Washington Aug. 21st 1842
My dear friends, Having attended meeting as usual, I [now]
sit down to acknowledge the receipt of your affectionate letter
of the 14th. which did not get here until this morning. I am very
thankful to learn that you continue well, and that so many sources
of happiness still remain open to you; and I sincerely pray that they
continue so for a long time to come. I have read with deep inter-
est the account you give of your late Sabath [Sabbath] School concert, and
that my Class still continue to attend regurly [regularly]. Please present my
most affectionate regards to them next Sunday, and say unto them
that I keep them particularly in remembrance, and especially on
Sundays; that it has been [ ] extremely gratifying to me to hear
of their regular attendance upon the Sabath [Sabbath] Schools; and that I flatter
myself that I may be permitted the happiness of meeting them
again within a week or two after you get this letter.
Before our Tariff bill was vetoed, I had anticipated the
pleasure of a return to Craftsbury before this time. Several
circumstances have conspired to prevent an adjournment of Congress
before this time, the treaty with Great Britain did not receive the
assent of the Senate until last evening. We have spent four laborious
days in the discussion of it, in secret session. Yesterday we sat from
eleven AM until after eight o'clock last evening without a recap; and
have finally agreed to its ratification. We had a strong opposition and
for a day or two I was very doubtful whether we could pass it by
a Constitutional majority, (i.e. two thirds.) But it was finally passed
by a vote of 39 ayes, 9 noes, one did not vote, and one absent,
being sick. So we have at last got rid of a most perplexing
question, which has more than once almost produced a war. I
think it a very fair treaty, and equally beneficial to both parties,
and may be considered as a harbinger of a lasting peace and
good understanding between the West and Great Britain. I send you
a copy of the treaty with the correspondence of the negotiators,
which I request you will lay aside after you have perused it.
I think Congress will adjourn as soon as the 29 possibly
in the course of three or four days. This will depend very much
whether Congress can agree upon something that will give some
relief to the Treasury, as well as aid to the industry of the country.
No measure yet proposed has received the support of a majority;
and whether anything can be offered that will do it, is very
doubtful. Many of the Southern and Western whigs supported the
other bill, because it provided for the distribution of the proceeds:
But as Mr Tyler has setled [settled] this question for the term of his political
life, these Southern whigs have no longer any inducement to vote
for protection; and most of the Locos will not vote for any thing but
a horizontal tariff, and not even for that, if it is introduced by the whigs.
So you see that the prospects of our country are gloomy, without even
a rational hope of a change for the better for some time to
come. I understand a communication by the Secretary of the
Treasury was made to the House of Representatives yesterday
stating that they had expanded all their funds on hand, and
asking for authority to issue another batch of Treasury Notes.
I suppose this must be done. There is but little revenue
accruing either as duties, or from lands. Business is nearly at a
stand. I understand that most of the factories have suspending
business, principally because they have immense amounts of man-
ufactured articles on hand, and no market for the sale of them.
Our cities are also full of foreign goods, and more coming in
daily, so that foreign goods are extremely low. I think the
people in Vermont are as well off, if not better than of any
other part of our country. This universal prostration of business
and embarrassment is the legitimate fruit of Jachoon and Van
Burens [services] of experiments, and I would not care if these wil[l?]
consequences were confined exclusively to those who ordered in
bringing about those measures.
I had a letter from Pliny M Corbin two or three days ago, says
they were well, but had heard nothing from Craftsbury since he
left there. I have answered his letter and, from your letters, I was
enabled to give a favorable account of his friends. I will attend
to Marys request about the carpet- and if I can contrive any
convenient way to get it home I will purchase some. Mr Slade
Genl Mattock and myself have it in contemplation to return by
Saratoga and Lake George. It is but little further than by White-
hall, and we can arrive at Burlington about the same time:
My health remains very good, yet I long to return home and once
more inhale the mountain air of Vermont. I hardly think I
can call upon Cousin Pliny; it is uncertain if I shall return through
Lansinburgh.
I think an answer to this letter would not find me at this place.
Give my love to our relatives and friends. I hope little Augustus P
will get well. I hope Dr Ephraim will escape a long sickness. Pliny
writes me that Judge Paddock and Charlotte were at the Springs, and
that the Judge was very much out of health.
Free
S C Crafts U S Senate
Nathan S Hill, Esquire
Craftsbury
Vermont
S.C. Crafts
Augt. 21- 42
Accept my most affectionate regards.
Saml C Crafts