Quotes about Seward

Henry Stanton

The description was elaborate, the Senator himself suggesting some of the nicer touches, and every line of it was written and on its way to New York before Mr. Seward had uttered a word in the Senate Chamber.

See {584897} for a quotation from the speech. Spinning and giving advance copies of speeches to the press is not the invention of the 20th century media-savvy political handlers. It was a standard practice even in the 19th century.

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Lincoln, like Seward, had developed a cadre of lifelong friends who were willing to do anything in their power to ensure his nomination. But unlike Seward, he had not made enemies or aroused envy along the way.

Abraham Lincoln

My name is new in the field, and I suppose I am not the first choice of a very great many. Our policy then is to give no offense to others—leave them in a mood to come to us if they shall be compelled to give up their first love.

William H. Seward was the odds on favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination in 1860. Lincoln was a dark horse but had a strategy for winning:

Henry Steele Commager

Who would be cleared by their committees? Not Washington, who was a rebel. Not Jefferson. who wrote that ... "rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." Not Garrison, who publicly burned the Constitution; or Wendell Phillips ... a philosophical anarchist; nor [William] Seward of the Higher Law.... Not Lincoln ... or Wilson ... or Justice Holmes.

Writing about congressional investigations such as those carried out by the House Un-American Activities Committee:

Joseph Medill

Seward must be got out of the cabinet. He is Lincoln's evil genius. He has been President de Facto, and has kept a sponge saturated with chloroform to Uncle Abe's nose.

Secretary of State William H. For a similar assessment of Seward see Morton S. Wilkinson.

William Lloyd Garrison

It would have been far better for thee to have died beneath the knife of the assassin.

In the plot to assassinate Lincoln, Secretary of State William Henry Seward was attacked by knife but survived. Later he commended President Johnson for his veto message blocking harsh reconstruction measures supported by Garrison:

Roscoe Conkling

If the question at Chicago had been who shall be the next President? instead of who shall be the candidate? beyond all question the choice would have fallen on New York's illustrious statesman .

Abraham Lincoln was the only third party candidate to win the presidency in U.S. history. However, when he was nominated, there was little conviction among Republicans that a third or fourth party could actually win:. Lincoln's primary opponent, William H. Seward

Seward Quotes