By the time he reached the age of nineteen, he had run away
to Georgia, taught school six months, studied law six months, and
graduated with honour from Union College. Two years later, in 1822,
he was admitted to the bar, and, having accepted a partnership with
Elijah Miller, located at Auburn. To make this arrangement the more
binding, he married his partner's daughter and became a member of his
family.

Seward retained the political affiliations of his father, who was a
Republican and a Bucktail, until the journey on the canal to Auburn
opened his eyes to the importance of internal improvements. This so
completely changed him into a Clintonian, that, in the autumn of 1824,
he assailed the Albany Regency with great vigour and voted for DeWitt
Clinton for governor. Four years later, he presided over a state
convention of young National Republicans, favourable to the
re-election of John Quincy Adams; and then witnessed that party's
defeat and dispersion under the murderous fire of the Jackson forces,
aided by Southwick and Crary on the anti-masonic ticket. Seward had
not taken kindly to the anti-masonic party. What would have been his
final attitude toward it is problematical had he not fallen under the
influence of Weed. The first meeting of this illustrious pair, a very
casual meeting, occurred in the summer of 1824 while Seward was
passing through Rochester on his return from a visit to Niagara Falls.
A wheel of the coach came off, and among the curious who quickly
assembled "one taller and more effective, while more deferential and
sympathising than the rest," says Seward, in his autobiography, "lent
his assistance."[266] This was Thurlow Weed. "My acquaintance with
William H. Seward grew rapidly on subsequent occasions," adds Weed,
"when he was called to Rochester on professional business. Our views
in relation to public affairs, and our estimate of public men, rarely
differed, and in regard to anti-Masonry he soon became imbued with my
own opinions."[267]

[Footnote 266: _Autobiography of William H. Seward_, p. 56.]

[Footnote 267: _Autobiography of Thurlow Weed_, p. 137.]

This was the key that opened the way to great achievement. Tracy
listened to others and was lost; Fillmore finally preferred the
judgment of his associates in Washington, and is to-day without a
statue even in his own home; but Seward kept closely in touch with the
man whose political judgment inspired him with confidence. "Come now
and let