Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, February 16, 1839
xml:
Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, February 16, 1839
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:keh
student editorTranscriber:spp:nds
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1839-02-16
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's persons.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "pla" point to
place elements in the project's places.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's staff.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's bibl.xml authority file.
verical-align: super; font-size: 12px;
text-decoration: underline;
text-decoration: line-through;
color: red;
Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, February 16, 1839
action: sent
sender: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
location: New York, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Albany, NY
transcription: keh
revision: crb 2016-02-09
<>
Page
1
New York Saturday ev'g Feb. 16. 1839
Dear Henry
Mr Duer
coldly – complains that his son
suspense – and that the execution of the deeds
hase been delayed & he has been left to
be annoyed by Mr Ogden
further that several particulars about the
collection of the funds of the manner of
their appropriation are unsettled &c &c
He has decided that the loan of $25,000
which you ask cannot be granted on any
terms – he is making no loans – because
the price of Bonds abroad is down. He
decides that the farms & stores at Au-
burn may be substituted ^as security^ for $100,000 of
wild land, provided G. B. Throop
state that they are a good security
worth that sum. He thinks the pres-
ent mode of granting extensions & secu-
ring semmi annual interest, is insuffi-
cient, & talks about taking new mortgages
& making new searches – but of this
he will determine further.
Page
2
He expects the "Great Western"e
Steamship, SS Great Western, bound for Bristol. to bring
advices, that will require him to return
in her to London (& I hear since I
commenced writing that she has arrived)
but he has promised to execute a power
of attorney to effect the substitution and
relinquishment, before he goes – but it is
to be feared, in the haste of his prepar-
ations, he may not after all do it –
& then our dish is up – for Robinson
literally knows nothing ^about it^ , I find, & will
not, as I suppose, stir a step while
Mr Duer may be absent. He decides
further that no assingment of the mortge
by Nedabiah Angell
Jos Plumb
of the facts & proprieties of the case are is
first had before the Board. From all
which I greatly fear that your bond
of $319,000 is not to be so easily lifted
as we supposed – & I judge that he
is preparing a great deal of trouble
for us. From you & from Tom Sweezy
I have always been led to think the
world & all of Mr Duer – and he may ^have^
& I suppose has, a lawyers skill and a
lawyers caution – but depend upon it
he has no mercantile precision or dis-
patch and cannot be a financier.
Page
3
Mr Blatchford
no difficulty in raising the $15,000 for
six months – and for this purpose we
shall I think need the mortgage
you spoke. The $25,000 must be raised
on the property of $40,000 you hold about
Auburn – a full detailed description of it
will therefore be requisite, with which to
commence the negotiation. Pray send it
me, if you wish us to proceed to an effort
to raise the funds – with suggestions how
we are to satisfy a money dealer
– of its value & whatever else you may
deem necessary. Mr Blatchford
is of opinion that your language
admits of a question, whether you
want $25,000 or $40,000 in all – pray
remove the doubt.
I have many things to mention – more
than you have time to read – will only
add my grateful acknowledgements ^to you^ for
the happy circumstances attending me
here
Yours as ever
B. J. Seward
[left Margin] Granger
Page
4
W. H. Seward Esq
Albany
N.Y.
NEW-YORK
FEB 17
Type: postmark
h
B. J. Seward n. y.
Feb 16. 1839
New York Saturday ev'g Feb. 16. 1839
Dear Henry
Mr Duer
Birth: 1782-10-07 Death: 1858-08-08
recieved my applicationcoldly – complains that his son
Unknown
is kept insuspense – and that the execution of the deeds
hase been delayed & he has been left to
be annoyed by Mr Ogden
Birth: 1773-12-12 Death: 1844-12-17Certainty: Probable
about them: &further that several particulars about the
collection of the funds of the manner of
their appropriation are unsettled &c &c
He has decided that the loan of $25,000
which you ask cannot be granted on any
terms – he is making no loans – because
the price of Bonds abroad is down. He
decides that the farms & stores at Au-
burn may be substituted ^as security^ for $100,000 of
wild land, provided G. B. Throop
Birth: 1793-04-12 Death: 1854-02-23
shallstate that they are a good security
worth that sum. He thinks the pres-
ent mode of granting extensions & secu-
ring semmi annual interest, is insuffi-
cient, & talks about taking new mortgages
& making new searches – but of this
he will determine further.
He expects the "Great Western"e
Editorial Note
advices, that will require him to return
in her to London (& I hear since I
commenced writing that she has arrived)
but he has promised to execute a power
of attorney to effect the substitution and
relinquishment, before he goes – but it is
to be feared, in the haste of his prepar-
ations, he may not after all do it –
& then our dish is up – for Robinson
Unknown
literally knows nothing ^about it^ , I find, & will
not, as I suppose, stir a step while
Mr Duer may be absent. He decides
further that no assingment of the mortge
by Nedabiah Angell
Birth: 1781-09-12 Death: 1850-08-28
can be made toJos Plumb
Unknown
without a full developmentof the facts & proprieties of the case are is
first had before the Board. From all
which I greatly fear that your bond
of $319,000 is not to be so easily lifted
as we supposed – & I judge that he
is preparing a great deal of trouble
for us. From you & from Tom Sweezy
Birth: 1789-06-17 Death: 1818-05-19Certainty: Possible
I have always been led to think the
world & all of Mr Duer – and he may ^have^
& I suppose has, a lawyers skill and a
lawyers caution – but depend upon it
he has no mercantile precision or dis-
patch and cannot be a financier.
Mr Blatchford
Birth: 1820-03-09 Death: 1893-07-07
thinks there can beno difficulty in raising the $15,000 for
six months – and for this purpose we
shall I think need the mortgage
The charging of property by a debtor to a creditor as security for a debt, on the condition that it shall be returned on the payment of the debt within a certain period • Convey property to a creditor as security on a loan •
of whichyou spoke. The $25,000 must be raised
on the property of $40,000 you hold about
Auburn – a full detailed description of it
will therefore be requisite, with which to
commence the negotiation. Pray send it
me, if you wish us to proceed to an effort
to raise the funds – with suggestions how
we are to satisfy a money dealer
– of its value & whatever else you may
deem necessary. Mr Blatchford
is of opinion that your language
admits of a question, whether you
want $25,000 or $40,000 in all – pray
remove the doubt.
I have many things to mention – more
than you have time to read – will only
add my grateful acknowledgements ^to you^ for
the happy circumstances attending me
here
Yours as ever
B. J. Seward
[left Margin] Granger
Birth: 1792-12-01 Death: 1868-08-31
left yesterday for Washington.W. H. Seward Esq
Albany
N.Y.
NEW-YORK
FEB 17
Stamp
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10William Seward
Feb 16. 1839