Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 26, 1849
xml:
Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 26,
1849
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:obm
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1849-03-26
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 26, 1849
action: sent
sender: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Washington D.C., US
receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Auburn, NY
transcription: obm
revision: crb 2016-05-12
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Page
1
Washington Monday evening
My Dearest Frances
Your letter with the
agreeable intelligence of the health of our
eldest son
by our youngest boy
I hope Fanny
come home – I am almost tempted to take
a mocking bird with me -
I have knocked off a hundred
more letters, but the mass of business remains
frightful - my reciept of letters to day
was forty five - so that all I have gained
upon the heap is fifty five.
It was a painful sight that I saw
to day. Mr Webster
District Attorneys office in Boston for his
son Fletcher
go to day and ask that the appointment
might be conferred. Clayton
his influence – which was thought conclu-
Page
2
sive of the questions – Clayton referred me
to the President
he was committed to give it to another.
Webster was amazed– He went back and
remonstrated
went home debating with himself and me
whether to adhere to the party – He has
now got time and is going to try to
change the President’s preference.
Here this great man destroyed
his mighty influence by being enslaved to
selfish ends - He wanted an act of
nepotism performed in his favor.
Fillmore
same way.
I hope that neither of our boys
may ever come within the atmosphere of
Washington except as representatives of the
people, not pensioners of the government-
I shall be obliged to ask you not
to speak of this subject to our neighbors
Ever your own
Henry
Page
3
Washington Monday evening
My Dearest Frances
Your letter with the
agreeable intelligence of the health of our
eldest son
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
and a nice little letter writtenby our youngest boy
Birth: 1839-06-18 Death: 1920-04-29
was received this morning.I hope Fanny
Birth: 1844-12-09 Death: 1866-10-29
will be able to write when I
come home – I am almost tempted to take
a mocking bird with me -
I have knocked off a hundred
more letters, but the mass of business remains
frightful - my reciept of letters to day
was forty five - so that all I have gained
upon the heap is fifty five.
It was a painful sight that I saw
to day. Mr Webster
Birth: 1782-01-18 Death: 1852-10-24
had
applied for the District Attorneys office in Boston for his
son Fletcher
Unknown
- I was made
the agent togo to day and ask that the appointment
might be conferred. Clayton
Birth: 1796-07-24 Death: 1856-11-09
had promisedhis influence – which was thought conclu-
sive of the questions – Clayton referred me
to the President
Birth: 1784-11-24 Death: 1850-07-09
. The President replied thathe was committed to give it to another.
Webster was amazed– He went back and
remonstrated
To exhibit or present strong reasons against an act, measure of any course of proceedings • To suggest urgent reasons in opposition to a measure • To show by a strong representation of reasons •
– but with no effect. He
went home debating with himself and me
whether to adhere to the party – He has
now got time and is going to try to
change the President’s preference.
Here this great man destroyed
his mighty influence by being enslaved to
selfish ends - He wanted an act of
nepotism performed in his favor.
Fillmore
Birth: 1800-01-07 Death: 1874-03-08
had destroyed himself in the same way.
I hope that neither of our boys
may ever come within the atmosphere of
Washington except as representatives of the
people, not pensioners of the government-
I shall be obliged to ask you not
to speak of this subject to our neighbors
Ever your own
Henry