APPENDIX.

NOTE-REFERRED TO IN PAGE 491.

AFTER the preceding sheets were in type the author received two original letters, on the subject of the nomination for the office of governor by the democratic state convention, written by Mr. Wright in 1844. These letters were written at Canton, three days before the meeting of the convention at Syracuse, and, beyond all doubt, express frankly and truly his feelings and wishes at that time. It is due to his memory that they should be published in connection with the history of his life; because,--although during the winter and summer of 1844, and until he was actually nominated for governor at Syracuse, Mr. Wright repeatedly and uniformly declared, as he had done in 1842,* that he was unwilling to be a candidate for that office-that he earnestly desired the nomination of some other person-and that he would not be a candidate against any republican competitor in the convention,-many persons who thought Gov. Bouck ought to be renominated, (and the author was one of them,) believed, from the fact that several of Mr. Wright's most confidential friends urged, and continued at the convention to urge the nomination of Mr. W., that such nomination would not be entirely disagreeable to him. If any such suspicion is at this day entertained, the following letters must dispel all doubt from the minds of the most skeptical.

These letters must have been delivered to Messrs. Allen and Russell, who were delegates from St. Lawrence county, at the

See Gov. Wright's letter to Judge Fine, page 307.

moment of their departure for Syracuse, as they bear date the 31st of August, and the convention met on the 2d of September. One of the letters was addressed to those gentlemen in their official capacity, probably with the view that it should be communicated to the convention, or to some of its leading members; and the other, which we have marked B, on which was inscribed the word "private," in Gov. Wright's own handwriting, was sacredly confidential. Can there be the least possible doubt that this letter, which was intended to contain, and did contain, the last words of Mr. Wright on the subject of the gubernatorial nomination, and which was addressed to the delegates from his own county, both of whom were his personal friends, speaks the honest sentiments of his heart?

In this communication Mr. Wright not only disclaims any wish to be a candidate, or indeed any desire for the office of governor, but there runs through the whole of it a tone of supplication and entreaty that his two friends would exert their most strenuous efforts to relieve him from the necessity of making the sacrifice" of personal feeling, domestic feeling, private interest, and public prospects for the future”—a sacrifice which he foresaw would result from his acceptance of the office of governor.

The author is indebted for these letters to the courtesy and kindness of the Hon. Horace Allen and the Hon. John Fine, to whom the originals will be returned.

[A.]

"CANTON, August 31, 1844. "GENTLEMEN-As the delegates to represent this county in the state convention, to be held at Syracuse on the 4th day of the next month, I find it necessary to trouble you with a communication of a personal character.

"You are well aware that my name has been used in connection with the nomination of a republican candidate for the office of governor of the state, a nomination which the convention of which you are members is to make. I believe you also know that I do not desire that office, and that my name has been used as a candidate for it without my consent, and against my wishes.

That you may be possessed of the position which I have felt myself compelled publicly to assume upon this subject, I hand you, enclosed, a copy of a publication made in the St. Lawrence Republican, at my request, on the sixth day of the present month. By that position it has been, and is my purpose-as I consider it to be my duty-strictly to adhere; and if any use of my name, since it was thus distinctly assumed, has seemed to be in conflict with it, I can only say, that it has been without my authority, as it has been against my determinations thus explicitly pronounced. I cannot express more reluctance than I feel against the use of my name as a candidate for the office of governor, under any circumstances; and I have only been restrained from going further, in limiting, or wholly interdicting that use, from the fear that I should transcend my rights as a member of the democratic party of the state, in the present enjoyment of its honors and rewards, or violate my duty to that great political party which has been so faithful and liberal to me through a long term of years.

"The length to which I have gone appears to me to be in strict accordance with my rights and my duties. To refuse to become the instrument of an interruption of the harmony of feeling or action of the democratic party of our state, is an obligation upon me, strengthened and enforced by every favor I have received from it, and every honor it has conferred upon me, and not to obey it would be, in my estimation, the most palpa ble violation of a plain duty on my part.

"Hence I have said that, I have no right, in my judgment, to be come, and cannot, under any circumstances, consent to be made a competitor for the nomination, either before the people or the state convention, against any republican who is, or who may become a candidate.'

"Before the people I have done all in my power to avoid being placed in the position of a competitor for this nomination; and I now invoke your aid to enable me, if it shall become necessary, to redeem my pledge, as it respects the convention. I entertain the confident hope that you will not, under any circumstances, feel it to be your duty, as delegates from this county, to place my name before the convention at all; and should it be brought before it by others, in a manner to place it in conflict or competition with any other name before the body as a candidate, I not only authorize you severally, but enjoin it upon you, so far as you will permit me to do that, or so far as I have the right of a constituent to do it, to withdraw it wholly, and to declare for me, that I cannot accept a nomination made against a resistance of the friends of any other candidate. The only right of our party to command the use of my name, 19 I think, is to secure its harmony of feeling and action; and when these cannot be secured by its use, the duty upon me promptly to withdraw it altogether, appears to me as plain as the right to do so does clear and un questionable.

"I am sure, gentlemen, you each sufficiently know and appreciate my

feelings upon this delicate and responsible subject to be willing to comply with the request I make, when you are assured it is made more strongly under the sense of a solemn and imperious public duty, which I should not fail fully to discharge, than in the spirit of the assertion of a right, although to be exercised so much in accordance with my personal feelings and wishes.

"I am, gentlemen, with great respect,

"Your obedient servant,

"SILAS WRIGHT.

"Messrs. HORACE ALLEN and JOHN L. RUSSELL, Esqrs., Delegates, &c "

(PRIVATE.)

[B.]

"CANTON, August 31, 1844.

MY DEAR SIR-Enclosed I hand you a duplicate of the communication of which we spoke, and which I promised to place in the hands of yourself and Mr. Russell in the course of our conversation on Thursday. I have made duplicates, because it may be more convenient that both Mr. Russell and yourself should have a copy, and I place the other in his hands. I do not know that I can add any thing to the views which I offered in that conversation, and what I have said in the enclosed. If the renomination of Gov. Bouck can be made satisfactory to the convention and our party, I shall be most happy at such a result.* If that cannot be done, and the convention can agree to set aside both his name and mine, and take that of some worthy member of the party who has not been brought before the public, I verily believe more entire harmony of feeling and action will be likely to be secured. In any event, I cannot look upon my nomination as promising auspicious results, present or future; and I cannot be mistaken in insisting that my name should not be used in any event, but with the free assent of the friends of all other candidates, and most especially those of Gov. B. I do not anticipate that such assent will be met with, and I entreat that Mr. Russell and yourself will not hesitate for a moment to withdraw my name wholly, in case it shall be brought before the convention, and shall become the subject of any difference of opinion or feeling among its members.

"It must be true that, if entire harmony cannot be experienced, my name should not be made the cause of any degree of division. My position and the place I now hold should forbid that, and should distinguish me from other candidates not similarly situated, if there is to be division. Hence I have given to the communication enclosed the shape I have, and this is the spirit in which I have made the request it contains, and in which I wish to have that request understood and carried out.

* The passages in tales have been so distinguished by J. D. H.

"You will pardon me, I hope, for referring here to my personal feelings upon this subject. I cannot, as I have said, express more reluctance than I feel against being a candidate for this office, under any circumstances, and my reasons rest upon considerations of personal feeling, domestic feeling, private interest, and public prospects for the future, so far as I can read them, as connected with myself and my services. I will not attempt to detail these considerations to you as they pass through my own mind, but will express the earnest hope, that Mr. Russell and yourself will find it consistent with your sense of your responsible duties as members of the convention, so far from using efforts to throw this nomination upon me, to be the means of averting that result. I do not ask you to violate any duty to the public to favor my personal wishes, but I do hope that it may be found expedient not to attempt the use of my name at all; and if brought before the convention, I will rest assured that both of you will be prompt to withdraw it wholly, the moment the contingency shall happen upon which I have based that request.

"Pardon me for giving you so much trouble. I shall not give Mr. Russell a copy of this private note, but shall read this to him before I enclose it for you.

"You must not consider me, in either of these communications, as holding or treating lightly our success in the state at the pending election. With harmony of feeling and action, success is, in my deliberate opinion, perfectly in the power of our party, and I will make any sacrifice in my power to produce that harmony. Still, with it, I do not think it at all material what name is upon our ticket for governor: success would, in my judgment, be equally certain with any; while, without it, there will be danger with any name, and I should not be the man to appear to cause division. These are my convictions, most deeply entertained.

"In much haste, I am most truly yours,

"HON. HORACE Allen."

THE END.

"SILAS WRIGHT