Letter from Alvah H. Worden to William Henry Seward, November 13, 1838
xml:
Letter from Alvah H. Worden to William Henry Seward, November 13, 1838
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:crb
student editorTranscriber:spp:kac
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1838-11-13
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Letter from Alvah H. Worden to William Henry Seward, November 13, 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: Albany, NY
transcription: crb
revision: crb 2016-02-05
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Page
1
Canandaigua Nov 13 1838
My Dear S
Enclosed I send you the result of the official canvass in this
County. thinking it might be a matter of interest to you. Mr Spencer
tended to have gone to day to Albany to attend the court of Errors but
recd a letter stating that the cause in which he was employed was
not on the calendar: he will not probably go under some days
He intended to stop with you a day: Sibley
^whether^ he goes by way of the canal I do not know: I wish you could
see Sibley: He does not feel in the best spirits at his treatment in
this county: he would have received the same whatever his feelings
might have been on the subject of the nomination: he is perfect-
ly aware of this and would do precisely as he has done were
the thing to be done over again.
Mr Spencer has been in the Office all the afternoon
and he has talked freely about matters and things in general
perhaps all he said would not be fitting to be on paper: his
friendly feelings towards you cannot be doubted. and his abund-
dant knowledge and experience renders him a most safe coun-
sellor: I trust you will see him on his way down: his
views and feelings towards his own position are disinterested
and if everybody else will act and feel as he does you
will meet with less difficulty in your gubernatorial ca-
reer than I fear is your lot to experience
I am watching with intense interest the
movement of certain of our political friends. I have been
under apprehension that efforts might be made to form
a clique to control rather than to advise and that
in a certain quarter you might meet opposition when
you should have support. G
Page
2
and I doubt not but your Honorable friend the Lieut Gov
will look upon themselves ^as^ in a position not the most favor-
able to their personal views. Those views being in the main
such as result from selfish motives and that their course
having been such as renders it unpleasant for them to
to seek for the restablishment of friendly personal rela-
tions with you they might naturally fall into one entirely
the reverse: and actuated by purely personal considerations
that an attempt might ^may^ be made to embarrass you: Taylor
will seek to take high ground in the Legislature: he cannot I
think sustain himself he must be looked upon most unfavor-
ably by the N Yk delegation and any failure he may meet
with he will ascribe to the action of others and not to any
want of talent or discretion on his part. Jim will work
his way and if he fails in any thing he will not have the
sense to discover it as for G. I think he is anxious for a
renewal of good fellowship. that is he cannot see any good
to come to him from opposition. why not detach him; or rather
let him detach himself this I think he will do if permitted
as he lacks the energy. the courage to engage in any scheme
of overt hostility. I think he has made his own bed and
must liye in it. he must be used up in this county:- and
will do it sooner or later: Now you must look to these
things: they are not idle suggestions and a wary eye must
be had on the opening of the legislation that these men do
not combine for evil purposes- The genius of Evil will be at
work T-y will not die in the ditch. and all he can do
he will to make a head which shall elevate him:
Had you not better come out to Canandg
and stay a week or so: there is no place on the foot
stool where you can flee to and be so much at
Page
3
rest Mr Spencer wishes you to come and desires me
to advise you to cut loose and ctake a weeks rest &
settle your mind after this turmoil- Bring Frances
No body here has heard form you since
election. We suppose you have lived through it, although
from your silence we begin to doubt it
Truly
AW
Page
4 Page
5
Canandaigua Nov 13 1838
My Dear S
Enclosed I send you the result of the official canvass in this
County. thinking it might be a matter of interest to you. Mr Spencer
Birth: 1788-01-08 Death: 1855-05-17
in-tended to have gone to day to Albany to attend the court of Errors but
recd a letter stating that the cause in which he was employed was
not on the calendar: he will not probably go under some days
He intended to stop with you a day: Sibley
Birth: 1796-11-06 Death: 1852-09-08
starts on Monday^whether^ he goes by way of the canal I do not know: I wish you could
see Sibley: He does not feel in the best spirits at his treatment in
this county: he would have received the same whatever his feelings
might have been on the subject of the nomination: he is perfect-
ly aware of this and would do precisely as he has done were
the thing to be done over again.
Mr Spencer has been in the Office all the afternoon
and he has talked freely about matters and things in general
perhaps all he said would not be fitting to be on paper: his
friendly feelings towards you cannot be doubted. and his abund-
dant knowledge and experience renders him a most safe coun-
sellor: I trust you will see him on his way down: his
views and feelings towards his own position are disinterested
and if everybody else will act and feel as he does you
will meet with less difficulty in your gubernatorial ca-
reer than I fear is your lot to experience
I am watching with intense interest the
movement of certain of our political friends. I have been
under apprehension that efforts might be made to form
a clique to control rather than to advise and that
in a certain quarter you might meet opposition when
you should have support. G
Birth: 1792-12-01 Death: 1868-08-31
_ & T_y
Birth: 1783-10-26 Death: 1864-06-18
. Taylor
Birth: 1784-03-26 Death: 1854-09-18
& Lawrence
Birth: 1790-09-11 Death: 1874-03-21
and I doubt not but your Honorable friend the Lieut Gov
Birth: 1783-09-15 Death: 1863-08-30
will look upon themselves ^as^ in a position not the most favor-
able to their personal views. Those views being in the main
such as result from selfish motives and that their course
having been such as renders it unpleasant for them to
to seek for the restablishment of friendly personal rela-
tions with you they might naturally fall into one entirely
the reverse: and actuated by purely personal considerations
that an attempt might ^may^ be made to embarrass you: Taylor
will seek to take high ground in the Legislature: he cannot I
think sustain himself he must be looked upon most unfavor-
ably by the N Yk delegation and any failure he may meet
with he will ascribe to the action of others and not to any
want of talent or discretion on his part. Jim will work
his way and if he fails in any thing he will not have the
sense to discover it as for G. I think he is anxious for a
renewal of good fellowship. that is he cannot see any good
to come to him from opposition. why not detach him; or rather
let him detach himself this I think he will do if permitted
as he lacks the energy. the courage to engage in any scheme
of overt hostility. I think he has made his own bed and
must liye in it. he must be used up in this county:- and
will do it sooner or later: Now you must look to these
things: they are not idle suggestions and a wary eye must
be had on the opening of the legislation that these men do
not combine for evil purposes- The genius of Evil will be at
work T-y will not die in the ditch. and all he can do
he will to make a head which shall elevate him:
Had you not better come out to Canandg
and stay a week or so: there is no place on the foot
stool where you can flee to and be so much at
rest Mr Spencer wishes you to come and desires me
to advise you to cut loose and ctake a weeks rest &
settle your mind after this turmoil- Bring Frances
Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21
& Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
No body here has heard form you since
election. We suppose you have lived through it, although
from your silence we begin to doubt it
Truly
AW