Washington April 27^th Saturday
My dear Sister,
I have this morning your
second letter which makes me feel very much
as if I could see our home – I knew you
would say you would stay so I have made
most of my arrangements to leave the 6^th
though I should be able to go before that
time were Augustus to come – It seems a
long long time that I have been expecting him.
I am not quite so well pleased with your going
home as soon as I come which I hope you will
not – I am virtually out of Washington now
having left my cards preparatory to leaving
town – I was ready to go to Baltimore with Henry
Friday but Fanny had toothache and a face
so badly swollen that I could not leave her
Henry went and returned last evening – had I
gone he would have remained another day – I
must still go one day next week to see Dr
Pratt – I am very sorry you did not
receive those copies of the Union –they con

[top Margin] also passed round – I must say that if
Henry has bitter enemies
he is amply repaid by the devotion of his friends —
I enclose an article from a “Man’s” paper – Weed
has the printed copy – don’t lose this – I shall write
again

[bottom Margin] Love to all at home and Clara

x

Clarinda McClallen

Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05

tained the only copies we have of remarks made
in the Senate by Henry – one of them especially
I wished to preserve – Clarence says he directed
them to you but does not seem to know whether
he sent them to Auburn or Canandaigua
rather thinks the latter – I wish so much
to see you and talk of a thousand things that
I cannot write – One of the clergymen who
wrote to Henry about his speech prayed that
God would give him grace to bear the persecutions
which would inevitably follow the adv bold
advocacy of a righteous cause – The prayer
was not amiss – you can have no conception
of the annoyances to which Henry is subjected
but I have refrained from writing any thing on
this subject because I think just now it is better
to be silent – You will recollect that this is
a southern atmosphere and all ^most all^ the people
from the North are affected by it – Henry still
continues to have cheering letters from the North
occasionally one from some of the South states —
Many of the Clergy in South Carolina have
returned his speech with some insulting
remark written upon it – I say many perhaps

half a dozen and one Catholic Clergyman in New
York – I am going to examine the lists of names
and ascertain what denomination these clergymen
belong to but I am rather inclined to think
it is the Episcopal as they are more opposed
to progress of all kinds than most others —
Having had a commendatory letter from Bp Potter —
but he is not one of the narrowest kind —
Many members of Congress have taken this time
while the committee was absent with Mr Calhouns
remains to go home – among them Mr Webster —
He will receive, what he has earned by a sacrifice
of conscience, the congratulations of the priv-
ileged class – As I heard a good old man
say a few moments ago – he is their represen-
tative – Mr Webster has no real sympathy
with the masses – he never has had – his nature
is constitutionally opposed to it – at least so he
appears to me – but what surprises me is that
even in this he does not seem to have the
moral courage to adhere to one course of conduct
Nothing can be more vacillating and contradictory
than his speeches and votes for the last
5 weeks – I do not think at this moment
any person can tell whether he is for or against

the admission of California unconnected with other
measures – Henry Clay is glorified by the
Union for his efforts to a obtain the committe –
and all the papers at the North speak more
kindly of him than of Mr Webster – as he deserves –
he at least has the merit of being consistent —
The Northern press are beginning to ascertain that the
Republic was not the “organ of the Administration”
at the time of its attack upon Henry – I think
the Republic has been made sensible of the same
fact by the withdrawal of patronage – A
gentleman from Chautauqua writes. “A dozen or more of
the subscribers to the Republic have returned their papers
on “Steve” Hamiltons paper that he returned he wrote
the following appropriate and beautiful inscription.
“Your article on Sewards speech is an insult to
the Empire State and I’ll be d–––d if I will take
your paper any longer” – I have just heard of
20 more subscribers who have returned their papers,
living in Westfield — I have not told you about
John C. Spencers letter – A gentleman in Congress sent Mr
Spencer a copy of a speech he had made – Mr S —
inferring from the compliment that he was of his party,
that is a discontented Whig, wrote the said gentleman
a letter in which he was not sparing in his abuse
of ‘Seward” & “Weed” – The letter was shown to both
Weed & Henry – I heard it read and for one must
say that I have heretofore much overrated John C
Spencers kindness of heart – It was a specimen of as great
malevolence as I have ever seen – When Spencer
ascertained that the Gentleman was a friend of Henrys
he wrote again hoping no improper use would be made
of his first letter – this was