Evening journal., 1912-07-22
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
William H. Seward in the
Hour of Defeat
By Holland

On the afternoon OF May Is. 1860.
when the second Republican national
convention nominated its candidate
for president, William H. Seward was
in his study, a little room in his home
at Auburn, ~ Y, which served as a
library and as a home Office He was
busily occupied with some CORES
pondence. No. one who then saw him
would, II ignorant OF what was in
progress az Chicago, have suspected
that Governor Seward, who was the
leading candidate for the nomination,
was giving more than perfunctory or
leisurely attention TO the work whicn
he had in hand He was perfectly
calm, Occasionally he paused In his
work, leaned back in his chair, and
puffed away az his cigar after the
manner of a man who is engaged in
literary composition
No one was with him. although oc-
oasionaly his private secretary step
ped into the room.
Without there was perfect silence.
In the village Of Auburn business
was practically suspended. Crowds
gathered in front of the telegraph
ONCE and stood beneath the windows
OF the Republican newspaper build
ing to read the bulletins from the
convention hall
AS the afternoon wore away and
no one came 10 Mr.. Stewards home,
be. by intuition, grasepd the mean
e t.ot I'll h.
lican national convention at Chicago
nominated him for president there
would have been tumultuous cheer
ing and his fellow citizens would
have gathered. irrespective of party.
on the lawn in front of his house
that they might in that way express
their congratulations
Nr. Seward knew that il no friend
came there could be no good news.
After a while some Of Governor
seward's more intimate friends ven
tured to call upon him. They did
not need 10 speak a word; their
faces told tho story Of their disap-
pointment. They found Governor
Seward perfectly controlled. He
mastered completely the grievous
disappointment he must have felt
that he had lost the presidential
nomination After a few words one
Of the visitors said
Governor Seward. there isn't a
Republican in the town Of Auburn
who is able now To write the edi-
tcrial paragraph for our newspaper
promising the papers and the party s
support Of the candidate and the
platform named and written by the
Chicago Republican convention.
Can that be2' said Governor Sc
ward why. il there is no one else
] can do that.
With a smile which had no sad
ness in II, but only hope and conf
dence. Governor Seward took up his
pen and wrote a brief paragraph Il
said
mo truer defenders of the Re
publican faith could be found thar
the distinguished citizens on whom
the honors Of the Republican con
vention have fallen No truer expo
sition Of the Republican creed coulC
be given than the platform adopted
by the convention contains"
Having written those few lines
! ATONtIHOI sew dlu 7 AAAAh
you will take this paragraph TO th'
newspaper Office, the editor will b
pleased to insert it as the leading
editorial printi- II under the name
OF the Republican candidates TO
president and vice-president'
Sadly. hesitatingly, this messag
was taken to the newspaper oftice
In a short time the paper appeare
with the paragraph at the head O
the editorial column, underneath th
names Of Abraham Lincoln and Han
nibal Hamlin
This story Of the way in whic
Governor William H Seward learn
ed that he had lost the nominatio
OF the Republican convention in Chi
cago was afterward told to a grou
of friends by Samuel L. Blatchfort
who was Stewards private secretar
for some years and who was an Az
sociate Justice OF the Supreme Coul
of the United States at the time {
his death in 1893
(Coupyright. 1912, by z. J. Edward
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr., Edwards will te
Of "The Experience that Made Sew