Death Of Hon. Ezra C. Seaman

JLhe people ot Ann Arbor wero surprised and pained to learn last Thursday evening of the death of Ezra C. Seaman, who for a quarter of a century had been one of our best known and most respected citizens. Very few of our people knew even that he was sick, and no one supposed that ho was in danger when the report carne that he was no more. Within a few days ho had been seen upon the streets iu fine spirits and, as he said, in better health than usual. Although he had not naturally a strong constitution, and was sprung from a family not long livod he had, by températe and prudent habits, passed by nearly four years the allotted three score years and ten and died, probably as he would have wisbed, without lingering disease and with a mind clear, active, and vigorous to the end. Of Puritan ancestors Mr. Seaman was born at Chatham, N. Y., and was educated, married, and admittud to the bar in Saratoga county. As a lawyer he devoted himself to the chancery praotice, and his English and American Chancery Reporta now in the possossion of Judge Harriman bear niany marks ot' his industry, his learning, and critical acumen. Probably no person in the stato was better acquainted with the History of the Eouian Civil Law and the English Common Law thau Mr. Seaman. He possessed a strong taste for such studies, and at the tiuie of his death he was engaged in writing a work, several chapters of which were completed, upon the " Origin and History of Society and Lawa." Mr. Seatnan was the author of several published works : "The Progress of ííations" in two volumea, "Coramentaries upon the Constitution and Laws of the United States," "The American System of Government," and "Views of Kature." These works were made the basis of a work upon Government by the French writer Jauet, and at least one of them has been translated into a foreign language. Mr. Seaman was a olear and perspieuous writer. He had no sense of humor, cared nothing about the graoes of style, laoked that fine fancy so necessary to a popular writer, and was careless of the tricks of rhetoric, but he drove straight to the mark, and nobody could misundcrstand his meaning. Mr. Seamau used language to convoy Ihoughts, not to tickle the fancy and conceal the want of thoughts. Upon all subjects, political, scientific, and religious, Mr. Soaman was an original, independent, and profound thinker. He would as soon have tolera ted shackles upon his limbs as upon his intellect. He called no man master. He believed tbat our safest and surest guide is the calm and delibérate conclusión of the mind formed in a full council of all its powers the reason presiding. Ho never inquired before taking aposition " which is the popular side?" or "which is the strouger party?" No man of our dy possessed independenco more firtnly coupled with integrity of character. He could with equal courage when his best judgment impelled it spit upon the platform of his party, or arucnd the creed of his church. Although a student of statistics rather than poetry he knew just as well, that ïf he was to himself true, he could not be false to any other man. And so he was ever true to himself and his convictions. His enemies, if he had any, cannot deny him these quülities. His friends cannot pro nounce upon him a highei nulogy. Mr. Seaman was a public-spirited atizan and a charitable and faithful friend. He will long be missed in our social, political, and scientifio gatherings. He will be missed in the two churches at which he was a constant attendant, at one in the moruing and the other in the evening, both of which be remetnbèred in his will. More than all he will bc missed in that desolate housohold wheru he leaves the aged and infirm wife of bis youth, a household in which for rnany years he has been the trusted stay, the "strong staff" and "the beautitul rod."