S.C. Crafts. June 18. 1842
Washington, June 18 1842
My dear friends, your joint letter of the 11 & 13
has just come to hand, and notwithstanding your account of the
unseasonable snow storms and severe frosts which have made such
havock [havoc] among your flowers and tender vegetables, is a subject of sorrow
and regret; yet these troubles are almost forgotten when I find by
your letter that your lives have been spared, and that your healths
remain good. Your account of the weather is nothing more than
I had expected from the accounts
received
from various parts of the country,
which had previously arrived. It snowed near all Saturday at
Middlebury
Vt
and was followed by a severe frost which probably
did more injury there than with you, for the reason that vegetation
was more forward. In many parts of New York, and the central
parts of Pensylvania [Pennsylvania] they had considerable snow. The frost has
been severe in Connecticut, and probably
was
all New England, in New
Jersey and Pensylvania [Pennsylvania], and I presume in Ohio, altho' I have not
heard since the 11. Although we have had no frosts here since
my arrival, yet it has been so chilly and cold as to require
fires evenings and mornings, for a considerable part of the time.
The weather for a few days has been warm and it is probably
the same with you. We ought not to complain of these unseasonable
visitations of snows and frosts, until we have a more thorough know-
ledge of the opperations [operations] of the elements, and of the designs of Providence
in so constituting them and directing their opperations [operations]: for these occur-
rences do not happen by chance. May not these sudden chang-
es of temperature be necessary to destroy a deleterious miasma
existing in the atmosphere, and which was gradually produced by the
productive seasons that have preceeded; and may have caused the
unusual amount of sickness that has prevailed for a year or two past?
Or it might have been necessary to destroy the millions of insects which
might have for years to come destroyed our crops, if these storms
had not taken place. Or they may be sent to teach us humility, and
the folly of trusting too much to our own wisdom and foresight; but to
teach us to feel more strongly our dependence upon that Power
who alone has
the
power to regulate the seasons.
I am sorry to hear that your aunt Clark continues so unwell.
I am very much afraid she will not be able to bear many more
attacks. I received a letter from W E Paddock by the same mail as yours.
He has given me an account of the situation of his family. They
have an uncommon share of sickness. I presume the rest of our
friends are as usual, as neither of your letters say any thing to the
contrary. I have sent the Watchman every week to Arba
Nelson, and have written a few lines occasionally in the cover.
I received a letter from him the other day, dated at Pittsburgh, Pen.
in which he informs me that several of my enclosures had reached
him before he left home; that his health and that of his wife had
very much improved since they left Craftsbury; that he was
at Pittsburgh on business, and says nothing about going farther East;
he complains very much that you have not written to them since
their return; that he had confidently expected a visit from you this
summer; wishes me to convey his best respects to you and request
you to write to him; that business is dull and growing worse every
day
in Illinois
; that he cannot close his business at present, if he would; that
he has met with considerable losses alread[y], and thinks there are
more ahead, for he has been notified that several of his debters
are about to avail themselves of the Bankrupt act, &c. I would
inclose his letter, but I intend before long to write him an
answer. I have very little news to give you. If the Intel-
ligencer goes reguarly, you will have a very accurate history
of our proceedings. We have at length passed the aportionment [apportionment]
bill, but against large and strong minorities in both Houses. You
will perceive that it gives Vt but four Representatives, but it in-
creases our relative weight in Congress, as we have but a small
fraction, when we always before had a large one, and it requires
all the States to be districted, very much against the wishes of five
or six Locofoco States that choose
their members
by general ticket. The House of
Representatives have commenced on the tariff bill, and made
some progress. There is a powerful opposition in both Houses against
it, especially if the law for the distribution of the proceeds of the
public lands is continued. From the best information I can
get, I am inclined to the belief that we shall be able to pass
a bill that ought to satisfy the country, and
also
retain the act
for the distribution of the lands &c. But it will take some time.
So you need not expect me home for at least five or six weeks
to come. It may appear to you, and others at a distance, that Con-
gress are not doing all they might. If it was not for the opposition
it is true that the business might have been finished long ago.
The truth is however that there is no body of men in the country
who labor more diligently, and, I might with truth say of many, more hours
each day than Congress. Our sessions last six and seven & sometimes
eight hours in a day, and the Committees spend several hours besides.
But no whig measure can be carried without a pitched battle, and ob-
stinately fought. And yet we are accused by the Loco presses, throughout
the country, that altho' the whigs have the majority they affect nothing.
The fact is that the whigs in Congress have to proceed under many disad-
vantages. They have a powerful opposition in Congress, who act from no
other motive that to embarrass
all
the whig party; the president and his Cabi-
net are
at least
as friendly to the Locos, as to the Whigs, yet I believe the Locos
do not reciprocate the advances made to them by the President. I am
not certain that we have one through going Tyler man, in the Senate,
and I believe there is not more than five or six in the House of Repre-
sentatives. Mr Calhoun or Mr Van Buren will probably be their next
candidate. We hear that you are like to have difficulty in
in agreeing upon a State ticket. I hope the green mountain boys,
who have so far breasted the torrent of new fangled democracy that
has at times swept over the other States, will agree some
ticket under whom they can unite, and maintain that honorable
character they have so long maintained. So much for politicks!
We have had ripe pears, ripe apples, and at present raspberries
are plenty. The pears are the small button pear, and with the apples,
are brought from the lower part of Virginia, we have cucumbers also
from Virginia. In answer to Mary's question, I inform her that
Lord Ashburton has no wife in this country, the ladies that were
there were wives of members of Congress.
Accept the sincere prayers for your health & happiness,
most affectionately your friend &c S C Crafts
My best love to all our relatives & to Mr and Mrs Hall