The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-15
Iook sEwARp,s sPeEcHEs.
The Man Who First Heard the Irreprsssi-
BILE Conflict Address

Especial Correspondence
AUBURN, n. Y, Nov. although
] William H Seward, who was Lincoln :
friend, and. as secretary of state. his
mainstay, during the dark days of the
civil war, has long since passed away,
his memory still dominates in this the
town of his residence, even as the bronze
statue which has been erected to his
memory IN beautiful Seward park dom
mates all the features of that charming
square.
The statue is lacking somewhat from
an artistic point of view, but it is said
to be a remarkably lifelike piece Of
work The 1.-THE, slender figure stands
erect the head is slightly thrown back,
the right hand is raised alofts with the
index finger only extended, and the
whole attitude Is that Of a man who is
giving voice to sentiments Of the great
est import And indeed the statue is
supposed to represent Mr.. Seward deliv-
ering his famous ''higher law" ad-
dress. He spoke to his friends and neigh
bOrs many times on almost the very spot
where now stands this higher law
statue but none Of his famous speeches
was delivered here, his highest flights
being reserved for the national capital
or the floor of great political oonven-
lions. Mr.. Stewards residence stands
near the park and is occupied by the
secretary 3 son, William H. Seward, who
keeps up the comfortable old house and
the spacious grounds surrounding it
quite as well as his father did before
him. The present head OF the family is
said to be almost q perfect image of his
father in his person and ike him in
many other ways. Notwithstanding Sec
rotary Seward 8 great strength and pop
L.
personal friends it being evidently hard
for him to adopt what are known as
genial manners in tho presence of
any save those with whom he was per
sonally intimate. The same is true of
the son, although he, like his father be-
fore him, has the genuine respect Of
Auburnians
Among those who knew the secretary
best IN the days before the war was a
young man named William P Robin
son. Robinson was reporter, or, as they
used to phrase it IN those days, assist
ant local editor, " on one of the papers
here, The Advertiser. 1 think, and as this
journal was Of the same political faith
as Mr.. Seward the young man met him
often in a professional way. He was
rapid writer and accurate Withal, and
concerning political matters was discre-
ton personi6ed. For these reasons Mr..
Seward liked and trusted him implicit
". MI Robinson is now entitled to
write the prefix ''Hon. p before his
name, for he Is q member of the state
legislature. He likes to talk of EIr. Sew
ard, and today, standing with me in
the shadow Of the statue, he said:
''Mr. Seward dictated the higher law
speech, the i1repressible conflict speech
and many Of his other important adj
dresses to me. The irrepressible conflict
speech was delivered at Rochester, as
you viii remember, and was not only
dictated days in advance Of its deliXery,
but set in type IN the Office of The Ad-
vertiser and read and revised and reread
and rerevised until he was perfectly sat
isfied with it. I did not write short
hand, but used instead a sort of con
tracted long hand. He was very slow
and deliberate in dictatiOn, and, though
I cannot say that he often hesitated for
a word, yet he used to form his sem
fences very slowly, SO that it was not
at all hard to take him. I can almost
see him now as he appeared at those
times We would go into the local room
of The Advertiser when no one else
was there, or perhaps into q room in
his own house, and he would walk up
and down the floor as he talked
HE was always very earnest. but he
never became SO ABSORBED as 10 dQODb
the oratorical style when composing
his speeches, and, as a matter of fact,
he was not very oratOrical at any time,
even when delivering them. He did not I
possess the advantages of a full, reso- I
nant voice, a magnetic presence or grace /
full gestures The value of his speeches T
lay in the matter and not in the method. /
I doubt very much if Mr.. Seward could 4
have held large audience composed Of 4
persons who did not know beforehand Of
his abilities. He had a remarkable
memory, and this was always brought 4
into play when he spoke, for no matter
how long after he had composed +
the address delivered he always gave it /
without notes, entirely from memory, 4
and he never made any verbal changes. /
remember his debating q speech to me \
that was delivered in Detroit in 1855. "A \
few days later be dictated another that 4
was to be given in Ann Arbcr, then /
still another which was to be given in 4
YPsilanti, and then another for st. I
Paul All of these speeches were set in /
type and proof read before he left on his |
tour, and doubt not that he spoke the I
words of each before his audience exact
~ as he had spoken them to me. I'm
doubtedly Mr.. Stewards ability to de-
liver addresses Of such clear and finished 7
dictiOn as were his, and expressive of /
such deep and logical thought, without |
a suggestion Of notes or memoranda, \
added greatly to his power with his /
audiences. .
Mr.. Robinson has many "reminiscences /
of the secretary and is in possession Of I