Macon [ga.], June 8th, 1846.
Dear Howell, Yours
of the 31st ult. came duly to hand. I had considered all things maturely and
determined not to sell my property as I intimated there was a probability of my
doing in a previous letter. I have weighed matters and concluded to toil on in
my old vocation the balance of my life, for fear I might by chance do worse by
attempting a change. In changing my investment from its present shape to funds
I might make some mis-step and ruin myself. It is dangerous for a man unused to
controlling large sums of money to have the disposition of them. Such matters
require experience. I find by your letter on the subject that your first
thoughts were exactly the same as my second ones. You are right. I
have a great many fancy ideas, but I seldom act hastily on any of them. I
usually wait for “the sober second thought” in matters of moment. And the second
thought is to hold on and “let well enough alone”. Planting is a troublesome
business that does not pay well. It has its risks like every other business.
But sum up everything and it is about as safe as most other modes of investing
money. My taste leads me to a roving life, and on that account I have desired
my means in such shape as to afford me a good income with little trouble. But
it cannot fall to the lot of all who desire it to live like “Childe Harold” or
Jabez Jackson, and so I will content myself with my fate, and steal off to
Europe only now and then . . .
You say in the last sentence of your letter — “Have I erred
in my course about Mr. Calhoun? I will not claim any great foresight. But have
I not blundered along amazing well?” I see it “sticking out” that Lumpkin1
has shown you my letter to him. I gave my confessions to John because I knew he
would sympathise with me in the premises, which I had nothing to expect from
such an old Hunker as you. Yes you have been about half right in your opinions,
and I have been a little over half wrong I confess, and you take the
opportunity to hint it, very modestly however. Well, when a man finds that he
has been following a “will o’ the wisp” all his life you are glad to see him
rub his eyes and look about for a genuine light to guide his way, I suppose.
Woodbury, “ciphering Levi”, is the next man I look to as embodying my
principles. But if he can't get the Granite State right side up again I am
afraid I can't make him available. If he can manage that, you may feel yourself
duly authorized to announce him as my candidate for the Presidency. I believe
him to be the purest patriot in the United States.
_______________
* A prosperous planter with estates in central and
southwestern Georgia. He managed the plantations of his sister, Mrs. Howell
Cobb, as well as his own, and was one of Howell Cobb's chief political
advisers.
1 John H. Lumpkin.
SOURCE: Ulrich Bonnell Phillips, Editor, The Annual
Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1911, Volume 2: The
Correspondence of Robert Toombs, Alexander H. Stephens, and Howell Cobb, p.
80-1
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