Columbus, April 28, 1851.
My Dear Sumner,
Laus Deo! From the bottom of my heart I congratulate you — no, not you but all
friends of freedom everywhere upon your election to the Senate. Now, I feel as
if I had a brother — colleague — one with whom I shall sympathize and be able
fully to act. Hale, glorious and noble fellow as he is, is yet too much an
offhand man himself to be patient of consultation — while Seward, though
meaning to maintain his own position as an Antislavery man, means to maintain
it in the Whig Party and only in the Whig Party. Wade, who has been elected to
be my colleague, is not known to me personally. I am told he denounced [?]
Fillmore, Webster & the Compromise before election. Since, he has written a
letter proclaiming himself a Whig & only a Whig, claiming only toleration of
differences of opinion in the Whig Party on the slavery questions. I think he
will generally go with Seward. He is one of the original abolitionists and I do
not believe he will be derelict to the Antislavery faith. None of these are to
me as you are. I feel that you have larger broader views, and that you are
willing to labor more systematically for the accomplishment of greater
purposes.
In this state a large body of the democracy is prepared to
throw off the slaveholders yoke. I anticipate a movement before long, and I
hope the best effects from it. If we can only have a Free Democracy — Independent
Democracy — in deed as well as in name the day of our country's redemption and
the slave's deliverence will not be far off. But it must be made of sterner
stuff than that portion of the New York Democracy which united with us at
Buffalo and afterwards consented to the union with the Hunkers on the Baltimore
Platform!
I hope we shall be inmates of the same house next winter.
Last winter I had lodgings on the Northeast corner of C & 4½ streets &
took my meals at a boarding house. I found this a good arrangement. If the
house is still open you can get as good rooms in it as anywhere in Washington.
In order to obtain a seat at all eligible in the Chamber it will be well to ascertain
at once what seats are vacant, and get the best of them. This can be done best,
perhaps, by a letter from Hale or Davis, as either may be most convenient to
you, to the Secretary of the Senate. Write me soon.
Most sincerely yours
[Salomon P. Chase.]
P. S. Do you know that you are in my debt for a letter or
two?
SOURCE: Diary and correspondence of Salmon P. Chase, Annual
Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1902, Vol.
2, p. 235-6
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