N. Y. 10 June 1834
Dear Henry
I have yours of May 25 –
found it waiting my return from
New Haven.
My dear good Marcia is re-
lieved of the trouble she was [ trug- gling ] with when I last saw you,
but still she is far from being well
– indeed I am much concerned about
her – she wastes in flesh & strength
& spirits. For the most part she
is about house, but is so pale
and weak & wretched, that I fear
some permanent disease has laid
hold on her & it greatly alarms me.
I rejoice to hear you speak
so encouraging of the Politicks of
your end of the state. An awful
contest is before us here this autumn.
The Tories say they were caught
napping the last time, but this
election they will be up & doing[ . ]

I am pleased that our Corporation
made such clean work of it in
ferriting out old rats in the Crevvices
of the corporation. "To the victors
belong the spoils"
Some objection is made to J.B.
but I hear none to the Least – indeed
none would be likely to reach me.
The objection is that some man
who has fought the whole battle
other things being equal is better
entitled: what think you.
Things go about right too in
Washington, and I should have
full faith that Kind Providence
would bring us safe through, only
that I know, that a wicked na-
tion like ours must be scourged
to bring them back to duty. Our
impious mail department & our profane
President are in a prety pickel, but
what else ought we to expect. The
principles of true religion governed
Washington & he escaped such excesses.

But it is a misterious Providence to me
that the good old men who framed our Gov
ernent & set it up, should have been suf-
fered to fall beneath the ruthless feet of
Anti Federalists. A little more scope of
vision it is likely would unriddle it for me.
I have written to H. Seward
as you suggest. My love to
Francis – tell her I regret exceed-
ingly she was not with me to
New Haven – it is
the most delightful
place in the world.
And old Noah Web- ster is there – a true Whig,
& an Anti mason and truly re-
ligious – a patriarch indeed.
I have rarely been so much
pleased with a visit of a week
– suppose we take our wives there
in August?
Yours Very affectionately
B.J. Seward

Please to tell sister Frances to send me
down by you, her miniature likeness when
you come. I want a copy of it.
Hon. W. H Seward
Auburn
Private
New York
NEW YORK JUN 10
B. J. Seward
June 10. 1834