SEYMOUR, HORATIO (1810-86). An Ameri can political leader, the son of Henry Seymour, a colleague and supporter of De Witt Clinton. He was born at Pompey Hill, Onondaga County. N. Y., was educated at Geneva Academy (later Hobart College) and at Middletown (Conn.) Military Academy, studied law at Utica, and in 1832 was admitted to the bar. In 1841, as chair man of the Canal Committee in the State Legis lature, he prepared an elaborate report, which served for many years as the basis of all legis lation in connection with the State canals. In 1842-46 he was Mayor of Utica, and in 1852 he was elected Governor of New York. The period of his Governorship was marked by bitter factional strife within the party, and by a powerful tem perance movement which, iu the end, resulted in his defeat for reelection. The State Legislature passed a prohibition law which he vetoed, and in 1854 he was defeated for reelection by Myron H. Clark, the Whig and Temperance candidate. The identical law which was again passed was sub sequently held to be unconstitutional. When the election of Lincoln made civil war seem in evitable he exerted every effort lo effect a com promise, but eventually gave his support to the Lincoln Administration. In 1862 he was again
elected Governor of New York. He advocated the vigorous prosecution of the war, but protested against the extensive use of the war powers by President Lincoln. He was unremitting in his endeavors to keep New York's full quota of troops in the field. His attitude in regard to the draft riots in New York City in the middle of July, 1863, was the cause of much harsh criticism at the time, hut his measures proved efficacious, and within a year a Republican Legislature had passed resolu tions thanking him for his action. In 1868 he was president of the Democratic National Con vention which met in New York City and by which he, himself, was nominated for the Presi dency. lie received only SO electoral votes to 214 for General Grant. The popular vote was: For Grant, 3,012,833; for Seymour, 2,703,249. After this defeat he took no further part in political affairs. Consult: Hartley, Horatio Seymour (Utica. 1856) ; and Croly. NCylnOttr and Blair: Their Lives and Services New York, 1868).