Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, February 26, 1839
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, February 26, 1839
transcriberTranscriber:spp:ekk
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1839-02-26
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, February 26, 1839
action: sent
sender:
Benjamin Seward
Person
Name: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
Person
location:
New York NY
Place
Name: City: New York
County:
State: NY
Country: US
Place
receiver:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Person
location:
Albany NY
Place
Name: City: Albany
County: Albany
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: ekk
revision: crb 2016-02-09
<>
Page 1
New York City Feb 26, 1839.
Dear Henry
Your two letters of instructions are re-
ceived, and will be carefully observed. Not hav-
ing any thing special to communicate, I
have avoided troubling you with letters –
but so much time has now elapsed, that I
suppose it proper to Report progress.
Early last week Mr Duer
Name: John Duer
Birth: 1782-10-07
Death: 1858-08-08
went to Phil
Name: City: Philadelphia
County: Philadelphia
State: PA
Country: US
to see Mr Biddle
Name: Charles Biddle
Birth: 1819-04-30
Death: 1873-09-28
, and as Mr Ogden
Name: Thomas Ogden
Birth: 1773-12-12
Death: 1844-12-17
was
frequently pestering Mr Duer about the
execution of the deeds you sent by me
- and as I could go about as cheaply as
stay & was not wanted here, I went over
one day & back the next & saw Mr Vander- kemp
Name: John Vanderkemp
Birth: 1783-04-22
Death: 1855-12-04
execute the papers referred to. This
last mentioned gentleman spoke very kindly
of you – and with evident satisfaction of the
handsome manner in which you had con-
ducted the business matters between you.
A trifling conversation each day
occurred between Mr Duer & myself, for
two or three days last week - ^in^ the end of
which was in every instance, he requested
us (Blatchford
Name: Richard Blatchford
Birth: 1798-04-23
Death: 1875-09-04
) and myself) to “call tomor-
row.”
[top Margin] Kind regards to sister Frances
Name: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
.
Page 2
On Friday last Mr Duer laid his hand
kindly on my arm and told me I must be pa-
tient as he could not see me again till after
the sailing of the “Great Western” – when again
I left town for two days & paid a visit to
Mendham
Name: City: Mendham
County: Morris
State: NJ
Country: US
. To day Mr Duer tells me, he
shall leave town tomorrow for Phil, as he did
not see Mr Biddle when there before, that gen-
tleman being ^then^ in Washington
Name: City: Washington D.C.
County:
State: DC
Country: US
– as I suspect from
a hint from Vanderkemp, to lend money to the
government. Mr Blatchford left to day at 4
for Phila. Tomorrow Young Duer
Name: George Duer
Birth: 1812-05
Death: 1888Certainty: Possible
dines with
me and I shall make as favorable an
impression upon his mind as possible in re-
gard to the securities of Chautauqua
Name: City:
County:
State:
Country:
.
In the brief interviews with Mr Duer
before referred to, I have sought to show my
willingness to meet his consceince & my close at-
tention to the matter before me – but not to
annoy him: and I make this remark here
in consequence of a suggestion in yours on
this point. These opportunities have dis-
closed, I think, that young Duer is not
expected or expecting to be a resident in our
county – but only to go out upon an excursion
of examination or appraisal. How he will do
for this, remains to be seen – but I cannot
help thinking that if the Trust Co would agree
Page 3
to accept of the apprazal of the Judges of our
courts and Supervisors or any two of them, it
would have been better for us. In this way
during summer we could have had most
of them in, for many more pieces than I fear
young Duer will accept.
Mr Duers plan was to pay his son a
compensation, by a small tax upon each settler
levied when an extension should be granted by
the Trust Co – and he thinks the extensions we
have been using are both insufficient & stand
in the way of the other arrangement. But of
this he will think & tell me more. In re-
gard to the appointment of an agent
[ to execu ]
Reason: wax-sealte deeds &c – he remarked on
[ one occas ]
Reason: wax-sealion that such appointment
[ would b ]
Reason: wax-seale to appoint part with a pin
er ^to which^ that the Trustees could never con-
sent: to no opportunity then occurring to com-
bat this opinion, Mr Blatchford & myself
thought we could argue him out of it, another
day.
Mr Duer is counting upon a ^long^ sitting
with us and an examination of my papers
& the adjustment of several matters, soon
after his return from Phila, & certain it
must be done shortly for he sails on the 9th
proximo in the Liverpool. Trust Bonds fell
in London
Name: City: London
County:
State:
Country: GB
10 per cent after the leave of the Great
Western & before the departure of the Liverpool &
Page 4
Mr D. feels ruined. He goes out as is supposed
to apears explain the condition of the Co & assure the
public of its safety – first consulting Mr Biddle.
From your last letter, so far as I can judge
it does not seem needful that you should leave
A. and come to the city – nor do I think Mr
D. deems it essential or expects it. But it
was pleasant to be able to say to him that
at whatever hazzard, if absolutely essential in his
opinion, you were willing. Any thing occurring
worth while, shall be immediately communica-
ted to you.
Your grateful brother
B.J. Seward
W.H. Seward Esq
Albany
Single.
NEW YORK FEB 27
Type: postmark
Feb 26. 1839
New York City Feb 26, 1839.
Dear Henry
Your two letters of instructions are re-
ceived, and will be carefully observed. Not hav-
ing any thing special to communicate, I
have avoided troubling you with letters –
but so much time has now elapsed, that I
suppose it proper to Report progress.
Early last week Mr Duer
Person
Place
to see Mr Biddle
Person
Person
frequently pestering Mr Duer about the
execution of the deeds you sent by me
- and as I could go about as cheaply as
stay & was not wanted here, I went over
one day & back the next & saw Mr Vander- kemp
Person
last mentioned gentleman spoke very kindly
of you – and with evident satisfaction of the
handsome manner in which you had con-
ducted the business matters between you.
A trifling conversation each day
occurred between Mr Duer & myself, for
two or three days last week - ^in^ the end of
which was in every instance, he requested
us (Blatchford
Person
row.”
[top Margin] Kind regards to sister Frances
Person
On Friday last Mr Duer laid his hand
kindly on my arm and told me I must be pa-
tient as he could not see me again till after
the sailing of the “Great Western” – when again
I left town for two days & paid a visit to
Mendham
Place
shall leave town tomorrow for Phil, as he did
not see Mr Biddle when there before, that gen-
tleman being ^then^ in Washington
Place
a hint from Vanderkemp, to lend money to the
government. Mr Blatchford left to day at 4
for Phila. Tomorrow Young Duer
Person
me and I shall make as favorable an
impression upon his mind as possible in re-
gard to the securities of Chautauqua
Place
In the brief interviews with Mr Duer
before referred to, I have sought to show my
willingness to meet his consceince & my close at-
tention to the matter before me – but not to
annoy him: and I make this remark here
in consequence of a suggestion in yours on
this point. These opportunities have dis-
closed, I think, that young Duer is not
expected or expecting to be a resident in our
county – but only to go out upon an excursion
of examination or appraisal. How he will do
for this, remains to be seen – but I cannot
help thinking that if the Trust Co would agree
to accept of the apprazal of the Judges of our
courts and Supervisors or any two of them, it
would have been better for us. In this way
during summer we could have had most
of them in, for many more pieces than I fear
young Duer will accept.
Mr Duers plan was to pay his son a
compensation, by a small tax upon each settler
levied when an extension should be granted by
the Trust Co – and he thinks the extensions we
have been using are both insufficient & stand
in the way of the other arrangement. But of
this he will think & tell me more. In re-
gard to the appointment of an agent
[ to execu ]
Supplied
[ one occas ]
Supplied
[ would b ]
Supplied
er ^to which^ that the Trustees could never con-
sent: to no opportunity then occurring to com-
bat this opinion, Mr Blatchford & myself
thought we could argue him out of it, another
day.
Mr Duer is counting upon a ^long^ sitting
with us and an examination of my papers
& the adjustment of several matters, soon
after his return from Phila, & certain it
must be done shortly for he sails on the 9th
proximo in the Liverpool. Trust Bonds fell
in London
Place
Western & before the departure of the Liverpool &
Mr D. feels ruined. He goes out as is supposed
to apears explain the condition of the Co & assure the
public of its safety – first consulting Mr Biddle.
From your last letter, so far as I can judge
it does not seem needful that you should leave
A. and come to the city – nor do I think Mr
D. deems it essential or expects it. But it
was pleasant to be able to say to him that
at whatever hazzard, if absolutely essential in his
opinion, you were willing. Any thing occurring
worth while, shall be immediately communica-
ted to you.
Your grateful brother
B.J. Seward
W.H. Seward Esq
Albany
Single.
NEW YORK FEB 27
Stamp
Unknown
B.J. Seward – N.Y.Feb 26. 1839
date:
Tuesday, February 26, 1839
receiver:
sender:
year: