- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter] 1842 Aug. 31, Washington, [D.C. to] Dr. J. Q. Osborn, New Orleans / John Howard Payne
- Creator:
- Payne, John Howard, 1791-1852
- Date of Original:
- 1842-08-31
- Subject:
- Diplomats--Tunisia--Tunis
Cherokee Indians
Tunisians
Ross, John, 1790-1866 - Location:
- United States, 39.76, -98.5
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- John Howard Payne writes to Dr. J. Q. Osborn of New Orleans on August 31, 1842. He primarily discusses his appointment to a consulship in Tunis. Payne perceives his future life among the citizens of Tunis to be comparable to his experience with the Indian "barbarians". He says that it is not the Indians who are the true barbarians but the white "half breeds" and claims that his former friends among them treated him poorly. Payne says that the mixed blood Indians used him for as long as they could and dropped him as soon as they were through, and he shows particular animosity toward Chief John Ross whom he calls a "bilk".
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2001, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- jpa009
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_jpa009
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_jpa009#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_jpa009/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], John Howard Payne Letter Books, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 3 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, John Howard Payne Letter Books, box Volume I - 1842, folder N/A, document N/A.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
J: Q: Osborn Esquire
New Orleans.
Washington
Aug 31. 1842
May dear Sir,
Your letter of
July 10 reached me [deleted text: you ] on the
29th of [deleted text: August ] the present month, through the Post Office. Mr McRae gave me no clue to his address, or it would have afforded me the greatest pleasure to have sought him, and to have given him any attention or service within my power.
So you see the strange mutations of this world are at last sending me off, Consul to Tunis -- ! -- It is a salaried place -- $2000 a year -- no perquisites or outfit -- and the [deleted text: [illegible text] ] way thither is costly and the claims on hospitality, of course, considerable. But in times like these any thing is something . The meagerness of the pay will preserve my virtue from suffering by the national privelege [privilege] of keeping as many wives as Solomon.
Another wonder - but a disastrous one - [unclear text: for ] Colt! -- Did not that affair amaze you? -- I have been (anonymously) drawing up a narrative of his life. When I get to New York I will send you a copy. It has been one of strange adventure. I do not know what hope there can be of his not suffering the last penalty - but his
Page: [2]
friends do not despair -- neither does he.
I wish you would come out to Tunis & see me some time. A Mediterranean voyage would delight you. Come & pass three months with me, and as much longer as you like. Why not? You shall live as I do - not luxuriously, but you shall live and look -- there is enough on that coast for the eye & the mind -- the body can afford to feed sparingly and give place to its betters.
By the bye, you once promised me a copy of Jefferson's Life - Carpenter's work. -- It is rare and as I knew the author, I should be glad to have it. Could you not (if you still possess it) send it to New York by some packet, informing me by letter where it may be found, and addressing it, in the event of my being away, to the care of my brother, Thatcher T. Payne Esqr Counsellor, corner of Hanover Street & Wall Street, New York? -- Books, where I am going, will be my main stay.
Indeed, my friend, I can scarcely realize what I am about to try -- The whole affair was arranged without consulting me & the first thing I knew I was directed to a part of the world that I had never dreamed of seeing! -- I go to a strange region -- strange faces -- strange customs -- [deleted text: [illegible text] ] strange languages! -- What a
Page: [3]
contrast with our Indian barbarians too! -- Let me be understood however when I say Indian barbarians -- The Indians are not the Barbarians of the frontier -- It is the white half breeds who are the real Barbarians -- My [unclear text: nippered ] friends among them behaved scurvily to me -- They got all they could from me and then left me with my labour [labor] for my pains. Ross, according to the latest appearances towards me, and those with a twelvemonth's time to be changed, if any change were intended, -- turns out a mere bilk ! -- [deleted text: I ] But, as you say, in this unselfish country, such things are no wonder.
It would give me pleasure to hear from you again [added text: ere I go ] By the time you [added text: can answer ] [deleted text: [illegible text] ] this, I shall probably be in New York. When I get to Africa, you must not fail whenever you can to give me a line
To Mrs Osborn, pray offer my best remembrance & for yourself accept renewed assurances of the friendship of
Yours most faithfully
[Signed] John Howard Payne ./
Dr J. Q. Osborn New Orleans