Item 92: Letter from Henry Wilson to John W. Dwenelle, 1859 November 11
Item — Box: 11, Folder: 92
Dates
- Created: 1859 November 11
Creator
- Wilson, Henry, 1812-1875 (Person)
Disclaimer for Name and Subject Authorities
Some of the name and subject authority tags have been assigned by educated guessing and estimation of persons and subjects by region, age, profession, and familial relationships. They have been thoroughly researched by using primary and secondary sources available digitally, and named in each description, or in some cases linked directly to the person tag.
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Letter
Condition Note:
Good.
Measurements:
9 ¾ in. x 7 ¾ in. (letter); 5 ⅝ in. x 3 ⅛ in. (envelope)
Description:
This is a letter from Henry Wilson to John Dwenlle on November 11, 1859. This letter is in memory of David Broderick, a senator who had recently died in a duel against his friend and colleague, David Terry. Wilson seems to be writing this to express how kind, genuine, and friendly this man truly was. The creator of this letter, Henry Wilson, was born in New Hampshire in 1812. Wilson, who was strongly opposed to slavery and spoke out about workers’ rights, was a U.S. Senator and served as vice president under President Ulysses S. Grant.
David Broderick was born in New York city, moving to California later in his life during the Gold Rush. He served the state as an attorney and politician, being elected to the senate in 1850. He was elected the president of the senate in 1851, and served as an acting Lieutenant Governor from January 9, 1851 to January 8, 1852, following incumbent John McDougall's succession to the governorship. Broderick also found personal interest in his power, holding a political control over San Francisco, requiring lucrative offices split their income with him 50/50. Broderick’s legacy, however, remains his singularity in being the only senator to die from a duel within office. As the American Civil War was beginning, a personal friend and a Chief Justice of the California State Supreme Court, David S. Terry, was trying to establish slavery in California. He lost his reelection and Broderick publicly condemned Terry’s position. Terry challenged Broderick to a duel, whereupon misfiring his shot into the ground, Broderick was unarmed as Terry took his shot.
Location:
Astor House, New York; Natick
Transcription:
{envelope}
H. Wilson
W. E. S
John W. Dwenelle Esqr
Astor House
New York
{letter}
Natick, Nov. 11th. 1859.
My Dear Sir,
Returning to my house this afternoon I find your note of the 7th instant, requesting me to give you any impressions of the late Senator Braderick, with some account of his general bearing and department in the Senate. I hasten before the closing of the mail to comply with your request.
Mr. Brodenick’s early history, his position in California upon a great question and his prolonged and exciting struggle for the Senatorship had made a deep impression upon me, and I was anxious to make his acquaintance and to learn more of his character. Early I sought his acquaintance and during the two years we served together in the Senate we were on terms of intimacy. We were members of the same committee, often conferred together concerning public affairs, and entertaining sentiments in common upon many questions, we held free and unreserved intercourse with each other. Our acquaintance re[o]pened into a warm and sincere friendship. For him I entertained sentiments of respect and affection; and I deeply deplore his death, and shall ever cherish his memory.
He was a man of marked characteristics. He impressed upon me the conviction that he was a man of iron will, inflexible resolution, indomitable perseverance and of undaunted courage, truthfulness and sincerity. He was a man of a nice sense of Honor and Justice and he despised mean men and dishonesty, and he was plain and outspoken in the expression of his opinions acts and act[i]ons. His words and his manner showed how intense was his scorn of wrong and wrong-doers. He was fearless, frank and out-spoken and I think he was sometimes imprudent in the utterance of his opinion.
Mr. Broderick had many great and noble mental and moral qualities and these qualities were being developed by study, reflections and a Larger experience with public affairs. His faults-vices he had none-were the faults of a manly, honest and robust nature. He mingled little with general society. There was a shade of melancholy about him. He seemed to feel that he was alone in the world. He looked not hopefully for the success of the principles which he deeply cherished. I sometimes thought he was saddened by the consciousness that he was about entering into a great content for the supremacy of the principle he entertained in his adapted stated, and that he must encounter the hostility of men who were seeking his overthrow if not his destruction.
California his last in him a public man who was ever watchful of his interests and honor;- The country a true patriot, the cause of freedom a devoted champion and thousands a tried and constant friend.
Yours truly
Henry Wilson
To John W. Dwinelle Esqr
Creator
- Wilson, Henry, 1812-1875 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu