for a journey to the West, and expected to let you hear from me in person.

My plans have been suddenly changed by an appointinent of which no rumor seems to have reached your place. It seems ordained that I shall quit the country. The Whigs prevented my going to England and Holland; or, as the Herald, my stanch friend on the occasion, expressed it, "going to bob for Dutch records." Virtue is its own reward; and I have been appointed Diplomatic Agent to Central America. You will doubtless believe me when I say this hits my humor infinitely better than the Albany project ;-indeed, now I consider that it would have been very unfortunate if I had succeeded in that.

The Whig papers have been civil, and my friends are full of badinage; they call me the "extraordinary Envoy," and persist that there is no such country on the map; but fortunately an arrival from that region bringing accounts of a revolutionary army overrunning the country and a revolutionary general entering the capital, brought it into notice. The mission promises some incident; for the "government" seems to be playing "hide and go seek" about the country, and at this moment, the "extraordinary Envoy" does not know exactly where to find it.

I hope that I shall not be obliged to go before the first of September, but my movements are uncertain. The time of my residence abroad is also uncertain, and I have to "put my house in order," i. e., do up odds and ends before going; and as every day brings with it some new engagement, I find myself hard pushed for time. Whether I shall be able to pay you my promised visit is very uncertain-I am afraid not.

Is it not almost enough to make a man commit himself blindly to fortune and fate? The course of my life is changed by an accident, and probably my failure in the business in which you so warmly befriended me paved the way for my present position. At this moment I should consider it extremely fortunate if I had succeeded at Albany. The time passed there I shall always look back upon with satisfaction, for I made friends whom I should perhaps never have known, and who I hope will last through life.

But I am filling my sheet with nothing but myself. How is it with you? Have you recovered from your attack at Albany?

I am afraid you are not as careful of yourself as you ought to be. Take my advice: throw up your books and parchments; -let the circuits go to the dogs, and pass the summer in scouring the country on horseback. Two months now, will be worth years to you hereafter. Do this and I shall see you in September with blood in your cheeks. You do not say anything of your health, but I have received a letter from Mr. Hunt, written with the anxieties of friendship, which makes me speak with earnestness. I take the liberty of sending my best respects to Mrs. Dickinson.

Sincerely your friend.

Hon. D. S. DICKINSON, Binghamton.

JOHN L. STEPHENS.

GENERAL ROOT TO MR. DICKINSON.

MELHI, December 4, 1839.

DEAR SIR-The Senate Chamber, I believe, is so fitted up as to be capable of holding us both the ensuing session, or at least the forepart of it. In one thing we shall agree,-in our exertions to forward the New York and Erie Railroad. I wish to know what measures you are adopting, to aid in shoving it ahead.

We are to have a railroad meeting next week. The Board of Supervisors and County Courts will then be in session. Probably more resolutions will then be passed and petitions got up for circulation. Have you any petitions started? Have they begun to awaken the people further West? It is time a push was made. Let us come down upon them with a rush. Tioga and Chemung surely will not let the Whigs run off with all the credit.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ERASTUS ROOT.

JUDGE FINE TO MR. DICKINSON.

OGDENSBURG, N. Y., January 13, 1840.

DEAR SIR-I am prompted to write you by your kind re

membrance sent me through Mr. King, and by your favor in sending my friend, Mr. G. Smith, a letter of recommendation, for which I thank you.

I rejoice with you that the choice we made in the Baltimore Convention is thus far approved by the people. The message exceeded my expectations, and Mr. Buchanan's correspondence is a monument of fame to him. Congress now owes it to the country, to recommend (not merely authorize) the President to give the twelve months' notice; and when England sees the American people determined to have this matter settled, she will then compromise upon the terms offered by Mr. Buchanan. Pickens' war report, made by the Committee of Foreign Affairs, in when I was member of the Committee, was not approved by Mr. Buchanan, Chairman of the Senate Committee of Foreign Affairs, nor by Mr. Van Buren; but it had the effect of inducing the British government to send here a special Minister, and if Mr. Webster had maintained the stand taken by Mr. Forsyth, we should have gained all we claimed. Mr. Webster proved conclusively it was ours, and after a portion had been given up, Lord Brougham stated in Parliament that George III. had marked on his map, with his own hand, the boundaries we claimed. When you have leisure, write me. How is Mrs. Dickinson's health? Give my respects to your son. Yours truly,

HON. D. S. DICKINSON.

JOHN FINE.

FROM MR. ROGERS TO MR. DICKINSON.

BUFFALO, March 5, 1840.

MY DEAR DICKINSON-We came out of our charter election yesterday with our very popular candidate for mayor, Judge George P. Baker, only twelve votes behind. The result is creditable to the democracy of the city, and augurs well for the ides of November.

I want to know from you, frankly, your views and wishes in reference to the next fall campaign. Next to Silas Wright, no name would be more acceptable to the democracy of Erie and Niagara for Governor than yours.

There is probably no division anywhere in the State as to Lieut. Gov., if your friends are content with asking no more

for you.

My best respects to Mrs. D. The mail is closing. In great

MY DEAR ROGERS-Your very kind favor of a late date came duly to hand, and for it please accept my acknowledgments. You have covered yourself with honor for your exertions in the charter election of your city. You must all enjoy it, I have no doubt; it tells well for the spirit of the democracy.

And now touching the subject relating to myself. I have not permitted myself to aspire to either of the distinguished stations to which you have alluded; at the same time I do not feel at liberty to withdraw my name from the consideration of my friends. I will add, I hope they will not, from motives of personal kindness, select me as a candidate for any station, unless such selection is clearly indicated by the united voice of the democracy. In short, I mean to be understood as neither seeking nor declining, and as leaving the whole in the hands of my discreet and judicious friends, among whom I am proud to rank yourself in the foreground. Learning at an early day that my name had, by the kind partiality of my friends, been mentioned, I have avoided any discussion of the subject, and am therefore not as well qualified to judge of the public sentiment. But from what I have heard and seen, I should not be surprised if my nomination to the first office was far less expected than for the second. As far as I have wishes on the subject, they are, that the whole matter may, under the judicious counsels to which I have committed it, be left to settle down, and thus indicate the true state of public feeling. Whatever my friends might desire in the premises, I trust they will be contented with the result. Certainly they should be.

I ought to add that Col. Bouck's name has, to my knowl

edge, and with my approbation, been used for the first office. I have been asked my opinion of his nomination, and have said frankly that I thought it a good one. I certainly think Col. B. one of our best men; a sterling democrat and one of our most valuable officers. I am sure he will poll a strong vote, should he be taken up.

I desire to express my acknowledgments for the kind interest you have taken in my political fortunes, and to assure you that it is duly appreciated.

Mrs. Dickinson unites with me in kind regards for yourself and Mrs. B. Remember me to Major D., and other friends, and believe me Yours truly,

D. S. DICKINSON.

MR. DICKINSON TO MR. ROGERS.

BINGHAMTON, September 21, 1840.

DEAR ROGERS-Your favor of a late date inviting me to visit your interesting section of country, came here while I was absent at Saratoga. On my return I was engaged for two weeks, every moment, at the Tioga and Broome circuits, and I have just found time to take up my correspondence.

I need not say to you that the unanimity attending my nomination, and that too by the spontaneous expression of my friends, was extremely gratifying to me, as I know it must have been to yourself and other friends who knew my humble. beginnings, and have watched my career with a solicitude becoming their friendship. In the economy of nature, however, hope and fruition, expectation and disappointment, are mysteriously interwoven, and one gratification places another beyond our reach. I had anticipated much pleasure in addressing my fellow-citizens in various sections of the State, and had made my arrangements accordingly, but after my nomination, upon mature consideration, I came to the conclusion to withdraw from the campaign. There is no impropriety, of course, in candidates taking the field, and if I err in not doing so, I err upon the side of delicacy and reserve. In adopting this course I have deprived myself of more pleasure than I believe I should derive even from being Governor of the State.