Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, October 13, 1834

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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, October 13, 1834
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transcriber

Transcriber:spp:msr

student editor

Transcriber:spp:mec

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1834-10-13

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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, October 13, 1834

action: sent

sender: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23  Death: 1841-02-24

location:
x

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

location: Albany, NY

transcription: msr 

revision: obm 2017-03-06

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Page 1

Phil’a. 13 Oct. 1834
Dear Henry
It is in my recollection that I
wrote you a letter not long since from
Boston-in which (I know not what also
I said but remember that I spoke of the
interest some old friends of yours spoke
of an announcement then fresh arrived
from Utica: and of the assurance I took
the liberty of giving, that the old “hand
maid”
Unknown
& yourself were on terms no more
intimate, than when these gentlemen knew
you first. To this letter I recieved
a short reply: without any notice of
what I supposed, as well as I could
recollect, was the main topick: & from
which I inferred that you wrote under
much pressure of engagement & in a
hurried manner.‑ and I have intro-
duced all this story (without knowing
that it would consume the first page
of my letter) merely to prepare the way
for saying that I would exonerate you

[left Margin] Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15 Death: 1882-11-22
engaged my services in a certain matter-but did
not send me the papers-I waited two days for him & left.
I would glad-
ly have ren-
dered this
service-if
service it
could have
been: & so
he thought
of it‑I hope
he found
a better
hand: a
more willing
one he
could not.
Page 2

from the necessity of a reply to this one.
I must ^say^ however, since I have opened the
door for saying it, that I would dearly
love to get a good long letter from you
telling me “how you live & how you fare”
in these days, amid the peltings of polit-
ical adversaries & the sycophantic smiles
of false & the substantial evidence of real
friends, in your new relation to the com-
munity. I would like to know how
Tracy
Birth: 1793-06-17 Death: 1859-09-12
behaves-and what Granger
Birth: 1792-12-01 Death: 1868-08-31
now
thinks & what ^is^ the amount of cordiality
of J.C. Spencer
Birth: 1788-01-08 Death: 1855-05-17
: but all these things and
others I hope to learn something of
when I meet you in Albany.
Well, I came to this city on an
official visit some days since & think
it probable I shall remain until after
the election. I am unable to give you
any news about the prospects of the Whigs
beyond the newspaper accounts; & these are
of little worth. Two of the directors
of the U.S. Bank
Unknown
are directors in our
“union”- & these say the Bank has little
or no expectation that the Bank it will

[left Margin] If Frances
Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21
comes down with you-let her come to our
house & make a visit before the river closes: send her: do.
Page 3

ever be rechartered. They think this win-
ter will decide the question.
Govr Wolf
Birth: 1777-08-12 Death: 1840-03-11
was here today in the
“N.American” where I put up-it is said he
is non committial about Van Burenism-indeed
there is great doubt whether the Jackson
Birth: 1767-03-15 Death: 1845-06-08

Wolf party can be set over to Van
Birth: 1782-12-05 Death: 1862-07-24
: & some
doubt whether the whole party will not be
set aside by the Whigs: at least so
say some.
Yesterday I heard an opening
service in his new edifice
by Rector Tyng
Birth: 1880-03-01 Death: 1885-09-03
- a delightful performance-
he is a man after my own heart: but
scarcely so much so as Bishop McElvaine
Birth: 1799 Death: 1873

whom I heard in the afternoon. The Bish-
op is going to England to beg money
to build up Kenyon College. Dr McAuley
Birth: 1795-04-27 Death: 1849-06

is laid up by a complaint in his
throat-unable to talk-some enlargement
I believe-he sails in a few days to
Italy.
Cornelia
Birth: 1805 Death: 1839-01-04
writes me she is very well
regrets exceedingly she did not see you-says
she ardently
Hot or burning; causing a sensation of burning • Having the appearance or quality of fire; fierce • Warm; much engaged; passionate •
desires your success-but says
not whether this is the opinion of her Jackson
husb
Birth: 1798-11-26 Death: 1865-01-05
.

[left Margin] With sentiments of unabated esteem I am your
affectionate Brother B.J. Seward.
Page 4

Poor pollydore
Birth: 1799 Death: 1872-04-23
is floundering around ^the streets in^ N.Y. city
looking employment: stopping at my house.
If I could catch him (for he eludes me)
I would urge him to go out to some of the
towns in Massachusetts where the Temperance
reformation has entirely banished whiskey &
get him to stop there no matter upon what
terms. I think it is his only hope.
I suppose you have Bill Brown
Birth: 1796-11-09 Death: 1867-06-17
and his sweetly
little Harriet
Birth: 1807-04-20 Death: 1883
with you: they are dear good people
I hope sis will have opportunity to get acquain-
ted with her. Give my kindest regards to sis
& the Illinois cousins
x Birth: 1798-03-27  Death: 1877-06-15  Birth: 1795-09-03  Death: 1869 
if in Auburn.
Hon. Wm H Seward
Auburn
New York
PHILA
13
OCT
FREE
x

Stamp

Type: postmark

Hand Shiftx

William Seward

Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
B.J. Seward
Oct 13.1834