This letter was written by defeated Presidential candidate Lewis Cass (1782-1866) some nine months after the Election of 1848 in which he lost to Whig candidate, General Zachary Taylor. I am not certain that I have transcribed it all correctly (certainly not completely) but I believe that Cass is telling his friend that he understands he lost the election on the question of whether slavery should be allowed in the new territories—an issue that divided the Democratic Party as well as the Nation. Taylor no doubt won the election because many members of the Democratic Party who disagreed with Cass’s position in support of “popular sovereignty” decided to vote for Martin Van Buren who also ran for president as the nominee of the Free Soil Party.
Cass wrote the letter to his friend, William Swan Garvin (1806-1883) of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, who served as the editor of the Western Press newspaper for fifty years. He was elected as a Jacksonian Democrat to the 29th Congress (1845-1847).
[Lewis Cass’s handwriting is atrocious. If anyone can make out the portions of his letter that I have failed to transcribe, please let me know and I will correct this post.]
Transcription
Detroit [Michigan]
August 15, 1849
My dear sir,
I thank you for your kind letter. I shall ever hold in grateful remembrance the proof I have had of your friendship and tho I have nothing to give you in return but [ ] possessions. Still there is some comfort in [ ] now [ ] a debt, even when you have no expectation of repaying it.
I was very unwilling to place myself before the public, but to a less [ ] left me no other course and to…. of my declaration [ ] as all I have to do.
I wish this question were settled for till then, I see no cordial union of our party. Once out of the way, the Democratic Party would not fail to resume its rightful ascendancy. For myself, I intend to be quiet, looking to the future as one of our great family, in influence…by personal com… team.
Our friend Brown is here, and has received your letter. e will write you before he leaves here. Ever your true friend, — Lewis Cass
Hon. W. S. Garvin
Spared & Shared 22 