New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-24

the term applied to him during and aiter MS
fight for the insane negro
The monument stands upon a plot OF ground
most Of which was given to the city py ueheral
William H. Seward and Frederick W. seward
the two sons Of the statesman, who were stoned
as children by the sons of men VINO desplseu anu
hated their father. There are inscriptions on the
four sides of the monument. On the front OF IL
is this quotation from his celebrated .ahlorhla
Speech made IN tne Chileu ou'co "c""o' u"
March IL, 1850: -,.,.;.
The Constitution regulates our stewardship ;
the Constitution devotcs the domain to union, 10
instice to defence TO welfare and to liberty.
But there is a higher law than the CONSTITUTION.
which regulates our authority over the domain
and dcvotes it to the same noble purposes.
On the opposite side Of the pedestal Is the In
WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
1901.
1872.
On the west side are these lines from A. ID. +.
RandOph's poem:
How through the years in silence thou hast borne
The cruel doubt. the ISLANDERS of debate
The assassin's knife and keencr blade OF scorn
Welded by party in it's narrow hate; .
How could ST, thou pause, each step TO vndicatc
OF thy surprising work? Lo! 1t is done;
Freedom enshrined in our regcneratc State,
And they who were divided made rs one.
On the other side is the presentation inscrip-
tion which is:
Presented November 10, 1888, to the city of
Auburn. by the tOwnSmen and irlends oil VIII
lam H. Seward in commemoration Of his hcneliccnt
life and of his distinguished services to the State,
TO the Nation and to Mankind.
The ceremony attending the unNclllng OF THIS
statue will ever he remembered in Auburn. Will
lam w. Evarts made the speech OF the day, ana
he has seldom handled subject more c!o1uehtly
and touchingly than he did the life and charac-
ter of William II. Seward.
ROSCOE COMBINES DAYS IL AUBURN.
Mr. Seward was not the only great man who
has made his home in Auburn. Roscoe Conliing
Ior harm nd IN his bOVhOOI
DAYS in this old place. His father, Judge Conk-
ling. owned substantial country mansion here
Since his death the old mansion burned down
Il has been replaced however. by one of a more
modern STYLE of architecture, bat the grounds
although they have been improved considerably
by the present owner, stu show much OF the
beauty and grandeur Of the original estate. The
house Is far back from the road. y long wind
ing drive leads one from the gate up to the man
sion The last time that Roscoe Conkling was
here he was Griycn about the old place by General
Knapp, and just at sundown The carriage was
drawn t. the old ccmccry where Mr. Conklins
wanted 10 go TO see the grave OF young woman,
in whom in his youthful days be was greatly in
teTested.
Many are the stories told by the " old settlers
Of young Contlings boyiSh tricks. They in their
Puritanical harshness, used To shake their he dis
and expect no good 10 come from him Those who
ar yet alive of the doubling class have not yet
gotten over their surprise at Mr. COnklingS sue
cesscs as lawyer and a politician.
Auburn has many handsome homes, but among
the finest is that Of General John Y. Knapp, the
chairman Of the Republican State Committee, and
at present the Postmaster of the city. II is in
South-st., thorouchfare lined by large roomy
mansions and spacious grounds. The east Side
OF this street goes by the name of Widows Lane.
This is because most Of the houses which have
been built on that side OF the street were pat mp
by rich widows. many Of whom have seen fit again
10 change their names. There are many large
trees on General knapp's place, and with the
exception of a few Of them, he KNOWS me age
Of every one. and from memory can tell pretty
n,atly the exact date when each was planted.
Next 10 his grounds is the old-fashioned mansion
built by Mr.. Osborne. whose name IS by-word 10
the farmers throughout the State, for they
have read IL for years on the machines
i'm which lie made q fortune. The old house looks
more like female academy than a home II Is
surrounded by vide lawns. on which arc trees ana
bushes in profusion This building is not far
from the old Seward mansion. which stands Just
as il has for the last half-century and more. Inc
furniture of the old house is allowed 10 remain
as IL was during the statesmans lifetime. ana IN"
house is annually visited by hundreds OF peopc,
who are admitted 10 IL 10y General william H.
Seward. who still lives here General seward
has frequently been spoken Of in connection Win
the nomination 10 high offices 10y the RepubhcanS
Of this State but he is extremely backward when
his own political Advancement IN coh'erncu' ~
General Knapp had had his way GcnPru seward
would have been the Republican 'andldltc 1or
Governor in 1850. but cN-GoVcrnor CorrelI thrc"
his strength 10 another candidate ana IRA DhNrh-
porf was nominated When She Electoral TOT
iccc me-, in Albany, in January 81 last year.
General Seward was made is president.
Auburn people are generally ahsolo iely unmih1
fnl of the existence OF the prison here, ana II Is
seldom that they take the slightest interest IN
the qoines-on within il, walls The prison rs
Inst across the road from The railway si'tion' ana
many desperate criminal loaded down WIN
chains il led from ID" train across tbs ROAD Z" me
prison Gates through which ne walks mp "lIc
path 10 the jail. into which he disappears - he
scrn perhaps for years only 10y his Keepers ana
nrisln comDanons and hv an occasional NlsitnT.
Practically no interest was taken I'm the fafr 81
Kcmmlcr by the people here until the day before
lie Was executed. aud they knew less than The
outside world Of what he was doing and OF the
preparations for his taking of II was not mini
The second night preceding the execution thal
there were any local loungcrS about thc iail
GATES and the reports Of excited mon md women
hanging around the gates up - the mont before
the fatal hour. which were telcgraphed 10 many
Of the papers were greatly exaggerated. kcmm cr 5
death caused less stir here than il did anywhere
else and within two hours after thc electro cur
rent had done lis work, there were less than n
score Of people in front Of the jail.
4 SPIDERS DOGGED PERSETERANCF.