Letter from Charles Sumner to William Henry Seward, October 22, 1851
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Letter from Charles Sumner to William Henry Seward, October 22, 1851
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:mec
student editorTranscriber:spp:msr
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1851-10-22
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Letter from Charles Sumner to William Henry Seward, October 22, 1851
action: sent
sender: Charles Sumner
Birth: 1811-01-06
Death: 1874-03-11
location: Boston, MA
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: UnknownUnknown
transcription: mec
revision: obm 2017-04-24
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Page 1
Boston Oct. 22nd ‘51
My dear Sir,
Many thanks for yr
argt. at Detroit, which
I have just received. I had
already read it & admired
the ability, completeness,
& skill with which it
is wrought.
While thus acknowledging
your kindness, I am glad of
an opportunity to say with
[bottom Margin] Hon. Wm. H. Seward.
how much satisfaction I
have made yr personal
acquaintance. I have
long desired to know you
face to face; & I hope
you will not deem me too
bold, if I declare the
delight with which I
found, in yr familiar
conversation, those con-
genial sentiments, as
things higher than party,
which involve the
idem sentire de republica,
once pronounced a pecu-
liar bond of friendship.
Beyond the performance
of the stated duties of my
unwelcome post, I have no
object in public life,
except to sustain as I
best may those senti-
ments of Freedom & Hu-
manity, which should
be the inspiring ideas of
our country. There is
nothing in the vista of
[top Margin] h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21Frances Seward
politics which has any
attraction for me. And
my own free choice would
carry me back at once
to private life, to quiet
study, books, friendships
& such labors for our
cause as
a simple citizen may al-
ways perform. Cicero, in one
of his epistles, says that he
preferred to sit in the library of
Atticus, beneath the bust of
Aristotle, than to ^to^ any curulle
Editorial Note
sella & I cannot refrain from
joining with him, except that I
would rather place myself beneath
the bust of Plato.
Thus reluctant to enter
upon my new duties &
scenting in advance the
noxious vapors of politics,
I find solace in the sym-
pathy which you promise
me; & I now write, in
the frankness of my nature,
to say so.
I trust you will pardom
all my freedom, & believe
me, my dear Sir,
very sincerely yours,
Charles Sumner