Florida December ^January.^ 2^nd 1852
My Dear Brother
I wish to bring to your notice a
subject deeply interesting to me but which may not
be sufficiently so to you as to lead you to give it
any attention or bring from you any reply
In July of 1850 I became acquainted with Miss
Julia C Humphrey of Berkshire, Tioga Co, that ac-
quaintance has resulted in an engagement for
marriage, in all of our conversations no other all-
lusion was made to my circumstances than
that they would be easy and comfortable though
not affluent and such as I had hopes and some
reasons at least to expect they would be, I never
gave her the least ground to suppose that the
relations existing between us were ^otherwise than^ friendly and con-
fidential or that my circumstances were at all
equivocal but rumor (which attacks your reputation
as well as my own) had reached her ear and pro-
duced in her mind distrust and suspicion of my
integrity, I have just returned from a visit and our
present position is that the whole matter is suspen-
ded to await the development of events we parted
with mutual confidential and kind feelings
On other subjects you a[ nd ] I widely differ and while
I trust I have no wish and know it would be vain

for so humble an individual as myself to question
your perfect right to adopt such principles and
views as you may believe to be just and safe for
yourself, I claim as a man an equal right and
liberty, bu[ t ] this subject and on all that concern me
personally I shall claim and maintain it,
You once said to me “that I would be wise
not to marry again,” it may be so, but I feel
that my experience is of more value than your
opinion ^or speculations^ and I have high authority for believing
that you do not wish me to control me “in any
matrimonial engagement,” Whatever may be
your views and however those views may or may
not have influenced your action towards me
I have no hesitation to speak in vindication
of my own course nor of the selection (not dispu-
ting the wisdom which others might make for me)
which I have made,
It is to discharge a sacred obligation to her and
to seek relief to my own mind that I write this
letter, Miss Humphrey is nearly twenty eight
years of age, Her family are in humble circum-
stances, her Father was a mechanic, located and
carrying on his trade at Candor, had gathered
some property a portion of which he lost by endorsing
for his friends and his health failing him he now
keeps a Hotel at Berkshire, the family of which
there are several branches are Whigs and a Son is
the Editor and proprietor of a Whig paper in the

the state of Illinois, His Daughter at the age of
eighteen went into a district school at
Trumansburgh , She has by her own unaided
industry and enterprise spent three of the last
ten years in school one year at the Troy Female
Seminary and is now at the head of the Female
Department of the Owego Academy and in charge
of over 100 pupils discharging all her duties with
ability and the approbation of her patrons and
enjoying the confidence and affection of her
scholars.
While I do not wish to speak in disparaging
terms of any I yet believe that I never saw that
person who so much commended themselves to my
confidence for the position I wish her to assume
nor do I hazard any thing in saying that in my
estimation she is worthy of the confidence and es-
teem of all who have any right or interest
to involved in it,
I have thus submitted to you a plain statement
of facts, I shall leave it to your own mind and
heart to suggest what you shall say or do, though
I shall wait perhaps with some impatience
for your answer,
My housekeeper I expect will leave in a few
days, past experience will decide me not to get
another, Has not the time arrived for you to come out
and speak as a Brother, May I not hope that kindly
relations may be maintained, With all my heart I

invite your confidence, it is as it should be
the most powerful and trustful lever
Geo. W. Seward
Since writing the foregoing I have now a letter from
you to Edwin P dated the 26 ^th December in which you
say that you hoped to be in Florida before the close
of the next week, that time expired Saturday evening
and I hesitate to send this letter, but as your coming
is like Tom Paines point of land I have con-
cluded to send it, I wrote you in reply to a
letter to Geo Grier, I am at a lost to discover
why I cannot get a reply to letters and it may
be that this will go unanswered, if it should
it will be difficult for you to say when the con-
sequences will end,
hGeo. W Seward
1852