[Letter] 1826 Jan. 24, Washington [D.C. to] R[ichard] H. Wilde / John Forsyth

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US Senator
[illegible text]
Gov [Governor] of Ga
Sec [Secretary] of State [illegible text]
Washington
Jany [January] 24. 1826
My dear Wilde
Your formidable record filled me with serious apprehensions, I thought you expected me to master its contents; a consultation with Berrien relieved me from this fear & I got rid of it & of the packet together by depositing the latter with the acting Clerk of the Supreme Court. I shall be most happy to see you here in
Feby. [February] if accident or more profitable business should detain you at home I will all [added text: do ] I can for you, in Court, Your brief, however must be full, & written very unlike this scrawl, in a legible hand.
Your [illegible text] of matters political is perfectly just. Taylor's Election was the result of want of wise combination at the outset You are indebted for it to the movements of Cuthbert & Tatnall & McLane at the close of the Last Session of Congress. McLane could not succeed. But his pretensions [added text: of the [unclear text: funds ] given to support him ] prevented by attempt to fix on any other person whose chance was better. But let bygones be bygones as Col Manning is made to say. Let us look to the future. There is nothing left for our friends


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but opposition. The [illegible text] will be approved firmly & solemnly & with success, I think. The first [added text: great ] battle will be fought in the Isthmus of Panama. As the combatants will be hidden from publick [public] view we shall know the results but not all the particulars. The mission to the Congress has been [illegible text] by [added text: all ] the Comee [Committee] of For [Foreign] Relations of the Senate save one [added text: Mills ] . They have made a strong report against the whole project as I am told sub rosa. I tell it to you in the same way. I do not doubt the tale except [deleted text: [illegible text] ] so far as regards the characteristic Epithet, I have no doubt it is inferior & [illegible text] but strong is not precisely the character of Mr [unclear text: Tazewell ] s mind & in that [illegible text] I understand the report was struck off. When it comes to light I shall send you one if I can get it. [illegible text] patience McLane reports against all the financial projects your new Secy [Secretary] of the Treasury. If this report [deleted text: succeeds ] is concurred in the system of internal improvement receives its [illegible text] for 6. years. If committee unanimously propose to apply all the resources of the country to the extinguishment of the publick [public] debt. They "calculate" to pay off the 6. percents & 5. per cents redeemable at & before that time by the end of the year
1830. This report I shall send you in a day or two. They will not propose either a reduction on the duties of Tea Coffee or Cocoa, nor an additional duty in cotton goods printed or plain.


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I'm called to go to the house. [illegible text] the first Leisure moment shall be devoted to a small sketch of matters & things as they present themselves here. Before I finish I must say Govr. [Governor] Barbour is likely to make a Treaty with the hostile Indians. taking away a little piece of our territory about the Buzzard Roost. That is leaving just ground enough for a [illegible text] that at ten paces between us & the powers that be. Ah my dear Sir Lucius how sorry I am, that you are not here to show us how to take good aim. We shall do our best [illegible text] the [added text: buzzards ] notwithstanding.

[illegible text] yrs [yours] truly
[Signed] John Forsyth
R. [Richard] H. Wilde Esqr [Esquire]

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