Boston, Jan. 23rd, 1851.
My Dear Mann:
— I am very unfortunate in my attempts to correspond with you. I wrote a long
letter last night and left it at South Boston, and it is now too late to get it
for the mail. It was perhaps of no consequence, but explained a little the
awkward and unfortunate chain of untoward events which have defeated Sumner's
election.
On the first ballot to-day Sumner lacked five of the record
he gained; they are now on the third, and I shall know the result before long.
The excitement here is intense: the pressure upon the
waverers enormous. There are at least a score of Whigs voting for Winthrop who
in their souls long to see Sumner elected, only their souls are not their own.
Our friends are very much encouraged to-day about the
result: I am not. There are Democrats, I fear, who have voted for Sumner
because they thought to save their pledge and do no harm to their party, but
who will start back at the last pinch. I was in hopes they would be rebuked by
the thunder of popular indignation at home, last Saturday and Sunday, but it is
not so. The truth is that though the sentiments of the Democratic masses
point in the right direction when let alone, they will not be let alone
by the leaders, nor by their own prejudices. They would plunge the country in
war and go to the death, to rescue three hundred white Americans from Indian,
Russian or Algerian bondage, — but as for three million black Americans,
why “damn 'em! good enough for them!”
They have no business to be speckled, as the man said when he agreed to spare
all snakes but the speckled ones.
3 o'clock. Third ballot taken — Sumner still in the
vocative. He seems to be the least interested man among us. Oh for five men
like Downer, — to work outside: they could carry Sumner through.
Park Street and Beacon are sweating blood: grant they may
sweat to death!
Ever yours in haste,
S. G. Howe.
SOURCE: Laura E. Richards, Editor, Letters and
Journals of Samuel Gridley Howe, Volume 2, p. 334-5
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