Horatio Seymour

Horatio Seymour (May 31, 1810 – February 12, 1886) was an American politician. He served as the eighteenth Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and again from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president in the 1868 United States presidential election, losing to Republican Ulysses S. Grant.

Born in Pompey, New York, Seymour was admitted to the New York bar in 1832. He primarily focused on managing his family's business interests. After serving as a military secretary to Governor William L. Marcy, Seymour won election to the New York State Assembly. He was elected that body's speaker in 1845 and aligned with Marcy's "Softshell Hunker" faction.

Seymour supported the Crittenden Compromise as a way to avoid civil war. He supported the Union war effort during the Civil War but criticized President Abraham Lincoln's leadership. After the war, Seymour supported President Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction policies.

As the 1868 Democratic National Convention opened, Seymour remained widely popular. After twenty-two indecisive ballots, the convention nominated Seymour for president. He faced General Ulysses S. Grant, the widely popular Republican Party nominee, in the 1868 election. Grant won a strong majority of the electoral vote. Seymour never again sought public office but remained active in politics and supported Grover Cleveland's 1884 campaign for president.

Early life and education

Horatio Seymour was born in Pompey Hill, Onondaga County, New York in 1810. His father, Henry Seymour, was a merchant and politician, and his mother was Mary Ledyard Forman, from Matawan, New Jersey. He had five siblings, and one of his sisters, Julia Catherine, later married Roscoe Conkling.

When Seymour was 10, his family moved to Utica. There, he went to several local schools, including Geneva College, which later became Hobart College. In 1824, he attended the American Literary, Scientific & Military Academy at Norwich University. After graduating in 1828, he returned to Utica and studied law with Greene Bronson and Samuel Beardsley. He passed the bar exam in 1832 but preferred politics and helping manage his family’s business. He married Mary Bleecker in 1835.

Political career

Horatio Seymour began his political career in 1833 when he became military secretary to New York’s new Democratic governor, William L. Marcy. This role helped him learn a lot about state politics and made him a good friend of Marcy. Later, he returned to manage his family’s estate and got elected to the New York State Assembly. He also served as mayor of Utica for a short time.

Seymour first tried to become governor of New York in 1850 but lost. He tried again in 1852 and won, starting his first term in 1853. His time as governor was busy and full of challenges, especially with disagreements inside his political party. He lost his re-election bid in 1854 by just 309 votes.

After losing, Seymour stayed important in national politics. During the Civil War, he supported the war effort but disagreed with President Lincoln’s methods. In 1862, he ran for governor again and won. His second term was also difficult, with many disagreements over war policies and other issues. He lost re-election in 1864.

Seymour remained a key figure in the Democratic Party. In 1868, he was unexpectedly chosen as the Democratic candidate for president but lost to General Ulysses S. Grant. After the election, the Fifteenth Amendment was passed, ensuring voting rights for all citizens regardless of race.

Later years

After trying to become president, Seymour stayed involved in politics in New York, but mostly as an advisor rather than an active leader. He received several honors, such as becoming the leader of Union College in 1873. In 1874, he decided not to run for the United States Senate, supporting another person instead.

Seymour's health was not strong, and it began to get worse around 1876. Even so, he helped campaign for Grover Cleveland to become president in 1884. In 1885, he was part of a historic group called the Society of the Cincinnati.

In early 1886, Seymour's wife became ill, and his own health kept getting worse. He passed away in February 1886 and was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Utica, New York. His wife died a month later and was buried beside him.

Legacy

The city of Seymour, Wisconsin was founded in 1868 and named after Horatio Seymour. He is also remembered in the Cathedral of All Saints (Albany, New York), which was completed in 1888. There is even a Seymour Avenue in the Bronx, New York, named in his honor.

Electoral history

Horatio Seymour took part in important elections. He was elected Governor of New York twice, serving from 1853 to 1854 and again from 1863 to 1864. Later, he became the Democratic Party's candidate for President of the United States in the election of 1868, but he lost to Republican Ulysses S. Grant.