Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-02-25

Meade in Pennsylvania and in the most dis
turbed quarter of the city. A riot followed
as ought to have been expected. The Gov
ernor fastened to the city on Monday and
found reign of terror prevailing. A mob
was sweeping through the streets, threaten
ing destruction to all who held the symbols
of authority. The citizens were paralyZed.
While Gen. Wool and the Governor were in
consultation at the St. Nicholas Hotel the
proprietor came and besought them toleave,
for fear that his house would he burned
over his head. Yet the Governor never
fiinched for moment. He went to the City
Hall, and there so organized the civil pow
er of the city that it eventually tquenched
gagged in the performance of this duty
throng of rioters, several thousand in num-
Der, surrounded the City Hall and demand
ed to see the Governor. He promptly took
his life in his hand and appeared before
them. What should he have said? Should
he have defed them, threatened them with
the sword or the law, and thus melted them
to greater excuses, or should he plead for
peace? AS civil officer he had no choice
but to disarm them peacefully. He said:
II beg you to listen to me as friend, for l
am your friend and ,4hs;triend of your fam fam
ilies.n For this he has been denounced,
er bloodshed at that point. For this he
will be praised when the true history of
those terrible days begins to be written.
Alone he faced the storm; alone he over
came it.
THE PRESIDENTIAL SUMMONS.
In the autumn of 1864 Governor Sey-
mour presided over the National Democrat
ic Convention which nominated Gen. Nc
Clellan for the Presidency: Though he had
opposed the idea of q military candidate,
Mr.. Seymour entered vigorously In the can
vass and consented to run for the Governor
ship in order to aid the national nominee.
The result was disastrous to the party and
its candidates. In 1868 he again presided
over the National Convention, and, after
nearly d weeks balloting, was nominated
for President. 1t was done against his
wishes, because he believed at the time
that there were stronger men in the party,
who could draw the entire "war" vote
away from the Republicans. Reluctantly
he accepted and made gallant fight. De-
feat, under the circumstances, was fore
gone conclusion. Governor Seymour ac-
cepted the result philosophicallyy, and when
President Grant visited Utica he was the
first to welcome him and congratulate him
on the excellent run he had made.
Since that time he has steadily declined
official honors. In 1875 he was offered the
senatorship, but refused it in favor of his
friend and neighbor, Francis Herman. In
1877 he was unanimously chosen by his par
ty as their candidate Tor Governor, but he
peremptorily declined, believing that an
other candidate could easily be elected, and
Lucius Robinson was nominated in his
place and elected by the people. He never
valued office for its own sake. President
NJ. L.. L. Eolo int
ment in the States and President Buchanan
made him the proffer of a foreign mission.
But he always refused office except where
the people evidently desired it and the well
fare of his party demanded it.
A sTATEsMAN's HOME.
On a spur of the Deertield Hills, three
miles from Utica and overlooking that city,
is the unpretending home of Governor Sey
that have stood there for centuries, and
which, as their owner said, "WOuld talk
Indian if they could speak any language"
In front stretch the broad acres that Mrs.
Seymour inherited from her ancestors in
the days of the Colonial Governor Cosly.
For twenty miles the valley of the Mohawk,
green and lovely fringed by the purple
Dunderbergs, lies before the visitor rs he
stands on the lawn, and he finds himself
carried away by the enthusiasm with which
the Governor speaks of it as "the grandest
highway Of the nation which the world has
ever seen, the pathway of millions towards
thesetting sum-" Within the house breathes
an atmosphere of the old historic times.
There is the clock which licked away the
hours in General Schuyler's house when
Burgoyne was there as prisoner of war; the
chair that Bishop White used in the C0nti-
mental Congress; Governor Clinton's dress
sword the commission of Governor Sey-
mour's maternal grandfather, Jonathan For
man, as major in the Continental army,
bearing the bold signature of John Hancock;
parchments that bear the sign manual and
seal Of Peter Stuyvesant and other old.
Dutch worthless, and scores of historical ar
ticles of Revolutionary and later days.
And quietly the courteous Governor did the
honors of his pleasant home, perfectly un-
conscious that he was himself the most re-
markable sight among those reminders OF
the great and good of other days.
sEYMoUR's PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
The following pen picture of Governor
Seymour, published a year or two ago, is
correct description of his personal appear
ance in his latter days: Six feet in height,
erect and vigorous, almost 70 years of age,
but in appearance not more than GO, his
brown hair and scant side WhiSkers slight
ly tinged with gray, his keen hazel eyes as
full of fire as in his youth, his face the kind
liest and most distinguished that meets the
passer-by, dressed in black ck-broadcloth, with
the coat buttoned tightly over his chest,
and wearing a silk hat in all weathers-
such is Horatio Seymour as he may be seen
on the streets of Utica any day: Dignified,
yet always accessible, good listener as
well as talker, his is the rare instance of
public man who holds the unbroken respect
and admiration of the people with whom
he has made his home for nearly two gene
rations. Though he has never held Federal
office and has never been member of the
National Legislature, there is no Dem
ocrat who is more universally hOnored by
the masses. His record shows that he has
declined more offices than have been offer
ed to most men, and yet his modest esti-
mate Of his own abilities is unchanged.
81 am an old man." he said recently in re-
ply to some remarks about his possible can
didacy at Cincinnati, ''and l ought to be
left to die in peace. There is nothing in
life that is worth fighting for after a man
has reached three-score and ten. Passion
and prejudice have all died out and there
remains only an old mans enjoyment of
his memories. You younger men ought to
leave me to retrospection and let me grow
old as gracefully and as unobtrusively as is
possible"