The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-02-20
HoRATIo SEYMOUR DEAD.

Ex-Governor Seymour died at 10 o.
clock on Friday night, the 18th inst, at
the residence of his sister Mrs. Roscoe
Conkling, in Utica, N. y, of congestion
Of the lungs and acute Inflammation of
tue kidneys. Deceased was born on the
Slst Of May, 1910, at Pompey. Onon-
daga county, New York. Eo'h of his
grandfathers, Major Moses Seymour, of
Littlefield, Conn, and Lieutenant
Colonel Jonathan Forman, of New Jer-
sey, were distinguished soldiers of the
Revolution. Henry Seymour, his faith
CT, removed from Connecticut to New
York early in the century and was
Canal Commissioner of the State, living
at Utica. Horatio's academic educa-
ton was begun in New York, was fn-
ished at Partridge's Military Academy,
Middlutown, Connecticut, and the grad
uating class made a journey to Wash
ington as a battalion. young Seymour
and some others dining with President
John Quincy Adams.
Mr.. Seymour studied law with Green
c. Bronson and Samuel Beardsley, both
of whom were afterward Chief Justices
of New York. When he came to prac-
tice, however, he proved too Good-heart-
ed to be an aggressive, fighting attorney,
and while settling his fathers estate he
accepted few retalners, generally advis-
ing his clients to settle their differences
without litigation. This conciliatory
temperament, however, soon advanced
his political fortunes. He was Demo-
crat before he could vote and continued
SO from conviction all his life. The
cardinal principle of his creed was resis
tance TO centralizing tendencies and the
maintenance of local self-government.
He soon became prominent in politics
in Utica and in 1888 Governor Marcy
appointed him Military Secretary. He
held this office till Marcy's term ex-
pired, in 1889, and in 1871 was elected
to the New York Assembly from the
Utica district. Before his term expired
he was chosen Mayor of Utica, but he
came back to the Assembly in 1874 and
in lS45 he was elected Speaker of the
House. The Democrats we're then di-
Vided into the IIunker and Barnburner
factions, and after the latter had de-
feated Cass 10y supporting Van Bwen
In 1S4S Seymour, who was HunkeT,
recOnciled the two so well that he was
nominated for Governor In 1850, Wash
ington Hunt beat him by 262 majority,
but Seymour was Tenominated and de-
feated Hunt by $1,000 majority in 1852
AS Governor he ve'oe the prOhibi-
tory liquor bill, which was subsequently
revived and enacted uliy TO be pro.
nounced unconstitutional by the Court
of Appeals on the grounds taken in the
veto. Seymour was Tenominated in
1854, but was defeated. He continued
10 lead in New York politics till the
civil war, and in 1852 was again nOmin'
ated and elected Governor, in which ca.
pacity he firmly supported President
Lincoln and refused TO be drawn into Z
plot against him, although offered the
Presidency as price. One OF his great
est triumphs was his courageous speech
to the draft rioters of July u, 1868, wheT
all his friends feared he would come tC
bodily harm, whereas his kindly man
ner ealmed the mob. In 1864 he wa:
once more nominated for Governor, but
defeated.
In 1853 The Democratic party united
on him as its Presidential candidate, al
though, as a delegate to the convention
at New York city, he supported Salmon
p. Chase. His nomination produced
great enthusiasm, but not even he could
defeat General Grant. Since that time
he has lived retired life at Deerfield
near Utica, interrupted only by delega
tions Of Democrats bent on persuadina
him to carry the party's standard once
more. Strong pressure was brought tC
bear upon him to become the candidate
for Governor in 1877 when Lucius Rob
inson was renominated and defeated by
the Kelly bolt. His health, however
was not such as to warrant the Gacrlic,
and he refused 10 take any active par
in public affairs.