Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 26, 1849
xml:
Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 26, 1849
transcriberTranscriber:spp:obm
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1849-03-26
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 26, 1849
action: sent
sender:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Person
location:
Washington D.C. DC
Place
Name: City: Washington D.C.
County:
State: DC
Country: US
Place
receiver:
Frances Seward
Person
Name: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
Person
location:
Auburn NY
Place
Name: City: Auburn
County: Cayuga
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: obm
revision: crb 2016-05-12
<>
Page 1
Washington Monday evening
My Dearest Frances
Your letter with the
agreeable intelligence of the health of our
eldest son
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
and a nice little letter written
by our youngest boy
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1839-06-18
Death: 1920-04-29
was received this morning.
I hope Fanny
Name: Frances Seward
Birth: 1844-12-09
Death: 1866-10-29
will be able to write when I
come home – I am almost tempted to take
a mocking bird with me -
I have knocked off a hundred
more letters, but the mass of business remains
frightful - my reciept of letters to day
was forty five - so that all I have gained
upon the heap is fifty five.
It was a painful sight that I saw
to day. Mr Webster
Name: Daniel Webster
Birth: 1782-01-18
Death: 1852-10-24
had applied for the
District Attorneys office in Boston
Name: City: Boston
County: Suffolk
State: MA
Country: US
for his
son Fletcher
go to day and ask that the appointment
might be conferred. Clayton
Name: John Clayton
Birth: 1796-07-24
Death: 1856-11-09
had promised
his influence – which was thought conclu-
Page 2
sive of the questions – Clayton referred me
to the President
Name: Zachary Taylor
Birth: 1784-11-24
Death: 1850-07-09
. The President replied that
he was committed to give it to another.
Webster was amazed– He went back and
remonstrated – but with no effect. He
went home debating with himself and me
whether to adhere to the party – He has
now got time and is going to try to
change the President’s preference.
Here this great man destroyed
his mighty influence by being enslaved to
selfish ends - He wanted an act of
nepotism performed in his favor.
Fillmore
Name: Millard Fillmore
Birth: 1800-01-07
Death: 1874-03-08
had destroyed himself in the
same way.
I hope that neither of our boys
may ever come within the atmosphere of
Washington except as representatives of the
people, not pensioners of the government-
I shall be obliged to ask you not
to speak of this subject to our neighbors
Ever your own
Henry
Page 3
Washington Monday evening
My Dearest Frances
Your letter with the
agreeable intelligence of the health of our
eldest son
Person
by our youngest boy
Person
I hope Fanny
Person
come home – I am almost tempted to take
a mocking bird with me -
I have knocked off a hundred
more letters, but the mass of business remains
frightful - my reciept of letters to day
was forty five - so that all I have gained
upon the heap is fifty five.
It was a painful sight that I saw
to day. Mr Webster
Person
District Attorneys office in Boston
Place
son Fletcher
Unknown
- I was made the agent togo to day and ask that the appointment
might be conferred. Clayton
Person
his influence – which was thought conclu-
sive of the questions – Clayton referred me
to the President
Person
he was committed to give it to another.
Webster was amazed– He went back and
remonstrated – but with no effect. He
went home debating with himself and me
whether to adhere to the party – He has
now got time and is going to try to
change the President’s preference.
Here this great man destroyed
his mighty influence by being enslaved to
selfish ends - He wanted an act of
nepotism performed in his favor.
Fillmore
Person
same way.
I hope that neither of our boys
may ever come within the atmosphere of
Washington except as representatives of the
people, not pensioners of the government-
I shall be obliged to ask you not
to speak of this subject to our neighbors
Ever your own
Henry
date:
Monday, March 26, 1849
receiver:
sender:
year:
place_node: