelled 10 drown In Lelhean waters certain
om / found oeud not spare errors which call
Orth regrets, mistakes which teach us wisdom, or
he sorrows which soften character and make US
enhible Of the sympathies which gives beauty TO
he Intercourse OF life. As l had 10 obliterate
Wenly events found could best spare the sue.
esSes or trlumphs which had only served 70 i'm.
art courage In the battle Of life, and had but III.
o influence In forming character. II IA true, |
lat wherever and whatever we are, we can SO
cal with the past that we can make IL give M 20