Evening journal., 1912-10-12
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
William H. Seward'S Adj
vice to a Young Lawyer
BY Holland.

Samuel Blatchford, associate JUS
tice Of the United States Supreme
Court, who died in 1898. was a life
long friend of the late Commodore Al
fred Van santvoord. who died in 1901
and who gained great fortune IN
the ownership and operation of
steamboat lines upon the Hudson
river. Shortly after Justice BIatch-
fords death was chatting with Com
modore Van Santvoord about the ius-
uce and he Told me the following an
ecdote.
In my early life / was interested
In the operation OF barges upon the
Erie Canal and upon some OF the
branch canal lines. This business
TOOK me occasionally to the little city
or auburn, N. Y, where / was some
times brought into contact with VIII
liam n. Seward, whose home wae in
mat city. / was a great admirer or
Governor Seward and he was good
enough to manifest some interest I'm
me.
AT the time Of one OF my visits to
Auburn l met Governor Seward in
the street He invited me TO call
upon him al his Office. He said to
me that he had, In his Office, a young
man OF about my age. who, he was
sure, would be glad to know me.
II accepted the invitation and
few hours later Governor Seward in
troduced me TO a young man, whom.
he said. was studying law with him.
After some conversation the Govern
or left me alone with this young man,
whose name was Samuel Blatchford
Il asked the young man If he was
native OF Auburn, and he told me
that his native city was New York,
but that, on account of strong pOliti-
cal and personal friendship which his
father had established with Governor
Seward, he-young Blatchford-hs
accepted Governor Stewards invita-
ton to become his private secretary.
Then, little later, and on the ad-
vice Of Governor Seward, he had be-
gun to read law in his office.
I'm the course Of our conversation,
Blatchford told me that one day,
when Governor Seward had a little
leisure. he asked both Blatchford and
another young man in his office. who
vas also reading law, II they had
professional ambition. Blatchford re-
piled that he had a reasonable ambi-
ton TO earn enough as a lawyer TO
serure a good income, The ether
young man replied that he was only
reading law to make him better fitted
for business.
Having heard this, Governor Sew
ard said Now, ! want to give you
both little advice. Begin now, i'm
mediately, to take an active interest
IN politics. Identity yourselves With
the political partiea-and | tell you
frankly and conidentially that Il
doesn't make much difference which.
The young lawyer succeeds better If
he becomes active In politics The
young business man viii find himself
greatly aided ~ he becomes familiar
with politics And I/tell you again
that we are all Americans, We all
love our country, and II really does
not make much difference with what
parry we ally ourselves.
Governor Seward then asked
young Blatohford IN what particular
field Of tho law his ambition lay, and
Blatchford replied that some day he
hoped to be a Judge.
Well said Governor Seward, you
Will make better Judge II you will
identify yourself actively with a po-
litcal party than YOU will II you hold
yourself aloof'
so. am going to follow Govern
or Stewards advice Blatchford told
me. 4 am going to become, in a
small way. a politician-not that
want TO hold political office, hut be-
cause | want to qualify myself by an
all round experience, SO that II the
time ever comes when l am chosen
for Judge shall be the better fitted
TO act iudioially.'
well" said Commodore Van SAINT
voord. that is exactly what Samuel
Blatchford did. lie took an active
interest. but only as a citizen. in pol
itiCs He Was a warm supporter of
William IL Seward for the presiden-
cy and II was chiefly through the in
huence OF Mrs Seward that Blatch-
ford was appointed by President
Johnson United States district judge
for the district IN which New York
was located Later the warm friend
ship established between himself and
Chester A. Arthur, when Arthur was
an active politician, led Arthur, when
president to appoint Judge Blatch-
ford associate Justice Of the Supreme
Court of the United States"
| Copyright, 1919. by r. J. Edwards