Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, September 4, 1859

  • Posted on: 10 November 2021
  • By: admin
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, September 4, 1859
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transcriber

Transcriber:spp:cnk

student editor

Transcriber:spp:amr

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1859-09-04

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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, September 4, 1859

action: sent

sender: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16  Death: 1872-10-10

location: Naples, Italy

receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24  Death: 1865-06-21

location: Auburn, NY

transcription: cnk 

revision: jxw 2021-02-07

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Page 1

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Editorial Note

William Henry Seward’s series of travel letters in 1859 are organized and listed by the date of each entry.
Sunday September 4 Naples.
Civilization began in Tropical climates. There was
a world to be subjugated and its wealth and
resources to be developed. Human society was small.
The strong overpowered the weak. The strong nations
subjugated the weak ones and employed them as
slaves. This system was successful for a time,
Page 2

46
until the ruling masses, ^had^ multiplied so rapidly
that greatly that and had become at the same
time enervated as well as the slaves and
the earth failed to supply the demands
of all. Slavery ceased because the freeman
wanted the rewards of labor and became
willing to labor for hire – himself. Since then
society has continued multiplying and the
ruling masses poorer and more vicious. In the
Oriental countries there is an absolute assertion
of all power to maintain national independence.
Italy is struggling between an effort to ^again^ rise to
freedom – and the social curses which work
a still greater decline. I think I can
see how the struggle could be made suc-
cessful. It would be by diversifying Industry
and introducing new culture and manufactures.
But who is to do this? Nobody tries, nobody
seems to understand the necessity for it.
Affectionately your own
Henry.
Page 3

Unknown
21 st 22d
Naples
Sep. 2d to 4
Vesuvius