New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-16
HONORING Stewards NAME
STATUE OF THE GREAT SECRETARY UN-
YELLED AT AUBURN.
EuI.oGY BY WILLIAM NJ. EvARTs-THE STATES
MANS GRANDDAUGHTER DRAWS THE
tpoM THE upO<Zr
VEIL FROM THE BRONZE.

az a lar, roncourse of people including many dis
tlnguished guests from ont OF town The ". H. Seward
Republican Club OF Ncw-York came In body. The
public schools were closed the day and several local
military and civic organizations were present. The
weather was unpropIous and the exercises with the
exception OF tho simple OF unwilling, took place I'm
the opera house. Ex-Mayor Wheeler called the AS
sembagc TO Order and al precisely ii 30 O'Clock Fanny
Seward daughter of General Seward and grand dagh-
ter Of the statesman, touched lever and the dra-
perry, formed by two American flags, flew from the
statue and remained soaring above II, suspended
from rope. flag waved from neghboring house
top the signal the firing of salute of artillery
and the ringing of the chimes OF ST. Peters Church
The adjournment of the exercises then announced
and tie crowd dispersed many of the visitors driving
to Fort Hill 10 Wow Stewards tomb
The statue is bronze and rises from a pedestal nine
feet in height the figure of Seward being Just one
half larger than life size 1t represents him standing
in the act of delivering his famous higher law senti
ment, his right foot extended and HIS right hand
lmpcSsively pointing heavenward. With the pedestal,
Its height from the ground Is eighteen feet. The
sculptor was Walter O. Robinson of Auburn. who was
present at the unwilling The bronze cast made
at Chlcopec Mass The statue is presented to
Auburn by the citizens, and upon its east face is
this inscription
Presented November 49, 1883, TO the city OF
Auburn by the towDsmen and friends Of William H.
seward, in commemoration Of his benefcent life and
of his distinguished services TO the State to the Nation
and to mankind
The north face is inscribed civilian IT, Seward
1sO11S72' and the side has the last eight lines
of Randol2h's sonnet:
How through these years in silence thou borne
The cruel doubt. the ISLANDERS OF debate.
The assassn's knife and keener blade OF scorn.
Welded by party in its hate
How couldst thou pause each step to vindicate.
OF thy surprising work Lo. it is done.
Freedom enshrned in regenerate State,
And they who divided made one
The south face bears quotation fiom Stewards Cali
fornia speech in the Senate on March IL, $50:
The Constitution regulates our Stewardship; the
Constitution devotes The domain to union, to justice
to defence, to welfare and to liberty But there IS
a higher law than the Constitution, which regulates
authority tho domain, and devotes It to the
noble purposes
Below, on the base, IS the name, Seward
in large capitals The exercises I'm the Gencsec Opera
House attracted immense audience The building
was profusely decorated. ExMayor Wheeler pre-
sdcd and after music by the band and prayer by the
Rev. Ir. BIalnard, OF 81. Peters made statement
sketch ne the work Of the Citizens committee In
curing re statue and p al Ing the shilful work OF
the sculptor. Mayor Austin accepted the statue I'm
Senator William NJ Evarts, who said in part:
Mr.. President and citizens of Auburn: The kind In
yitation OF Mr.. Stewards fellow. ownsmcn and OF my
esteemed friends his and kinsmen.
In the inauguration OF the statue which is here to
petuate his memory, found with inclination Of
affection and under obligation Of duty accedo
their wishes ageeaby expressed The only reluctance
might feel assuming the service proposed to in
this celebration. had other than dlstrus In
ability to treat adequately great them- either
suitably the large In the public history OF
country which Mr. Seward fills in the eyes OF all his
countrymen acceptaby the intimate and
Citations Of homage. admiration and affection which his
neghbOrs cherish toward him, shown in his daily walk
and conversation among them for lifetime. But this
dstrust however well conceived surrender the
indugent judgment which has assigned rcsponsi
bic share in expressing your sentiments AMI motives
that prompted and Justify this public AMI perpetual
remembrance OF the name the worth, the fame OF William
IL. Seward.
From the time when. In 1s4o, he took his in the
Senate until he left 1t his place In Lncons Cab
met. Mr. Seward held other to slavery than
this slavery by his voice acquiescence
should gain enlargement OF strength spread
ton. and that abide its fate under the Consttu-
ton and within the Union That this involved by
city its decay. It's decline and its destruction
his 1t uppermos In his purpose
and desire. Midway this Senatorial service the repeal
Of the Missouri Compromise accomplished and the
Issue handed to sheer trial OF strength between
the geographical sections with whatever methods and
results might pertain trial OF right by might These
twelve years MI Stewards life include substantially the
whole period OF public oraoIy and parliamentary inAu
ence that make the and arena which he
and exercised upon theatre and sub
Nation the great faculties with which he endowed
safety the State Manifold were the occasions
mutform modes in which these efforts put forth
For funess and fertility for variety and force for reso
luton and efficiency equal Of speeches-none OF
exhbitoy. all Of them responsible and to an end
can be found in the records Of our statesmen.
The large and conspicuous part which Mr. Seward
took In the counscls OF the new Administration
support which he gave the President In
all the which rested upon him and TO his colleagues Ia
,ba iahO Isl
tfibuted among them 1 need not insist upon. Events
alone would demonstrate this unity ana concord and the
records Of the times confirm IT, We may therefore, turn
our attention into some observations upon that depart
ment OF the Government which he presided the De
partmen State charge Of our foreign relations during
tho Civil War . The leading IDEAS which. from
the beginning end OF his administration OF the state
Department during the first term OF MI Lncolns Pre-
idency held possession of the mind Of Mr. Seward and
animated and directed his management Of the situation
vera these First that a nation rent by civil teuds
gives at once an opportunity for foreign Intervention
In It's affairs. and this constitutes the chiel
per TO be guarded against second that the motives ana
occasions this intervention In our domestic conflict
were more profound and more lmpotunate than could well
be measued third that calculation could be tolerated
Of the degree form Of the mischief which would come
affairs II this intervention should occur fourth to
prevent this would require and must receive
incessant intelligent and intrepid action by this Govern
ment through the and agencies at its command
and last neither public opinion, nor popular excite
ment theore; reasoning as to our rights Hjr our
pride nor our passions could his duty and his
responsibility It that Intervention did not take
place Upon this line Mr.. Seward conducted his foreign
shaped and directed all other agencies
Of influence abroad which his service His policy
was triumphant o. f'
The strange last stroke Of Rebellion from DYING
hand comprised Seward and Lincoln ana ac
compshed tho dreadful purpose In the maryrdom OF e
great President No statesman was ever placed In
more dinicuit circumstances befcl Mr. Seward by
this tragic calamity Yet nothing was more peremptoy
than that Mr.. Seward should stand between the living
and the dead attempt stay the plague OF confusion
counse OF passions and the heady fight Of
factions. All these, al know, eliminated in at
tempt OF the houses Of Congress depose the Pres
dent through constitutional process Of impeachment
The failure saved disaster which would have
institutions reproach 10 the past peril to
the present and a menace the future And thus
to an end the great drama OF the civil and