The Washington herald., 1915-12-10
HISTORY BUILDERS.
Secretary Seward a Man of Iron
Nerve.
Nv DIR. E.. j. EDWARDS.

| William H. Seward, Secretary of State
i in the administrations Of Lincoln and
johnson, was esteemed when member
| OF the Federal Senate as the most pa
| tient. conslderate. long suffering. and
| forbearing of any of the members of that
body But the self-control OF which he
showed himself to be a master when he
was a United States Senator was thrilling
if the recollection of his son. Frederick
". Seward, be accurate-in comparison
with all that he endured when serving
as Secretary Of State in both the Lin
coin and Johnson administrations
Secretary Seward was not only beset
and overwhelmed almost with the I'M
portunities Of offic.seekers, but was even
more notably embarrassed by some OF
the diplomatic matters which he was
compelled. often In secret, to direct, es-
pecially some which had relation to the
attempt OF the Confederacy to establish
and maintain successful diplomatic rela-
tions in Europe.
MY father never permitted himself TO
be completely upset by difficulties Of this
kind said Mr.. Seward But / some
times think that the most remarkable
power OF endurance which he possessed
was his ability to conceal the fact that
he was suffering physical pain.
shortly before the ssination of
President Lincoln my father was thrown
from a carriage in which he was riding
to the street. Fortunately, his life was
spared. although by narrow chance.
but his jawbone was broken and he must
have suffered almost indesCrihable pain.
Yet he was able to conceal the fact that
he was suffering greatly. although We
knew that he was. How serious the
fracture was was manifested by n con-
trivance of the surgeons. who put his
jaw into sort of iron cage. so as to
hold il In place. thereby making it the
more practicable for the fractured parts
TO knit together. This inmovable po-
sition OF the jaw made 1t impossible for
him to talk. and for time he was nour-
ished exclusively by liquid food"
Frederick w. Seward was not able
from personal knowledge to describe the
additional pain which the attempted as
ssssination Of his father by Powell on
the night OF the assassination Of Presi-
dent Lincoln occasioned. For Frederick
W. Seward had been himself attacked by
the assassin while defending his father.
and was for weeks on the border line be-
tween life and death. Secretary Seward
was wounded in the arm and the assassin
had attempted to cut the Secretary'S
throat. These complications followed the
accident which had already confined him
to bed for week or more.
NeNtrtneleSS, not DN any expression 0l
COuntenance or any movement of the
hand did the Secretary at any time make
II plain that he was suffering. The only
anxiety he appeared to have related to
some important matters that were at
hand in the State Department At last
he insisted upon making certain memo
rauda by which his Subordinates in the
State Department could be guided. AL
though the gcntleSt movement must
have caused him pain. nevertheless h"
was lifted little and then pad and
pencil were placed in the hand which
was free. Thus he was able to write
certain important memoranda. intimating
that these should l." delivered at orCc to
the State Department. When he WAS as
sured this had h-"n done his manner
was that Of a man greatly relieved. At
er that he yielded completely to his
nurses and phH sicianS. and. nj last. re-
gained suihcie-t strength to return to
the State department.
CCOpyrisht 1919 ty T.. ]. Edwards All rights re-
scrEedl
Tomorrow pr. Edwards will toll When
Was superior to Wealth"
For the first time in the history OF
athletics at Colgate. that institution