Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/775

SEDGWICK SEDCWICK. I. Theodore, an American states- man, born in Hartford, Conn., in May, 1746, died in Boston, Mass., Jan. 24, 1813. After a partial course at Yale college, he studied law, and in April, 1766, was admitted to the bar, and began practice at Sheffield, Berkshire co., Mass., which he represented several times in the legislature. In 1776 he served as aid to Gen. Thomas in the expedition to Canada. About the close of 1785 he removed to Stock- bridge, and in that year and the next was a member of the continental congress. In the winter of 1787 he took a leading part in the suppression of Shays's rebellion. In 1788 he was a member of the Massachusetts conven- tion which ratified the federal constitution, and speaker of the house of representatives of the state. He was a representative in congress from 1789 to 1796, and U. S. senator l796-'9, and in 1799 again a representative and speaker of the house. In 1802 he was appointed to the bench of the supreme court of Massachu- setts, where he remained till his death. Judge Sedgwick was an active member of the old fed- eral party, and was ardently hostile to slavery. Shortly after the adoption of the Massachu- setts constitution (1780), Elizabeth Freeman, a negro woman belonging to a Mr. Ashley of Sheffield, having fled in consequence of ill treatment, her master sued to regain his slave. She was defended by Mr. Sedgwick, and by the decision of the court pronounced free. This, it is believed, was the first fruit of the declaration in the Massachusetts bill of rights that " all men are born free and equal," and led to the extinction of slavery in that state. II. Theodore, an American lawyer, eldest son of the preceding, born in Sheffield, Mass., Dec. 31, 1780, died in Pittsfield, Nov. 7, 1839. He graduated at Yale college in 1798, was admit- ted to the bar in 1801, and practised at Alba- ny, N. Y., till 1821, when he retired to Stock- bridge. He was a member of the state legis- lature in 1824, 1825, and 1827, and carried through a bill for a railroad across the moun- tains from Boston to Albany. He advocated free trade, temperance, and anti-slavery, and published "Hints to my Countrymen" (1826), and " Public and Private Economy, illustrated by Observations made in Europe in 1836-'7" (3 vols. 12mo, New York, 1838). His wife, SUSAN RIDLEY (died 1867), was the author, among other works, of " The Morals of Plea- sure" (1829); "The Young Emigrants" and "The Children's Week" (1830); "Allen Pres- cott" (1835); "Alida" (1844); and "Walter Thornley" (1859). III. Catharine Maria, an American authoress, daughter of Judge Theo- dore Sedgwick, born in Stockbridge, Mass., in 1789, died near Roxbury, July 31, 1867. She published "The New England Tale" anony- mously in 1822, and it had an immediate and wide popularity. In 1824 she published " Red- wood," which was republlshed in England, and translated into French, Italian, German, and Swedish. Her subsequent publications in- SEDUCTION 749 elude " Hope Leslie, or Early Times in Amer- ica" (1827) ; " Clarence, or a Tale of our own Times" (1830); "Le Bossu," a story for the young (1832); "The Linwoods," a romance of the revolution, and a collection of tales (1835); a series of juveniles, including "The Poor Rich Man and Rich Poor Man," "Live and Let Live," " Means and Ends," " Home," and "Love Token for Children" (1836-'9) ; the life of Lucretia Maria Davidson, in Sparks's "American Biography " (1837); "Letters from Abroad to Kindred at Home," after a visit to Europe (1841); "Wilton Harvey, and other Tales" (1845); and "Married or Single?" (1857). See " Life and Letters of Miss Sedg- wick," edited by Mary E. Dewey (New York, 1871). IV. Theodore, an American lawyer, son of Theodore Sedgwick, 2d, born in Albany, N. Y., Jan. 27, 1811, died in Stockbridge, Mass., Dec. 9, 1859. He graduated at Columbia col- lege, New York, in 1829, and was admitted to the bar in May, 1833. The next 15 months he passed in Europe, chiefly at Paris, where he was attached to the legation of Edward Livingston. Oh his return home he com- menced practice in New York, which he pros- ecuted with great industry and success till about 1850. He published a memoir of Wil- liam Livingston (1833); "Treatise on the Measure of Damages, or an Inquiry into the Principles which govern the Amount of Com- pensation recovered in Suits at Law" (1847; 5th ed., 1869); and a "Treatise on the Rules which govern the Interpretation and Appli- cation of Statutory and Constitutional Law " (1857). In January, 1858, he was appointed United States attorney for the southern dis- trict of New York. He edited the political writings of William Leggett (2 vols. 8vo, New York, 1840). SEDLEY, Sir diaries, an English poet, born at Aylesford, Kent, in 1639, died Aug. 20, 1701. He was the son of Sir John Sedley, and after the restoration went to London, where accord- ing to Wood he set up for a satirical wit. He soon obtained great favor with Charles II., and his private fortune was wasted in debauchery. He was once engaged in a riot at a public house, where he made a speech to the mob, naked, from the balcony, and was fined 500. He now applied himself to serious business, and distinguished himself in parliament by his opposition to James II. His activity in bring- ing about the revolution is attributed to the king's intrigue with his (laughter, who became his mistress and was created countess of Dor- chester. His collected works, consisting of short amatory poems, parliamentary speeches, plays, and some translations from the classics, were published with a memoir in 1722. SEDUCTION, the persuading a woman to sur- render her chastity. It has been often made a reproach to the common law that it does not regard the seducer as a criminal, or at least hold him to a direct responsibility. The French and Prussian codes also, composed as they have