Letter from William Henry Seward to Elijah Miller, January 1, 1832
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Elijah Miller, January 1, 1832
transcriberTranscriber:spp:kac
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1832-01-01
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Elijah Miller, January 1, 1832
action: sent
sender:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Person
location:
Albany NY
Place
Name: City: Albany
County:
State: NY
Country: US
Place
receiver:
Elijah Miller
Person
Name: Elijah Miller
Birth: 1772-04-11
Death: 1851-11-13
Person
location:
Auburn NY
Place
Name: City: Auburn
County: Cayuga
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: kac
revision: ekk 2015-09-17
<>
Page 1
Albany January 1. 1832.
My dear Sir
The Court of Errors decided the last cause on their calendar
on Friday and adjourned yesterday (Saturday.) The causes which I
heard argued after my return from Baltimore
Name: City: Baltimore
County:
State: MD
Country: US
to this place last sum-
mer were the last causes decided; I of consequence was compelled
to remain here. I hope as the sleighing is fine that our friends in
Cayuga
Name: Cayuga County City:
County:
State: NY
Country: US
will have a good, spirited harmonious convention to-
morrow.
The Court of Errors by a vote of 16 to 8 affirmed the judgement of
the Supreme Court in the case of Cram vs Hendricks. Whereby it was
decided that the indorsement of a business note by the holder upon
a bona fide sale of it to a third person for a consideration less
than the amount due on the note is not usurious. The Chancel- or
Name: Reuben Walworth
Birth: 1788-10-26
Death: 1867-11-27Certainty: Probable
was in the minority and read and very laboured opinion
but Mr. Maynard
Name: William Maynard
Birth: 1786-11-11
Death: 1832-08-28
carried the Court by one of his most
vigorous efforts.
The case of Wood vs Genet was very intricate and important,
the judgement of the Supreme Court (in favor of Genet) was rever-
sed by an unanimous vote. The Chancellor and I read opinions
In the view of the case taken in his opinion he intimated that
though for error in the Judge below on the trial, the judgement must
be reveised and a venire de novo awarded yet that Genet would
on the new trial be entitled to recover. I maintained the direct
reverse—the Court distinctly assumed my opinion as the ground
of its judgement. The Regency men speak (confidentially) not very
highly of him.
Mr. Geo. B. Throop
Name: George Throop
Birth: 1793-04-12
Death: 1854-02-23
has closed his senatorial labors, and (if I am not mis-
taken) without having established any very strong interest or attachment
toward him in the party to which he is devoted. He went off for aught
Page 2
that I saw "unwept unhonored and unsung." No demonstration at least was
made of any regret at the parting. The probability gains ground that
Edward P. Livingston
Name: Edward Livingston
Birth: 1779-11-24
Death: 1843-11-03
will be the next masonic candidate for
Governor. The respect paid to the present incumbent is as the
Masons would express it "a homage due to the chair in that degree."
No designation of a candidate has yet been made by the Regency
and as neither of the two candidates has any strong interest in the
party it is not impossible that some third person may yet be taken
upon.
It is said that the question of who is to be speaker of the Assembly
is settled. It has stood as is supposed thus. Livingston of New York
is here for the third time. Without pretension to talent or industry in
any eminent degree he has been a respectable member—and is a
princely fellow—and exceedingly popular. Him the public opinion
seemed to fix upon as the proper person for speaker. But he was
once a Clintonian or rather he is a Clintonian Jackson man—he
has been somewhat restiff too. Last winter he and Selden
Name: Dudley Selden
Birth: 1797
Death: 1855-11-07
led the
opposition to Moorehouse
Name: Eben Morehouse
Birth: 1791
Death: 1849-12
's resolution against the United States Bank.
He has dared also to speak irreverently of the [ Mechaic ]
Alternate Text: Mechanic and Farmers
Bank and is in short in unison in sentiment and action with the
Courier and Enquirer in its attacks upon the Argus. Him therefore
the Regency wished to defeat. First they spoke of Myers
Name: Mordecai Myers
Birth: 1776-05-31
Death: 1871-01-20
but he
is a gluttonish Jew, next they spoke of Otis
Name: Otis Bigelow
Birth: 1785-02-01
Death: 1864-06-26
, but he had not personal
popularity enough but and besides that has not industry or pliability
enough to commend him to the purposes of the Regency. At last their choice
fell upon Mr. Litchfield
Name: Elisha Litchfield
Birth: 1785-07-12
Death: 1859-08-04
of Onondaga
Name: Onandaga County City:
County:
State: NY
Country: US
but the thing was too preposterous
and it is said that last night they came to the conclusion to make
a merit of necessity, and abandoned opposition to Livingston—but
to deprive the selection of an unfavorable affect a resolution is to
pass the Caucus [ declaing ]
Alternate Text: declaring opposition to the United States Bank.
This opposition to the United States Bank is to be recognised as the
Page 3
leading trait in the Van Buren
Name: Martin Van Buren
Birth: 1782-12-05
Death: 1862-07-24
party to be organized immediately af-
ter the election of General Jackson
Name: Andrew Jackson
Birth: 1767-03-15
Death: 1845-06-08
.
Whittlesey
Name: Frederick Whittlesey
Birth: 1799-06-12
Death: 1851-09-19
writes that the opinion gains ground at Washington
Name: City: Washington D.C.
County:
State: DC
Country: US
that Van Buren's nomination will be rejected by the Senate. The
proceedings of the late Caucus in Virginia
Name: Virginia City:
County:
State: VA
Country: US
indicate that he is cast off
in that State and I begin to think that it would not be hazardous
to reject his nomination.
The Jackson men cannot make their plan
of a United States Convention go down—all are jealous of Van Bu-
ren and reluctant to commit themselves by a convention.
The Masonic members of the late National Republican
Convention signed some kind of manifesto recommending
the surrender of Masonic charters which they make the
ground of an overture to us for the support of Clay
Name: Henry Clay
Birth: 1777-04-12
Death: 1852-06-29
they
proposing also to go for Granger
Name: Amos Granger
Birth: 1789-06-03
Death: 1866-08-20
. Thus having sinned away
the latest hour they now exhibit signs of unavailing re-
pentance.
We have begin to discuss the time for holding our state
Convention and I think it will be early. We are also t[ o have ]
Reason: wax-seal
printed several thousand copies of the trial of the libel
suit of Gould
Name: Jacob Gould
Birth: 1794
Death: 1867-11-18
against Weed
Name: Thurlow Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15
Death: 1882-11-22
.
I received yesterday a package of papers from Mr. Beards- ley
Name: Nelson Beardsley
Birth: 1807-05-30
Death: 1894-01-15
all of which shall be duly attended to.
We are all well. Frederick
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
has grown much since he left
home - and begins to articulate quite distinctly.
Yours affectionately
W. H. Seward
Elijah Miller Esq.
Page 4
Albany January 1. 1832.
My dear Sir
The Court of Errors decided the last cause on their calendar
on Friday and adjourned yesterday (Saturday.) The causes which I
heard argued after my return from Baltimore
Place
mer were the last causes decided; I of consequence was compelled
to remain here. I hope as the sleighing is fine that our friends in
Cayuga
Place
morrow.
The Court of Errors by a vote of 16 to 8 affirmed the judgement of
the Supreme Court in the case of Cram vs Hendricks. Whereby it was
decided that the indorsement of a business note by the holder upon
a bona fide sale of it to a third person for a consideration less
than the amount due on the note is not usurious. The Chancel- or
Person
but Mr. Maynard
Person
vigorous efforts.
The case of Wood vs Genet was very intricate and important,
the judgement of the Supreme Court (in favor of Genet) was rever-
sed by an unanimous vote. The Chancellor and I read opinions
In the view of the case taken in his opinion he intimated that
though for error in the Judge below on the trial, the judgement must
be reveised and a venire de novo awarded yet that Genet would
on the new trial be entitled to recover. I maintained the direct
reverse—the Court distinctly assumed my opinion as the ground
of its judgement. The Regency men speak (confidentially) not very
highly of him.
Mr. Geo. B. Throop
Person
taken) without having established any very strong interest or attachment
toward him in the party to which he is devoted. He went off for aught
that I saw "unwept unhonored and unsung." No demonstration at least was
made of any regret at the parting. The probability gains ground that
Edward P. Livingston
Person
Governor. The respect paid to the present incumbent is as the
Masons would express it "a homage due to the chair in that degree."
No designation of a candidate has yet been made by the Regency
and as neither of the two candidates has any strong interest in the
party it is not impossible that some third person may yet be taken
upon.
It is said that the question of who is to be speaker of the Assembly
is settled. It has stood as is supposed thus. Livingston of New York
is here for the third time. Without pretension to talent or industry in
any eminent degree he has been a respectable member—and is a
princely fellow—and exceedingly popular. Him the public opinion
seemed to fix upon as the proper person for speaker. But he was
once a Clintonian or rather he is a Clintonian Jackson man—he
has been somewhat restiff too. Last winter he and Selden
Person
opposition to Moorehouse
Person
He has dared also to speak irreverently of the [ Mechaic ]
Alternate Text
Bank and is in short in unison in sentiment and action with the
Courier and Enquirer in its attacks upon the Argus. Him therefore
the Regency wished to defeat. First they spoke of Myers
Person
is a gluttonish Jew, next they spoke of Otis
Person
popularity enough but and besides that has not industry or pliability
enough to commend him to the purposes of the Regency. At last their choice
fell upon Mr. Litchfield
Person
Place
and it is said that last night they came to the conclusion to make
a merit of necessity, and abandoned opposition to Livingston—but
to deprive the selection of an unfavorable affect a resolution is to
pass the Caucus [ declaing ]
Alternate Text
This opposition to the United States Bank is to be recognised as the
leading trait in the Van Buren
Person
ter the election of General Jackson
Person
Whittlesey
Person
Place
that Van Buren's nomination will be rejected by the Senate. The
proceedings of the late Caucus in Virginia
Place
in that State and I begin to think that it would not be hazardous
to reject his nomination.
The Jackson men cannot make their plan
of a United States Convention go down—all are jealous of Van Bu-
ren and reluctant to commit themselves by a convention.
The Masonic members of the late National Republican
Convention signed some kind of manifesto recommending
the surrender of Masonic charters which they make the
ground of an overture to us for the support of Clay
Person
proposing also to go for Granger
Person
the latest hour they now exhibit signs of unavailing re-
pentance.
We have begin to discuss the time for holding our state
Convention and I think it will be early. We are also t[ o have ]
Supplied
printed several thousand copies of the trial of the libel
suit of Gould
Person
Person
I received yesterday a package of papers from Mr. Beards- ley
Person
We are all well. Frederick
Person
home - and begins to articulate quite distinctly.
Yours affectionately
W. H. Seward
Elijah Miller Esq.
date:
Sunday, January 1, 1832
receiver:
sender:
year: