Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-02-26
HORATlO SEYMOUR.


party in which Mr.. Seynour's position in
New York was very much like that of
Mr.. Hendricks in Indiana. Until he at
last refused, with such decisiveness that
there could be no doubt of his meaning,
to reappear in politics, any honor that the
Democrats of New York could bestow
upon Mr.. Seymour was at his service
and honors were thrust upon him which
he was really reluctant to accept, though
he knew not how to reject them. His
constitutional inability to disoblige peo-
pie subjected him to some ridicule, and
made many persons believe that his eX-
pressed aversion to political strife was
assumed. There could be no doubt of
its reality. however, when, after having
publicly declined a nomination to the
Presidency which he afterwad took, he
ship of New York, and insisted upon his
refusal after the nominating convention
had adjourned. 1t is possible that even
then he might have been induced to
yield to the pressure put upon him by his
party but for IA fear that his health
would not withstand the excitement of
the canvass and the labors of the office if
he should be elected.
In this respect there was no likeness
between Mr.. Seymour and Mr.. Hendricks,
whose political ambition was not con-
cealcd. The resemblance was in the per-
sOnal amiability which took the rancor
from political opposition to either. In
one respect Mr.. Seymour'S lack of ambi-
ton gave him a decided advantage. He
was under no temptation to conceal his
real opinions. and in spite of the amiabil-
ity that sometimes amounted to a fault
he was never charged with being politi-
cal trimmer. As the Democratic Governor
of a great State at the crisis of the war
he was almost necessarily an object of
suspicion to the loyal people of the
country. 1t was this suspicion that cauS-
ed an amiable phrase that escaped him
in addressing the New York rioters dur
inc the draft to be caught up and its sig
niiicance so exaggerated as to be per
verted by the inflamed passions of that
time. Now that they have abated it is
seen to have meant nothing beyond the
orators desire to please and his inability
to he unpleasant. The loyalty of his
conduct as Governor was never impeach.
ed. and the prompt energy of his action
when Pennsylvania was invaded fully de-
served the acknowledgment it received
from President Lincoln and from Secreta
ry Stanton.
1t is singular that Mr. seymour SHOULD
have figured in the minds of most of hi
fellow-citiZenS almost entirely as Il repre-
sentative partisan, when in fact the con
stitution of his mind made it impossible
for him to he Il partisan AT all. lie like
to look at subject from all points o
view, and his temper was judicial. |
was this trait that made his speeches, hi
letters, and his reported conversations :
invariably interesting and instructive
They were the utterances of fresh an
suggestive mind which did not seem t
have been committed TO any point of vie'
and they were read with as much intereS
and pleasure by his political opponent
as by his political friends. He did not i
his speeches suppress his political an
mosities: he simply had none to suppress,
Accordingly his political opponents nevt
= became his personal enemies from I'll
time when, at the age of 10. he was cal
didate for the Goyernorship of New or
: against one of his warm friends, To I'll
: day of his death. Even while he was a
active politician he had the same detacl
ment from the heats and iealousies {
politicians as after he had retired frol
politics and become known as the Sag
of Deerfield.'
The proper arena in our system f.
t such man "a this is in the Senate of Il
: United States. and it is pity that h
= party did not avail itself of some one
g the opportunities it had to send Mr.. Sc,
e mour there. lie would have appeared I
f even better advantage rs Senator tina
= in any of the offices which he did hole
4; while he would have been most useful II
preventative of New York by reason of hi
| interest in and his knowledge of the con
= mercial needs and resources of the Stat
= Forparty politics did not play an eXclusiN
or even an absorbing part in his int
Y lectual activities. lie once said of hin
: self, when asked to define his objects
f life: II have aimed to take an interest
: everything in this world with which Ina
= right to concern myself This is a
e unconscious paraphrase of Burke's say
1 ing: IL trust that few things whic
: have a tendency to bless and adorn lii
: have wholly escaped my observation
r my passage through it," such discu
V sive and speculative tendency can scare
c ly go with acute partisanship in politi,
f or elsewhere. 1t betokens the temper
+ ment of IA scholar, and Gov. Seymou
A tbnuuh unt asnpciollV a hool,ish man hu