Litchfield enquirer., 1881-09-29

isiatnre in 1S42 and 1843, and again in 1649 and 1850. The latter year he was Speaker The last public position he ever held was a seat in the Legislature at it's sesslon of 1881, elected by the substantially unanimous vote of his townsmen.
 He was chosen to the 32d Congress- in April, 1851, and served on the Committee on Claims. He was reelected in 1853 to the 33d Congress and served on the Judiciary Committee. In Congress he was laborious rather than a talking member. During his entire four years there is. hardly any thing that can be called a set speech. In 1854 he made de- cided protest in opposition to the Kansas Ne braska bill-which, however, became law.
 Upon the reorganization of the Superior Court of the State, in 1855, he was elected 8 Judge of that Court for the term of eight years-together with Thomas B. Butler, Loren P. Waldo and John D. Park At the end of this term of service, not being reelected he resumed practice at his former office and continued actively engaged till 1870 when he was chosen associate Judge of the Supreme Court of Errors.
 In 1873 he was elected Chief Justice which position he held till he reached the constitu- tional limit of age.
 Since completing his 10th year, Judge Sey- mour has served many times as Committee and also upon judicial and legislative con- missions. The most prominent. perhaps, were the Commission to adjust the boundary line between this State and New York, and the one to simplify the system of Civil pro- ceedure in this State.
 This is the record of an exceedingly active, busy and useful life. How brief it seems and yet how wide it reaches. Justice is the soft but enduring band which holds men to- gether in organized society. It is the great interest of men on earth, and whoever min- isters at her altar, or contributes any thing to make the foundations of her temple more firm or to raise it's dome nearer to the skies, he as enduring as the frame of human society. Throughout long life our deceased friend wrought with zeal and fidelity in this work
 Those of us who practiced before Judge Seymour while he was on the bench, know how we'll fitted he was for that high position. In the first place he was eminently learned learned in the books-and his memory was wonderfully. stored with that learning which comes from experience. In his long practice at the bar and service on the bench nothing had escaped him. No case was 80 complicated nor was any difficulty so great but somewhere in his memory there was a precedent or rule his learning. This is great gift. He had that many sided faculty which enabled him to adapt means to ends, to compare, modify, adjust. and reconcile the testimony of wit nesses, and amid multitude of conflicting and contradictory statements to find where the truth lay He was man of the strictest in- tegrity. and what is more, he possessed the perfect confidence of the community He received every one of his judicial appoint ments from his political opponents. It is not enough for Judge GO be honest. No one can come up to the measure of a good judge un- less he is believed to be such. It is this be- lief which gives power to the sword he bears.
 And then he had great patience, and kind ness of heart, and charity for the weaknesses of men. Moreover he was steady believer in liberty, as defined by the first John Win throp, the privilege ''to do that only which is good, and just and honest" In the history of all the great men who have adorned the bench in our state can hardly name one who possessed more useful faculties for that high magistracy or possessed them in larger. degree than Judge Seymour. Looking back over his life'from the last days of his years how nearly he might have recalled to his memory such testimonies as these, of wise and good judge:
 The young men saw me and hid themselves and the
 aged arose and stood up, The princes refrained talking and laid their hand 1< their mouth, .a The nobles held their peace and their tongue cleaved
 to the roof of their mouth,
 When the ear heard me then it bl.ssed and wheE
 the eye saw me it gave witness to me,
 Because delivered the that cried and the fath
 erless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that ready to perish came
 upon me; and caused the widows heart to
 sing for joy.
 put on righteousness and it clothed me my iudg-
 meut was as robe and diadem,
 was eyes to the blind and feet was to therlame. was father to the poor and the cause which I And brake the jaws of the wicked and plucked the
 spoil out of his teeth.
 in my hand,
 Unto me men gave ear. and waited and kept silence ~ at my counsel.
 After my words they spake not again. and my speech
 dropped upon them.
 With Judges such as this it matters little who controls the other departments of gov- ernment. ''Let us repose, secure, under the shade of learned, impartial and trusted mag istracy and we need no more" ..
 Judge Seymour always acted with the Democratic party. He was an hereditary be- liever in the people. His father and grand father held with Jefferson against the ideas of Hamilton. They hated the alien and sedition laws. They belonged 10 the Federation party. Brought up under such influences the son could be nothing else than Democrat. I do not think he was ever very much of a partisan, or that he enjoyed the tumults of party strife. And perhaps there was something in the man. agement of political parties in these later days which did not quite meet his approval At the best, parties are but the means to an end. They sometimes waver or even change front But the good citizen, holding fast to the fun damental principles in accordance with which he thinks the government ought to be admln. istered, acts with that party which, on the whole, most nearly conforms to his views.
 A few days after his funeral the Litchfield Enquirer closed very appreciative article on Judge Seymour in these words. 'The un- pretentious kindness and charity of Judge Seymour's long life among us, his sincere re- ligious convictions and his consistent religious practice are the fitting complement of his public career. No life ever more noiselessly attracted universal regard, more thoroughly silenced even the voice of envy, or won more love by love, than his. So long has" he been xDit tiNr ' <,.. H.,