The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1879-07-26
Horatio Seymour Speaks

are, however yet KNOWN.
Horatio Seymour Speaks.
A NOTABLE ADDRESS TO CON-
VICTs IN AUBURN STATE
PRISON.
Heu the Erls they haze done may
be changed H GOod-Eryors
makiug Folks Wise-1he Con.
cersion Of Wrongs into Blessings.
On the invitation OF the War
den, ex.Gov. Horatio Seymour
visited Auburn Prison yesterday
and addressed the cOnvicts. He
spoke az follows:
II have decliued all invitations
this wear to make public address
es, but when your Warden asked
me to speak to you to-day l made
up my mind to do so, although
at the hazard of my health. My
interest IN the inmates of this
aud other prisons grows out OF
official duties, us l have had to
act on many cases of applications
for pardOns. have learned from
a long experience with men in all
conditions of life that none are
without faults, aud none without
virtues. | have studied charac-
ters with care. | have had to
deal with Presidents and with
prisoners. l have associated
with those held III 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 it has been
my duty to decide it they should
live or die. The period in which
l took the most active part in
public affairs was one Of great ex'
element, when passions aud pre-
judices were aroused, and in com
mon with all others engaged i'll
the controversies of the day, |
have felt the bitterness of parti'
san strife. Nevertheless, expert
encc has taught ne to think kind
" of my fellow men. The longer
| live the better | think OF their
hearts and the less of their heads
Everywhere from the President:
mansion to the prisoners cell. J
have learned the wisdom of that
prayer which begs that we may
be delivered from temptation
Another great truth is taught b,
experience-hope is the great re-
. former. We must lnstill this il
to mems minds it We wish to cul
tivate their virtues or enable
i, them to Ovel come their vices. l
has been said that despair is th'
objectionable sin, for it paraly
yes every sentiment that leads t.
virtue or happiness. For thi
reason, when Governor of thi
l State, | did all [ could to gail
: the passage of laws which woul'
:, enable each one OF you to shorteI
: the terms Of your Imprisonment
and if | had my way you wonl
have II share III the profits OF you
labor. But l stand before 20
s today to speak of another sronn
o Of hope, of a higher and NOR
q lasting character than mere mon
e ey gain o. shortened terms
y Imprisonment, and what | hav
h to say does not point to you aIOn'
but men of all conditions. | d
MT mean to take the place I
those who teach you yonr rell!
:. ious duties. They are far MOI
d able to make these clear to You
g minds; yet it is sometimes tt
& case that We see things in ligh'
Is in which they are not usnal|
D. placed before US, and SON
q. thoughts which have occurred
d me in II review of life may be
interest aud value to you. Wht
N we grow old We are struck vii
IL the feetness of time our liv'
seem to be compressed into OF
e brief period, and we sudden
N find that pursuits we have folio
# ed are closed, and we are confro
ce ted with the question, not VIII
eff we have gained, nor what pos
le lions we have held, but what '
i are III ourselves. We know it
is our duty to do what is right, al
is to av%oid:doing wrong, and VIII
n we look back if we add up :
,e of our good deeds OH the Of
r hand and our bad acts OIL Il
es other we find a startling baIan
s. against US. When men rea'
my time Of life their minds tn
toward the past, and they trav
o. backwards the paths they Ina
n. followed. They SCI things fire
&c the opposite side Oh which tn
be were viewed from youth Onwar
tn and are scruck by truths viii
re never break upon their min
n until thau lOnE hooE- uNOu rho