Letter from Charles Sumner to Frances Miller Seward, 1852
xml:
Letter from Charles Sumner to Frances Miller Seward, 1852
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:msr
student editorTranscriber:spp:mec
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1852
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 Charles Sumner to Frances Miller Seward, 1852
action: sent
sender: Charles Sumner
Birth: 1811-01-06
Death: 1874-03-11
location: New York, NY
receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Washington D.C., US
transcription: msr
revision: obm 2017-04-24
<>
Page
1
N.Y. Avenue
Tuesday morning.
Dear Mrs Seward,
It was the part of friendship in
you to undeceive me as you did. I
thank you. I am now better enabled
to understand my real relations with
certain personsquarters. I am pained by preju-
dice & misconception, particularly
when I find them among persons whom
I heartily regard. But this is inci-
dent to my position.
While a private citizen, in no way
striving before the public, nor ma-
king myself a party to its conflicts, I
was at peace with all the world.
But there is no longer peace for
me. The sphere in which I am placed
exposes me to malignity, jealousy
& misconception, especially from po-
litical partisans. Sometimes I suffer
from Democrats & sometimes from Whigs.
Very well. In the consciousness of a
Page
2
life sincerely devoted to Truth, I can
abide even this.
Let me say, that I am unwilling
to be regarded as a politician. I have
always disclaimed the appellation; even
now I cannot accept it. Circum-
stances, entirely unexpected by my-
self, have thrown me into a politi-
cal situation, which I never desired.
My aim here is to perform the duties
of a senator, in the anxious hope
that I may in some humble way
serve our great cause. In the
politics of the country I see nothing
to tempt me, except the opportunity
to promote those good principles of
Freedom & Humanity with which our
true welfare & greatness are indisso-
lubly allied. Party has no attraction
for me; nor do I value any of the
rewards which it has for its victories.
My cause in the coming Presi-
dential contest will be in har-
Page
3
mony with my past life. With-
out personal ambition, & with a
single eye to the truth we have
at heart, I shall act, as, at
the time, & under the circumstances,
shall seem to me best. I am abso-
lutely uncommitted, except to my
principles. No candidate has any
reason from any thing I have ever said
to expect my support.
My rule has always been to do
what good I could, without regard to
personal consequences. That this vow
was early formed will appear from
the first page of a letter received this
winter, & now enclosed, from one of
my college companions
my intimate, nor have I any recollec-
tion of the incident to which it re-
lates; but I know that it was in
harmony with my opinion at the
time & ever since. And since I
am in this communicative mood,
I add another letter from a clergyman
Page
4
in here, & also one from my dear
friend Longfellow
them, pray do not consider yourself
called upon to write a single word.
Put them under an envelope, & simply
direct them to me.
Your frankness has made me
frank. You will see that I write to
you as to a friend. Believe me,
dear Mrs Seward, Ever sincerely yours,
Charles Sumner
P.S. I challenge the minutest scrutiny
of everything I have written, said or done
on public affairs. All that I ask
is to be understood, & though persons
may differ from me, I am confident
that I shall have their regard.
Page
5
Mrs Seward
F St.
C. Sumner
W
h
1852
Washington-
N.Y. Avenue
Tuesday morning.
Dear Mrs Seward,
It was the part of friendship in
you to undeceive me as you did. I
thank you. I am now better enabled
to understand my real relations with
certain personsquarters. I am pained by preju-
dice & misconception, particularly
when I find them among persons whom
I heartily regard. But this is inci-
dent to my position.
While a private citizen, in no way
striving before the public, nor ma-
king myself a party to its conflicts, I
was at peace with all the world.
But there is no longer peace for
me. The sphere in which I am placed
exposes me to malignity, jealousy
& misconception, especially from po-
litical partisans. Sometimes I suffer
from Democrats & sometimes from Whigs.
Very well. In the consciousness of a
life sincerely devoted to Truth, I can
abide even this.
Let me say, that I am unwilling
to be regarded as a politician. I have
always disclaimed the appellation; even
now I cannot accept it. Circum-
stances, entirely unexpected by my-
self, have thrown me into a politi-
cal situation, which I never desired.
My aim here is to perform the duties
of a senator, in the anxious hope
that I may in some humble way
serve our great cause. In the
politics of the country I see nothing
to tempt me, except the opportunity
to promote those good principles of
Freedom & Humanity with which our
true welfare & greatness are indisso-
lubly allied. Party has no attraction
for me; nor do I value any of the
rewards which it has for its victories.
My cause in the coming Presi-
dential contest will be in har-
mony with my past life. With-
out personal ambition, & with a
single eye to the truth we have
at heart, I shall act, as, at
the time, & under the circumstances,
shall seem to me best. I am abso-
lutely uncommitted, except to my
principles. No candidate has any
reason from any thing I have ever said
to expect my support.
My rule has always been to do
what good I could, without regard to
personal consequences. That this vow
was early formed will appear from
the first page of a letter received this
winter, & now enclosed, from one of
my college companions
Unknown
. He was notmy intimate, nor have I any recollec-
tion of the incident to which it re-
lates; but I know that it was in
harmony with my opinion at the
time & ever since. And since I
am in this communicative mood,
I add another letter from a clergyman
Unknown
in here, & also one from my dear
friend Longfellow
Birth: 1807-02-27 Death: 1882-03-24
. When you returnthem, pray do not consider yourself
called upon to write a single word.
Put them under an envelope, & simply
direct them to me.
Your frankness has made me
frank. You will see that I write to
you as to a friend. Believe me,
dear Mrs Seward, Ever sincerely yours,
Charles Sumner
P.S. I challenge the minutest scrutiny
of everything I have written, said or done
on public affairs. All that I ask
is to be understood, & though persons
may differ from me, I am confident
that I shall have their regard.
Mrs Seward
F St.
C. Sumner
W
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21Frances Seward
Washington-