Letter from Alvah H. Worden to William Henry Seward, November 4, 1838

  • Posted on: 10 March 2016
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Letter from Alvah H. Worden to William Henry Seward, November 4, 1838
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transcriber

Transcriber:spp:mec

student editor

Transcriber:spp:jjm

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1838-11-04

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Letter from Alvah H. Worden to William Henry Seward, November 4, 1838

action: sent

sender: Alvah Worden
Birth: 1797-03-06  Death: 1856-02-16

location: Canandaigua, NY

receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16  Death: 1872-10-10

location: Auburn, NY

transcription: mec 

revision: crb 2016-02-05

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Page 1

Cananda Sunday Evening
Dear Seward,
The battle begins tomorrow, and with us we are all
ready: all has been done that could be, we have worked harder in
this County than we have ever before; the old campaigners say there
never has been so much exertion used: Sibley
Birth: 1796-11-06 Death: 1852-09-08
talked three hours to
the democracy in Phelps last night. Thursday evening
I held forth to a meeting house full of Whigs and Locofocos in South
Bristol
. Friday night we had a rousing Town Meeting Taylor
Birth: 1784-03-26 Death: 1854-09-18

Sibley & myself made long talks, and last night I had the
toughest and hardest pull among a convocation of abolitionists
in Farmington: I expounded the Constitution and the law touching
the matters contained in your abolition answer. And I really believe
with effect: I had to use searching medicine: and found a set of
honest but somewhat erring men to contend with: I trust I did good
and the leading men said they were satisfied with your answer to the
first and last interrogatory: as to the second I contended you was right
& they were wrong, and although I did not persuade
To influence by argument, advice, or intreaty • To convince by arguments, or reasons offered •
them a negro
ought not to vote I persuaded them that a difference of opinion was
not a warrant for withholding their votes, and more particularly where
Men in whom they relied, had ^held^ the same difference: I found them
all quakers: and this morning the spirit moved the most prominent
among them to say they felt much obliged to me for expounding the
matter as it had led them to consider anew your answer, and that they
would vote for you. Granger
Birth: 1792-12-01 Death: 1868-08-31
was no go. There is a portion of abolition-
ists in Wayne County that are more stubborn. I was persuaded by two
of the Farmington friends that they would today at meeting labor
with them to convince them that they had not correctly understood you
I could take no other ground with them than that they were doing
unjustice to those men that had ever treated them with respect, and
Page 2

advocated their rights and defended principles which lay at the very
bottom of their cause; I said a d—ed deal to them and took
up all the night.
I cant comfort you generally in respect to abolitionists
I apprehend no danger but from them: and there would have been not
so much to be apprehended had not Braddish
Birth: 1783-09-15 Death: 1863-08-30
acted like a fool
he has acted worse his answers are show his ignorance, or a bad
attempt to play the demagogue, and must forfeit the esteem of
honorable men: Garret Smith
Birth: 1797-03-07 Death: 1874-12-28
has proved himself a canting
knave, and is cheating abolitionists to make political capital
out of them
Take measures to let us hear Result. If you are not
beat by over 200 in Cayuga I shall count the state as safe. Ex-
cept we are beat by abolitionists of this no man can predict
You shall hear returns from this county without delay
Truly
A W
Page 3

Hon William H. Seward
Auburn
CANANDAIGUA N. Y.
NOV 5
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Stamp

Type: postmark

Hand Shiftx

William Seward

Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
Alvah Worden
November 4. 1838.