Daniel Cady Letters

Johnstown 28 Dec 1820

My Dear Friend,

Here I am in my office long before daylight. What is that for? Is the fellow becoming industrious and worldly minded? No but for ten days part a strange, [uncomfortable?] pain in the left side has confined me to my house and will not permit me to be in bed but a few hours, it must however, leave me by next Fryday [sic] for then I must go to Albany, or my pocket as well as my side will be most woefully out of order. I have little faith in Doctors, but I have almost determined to call one in at sunrise and set him to work, I do not like to part with my [beloved?], but that I presume must be let out as the first experiment.

Should that fail, pills and [purchers?] will he not cause - and what then? Why let the patient along, he will die or get well. The difference is only fifteen [years?].

I have hoped that you would by this time have laid up such a stack of happiness that you would spend the holydays [sic] with us. Our residents are inclined to be gay this winter - and I doubt not that [used?] have been at a party given by [Trilla?] a few days since. You would almost been tempted to ------ fill up the blank as you shall deem proper on such an occasion. I cannot say a word about [Mrs Laight?] + her [curside?] before I ascertain [how] the Doctor will [irrssiash?].

I am truly
Yours +
D Cady

Hon P Smith

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29 Nov 1820

My Dear Friend,

When good wheat sells in Albany for 56 cents per bushel and pork for $2.50 per hundred, what is land worth! Nothing, but to him who holds the plough, and he must be successful if at the end of the year the balance be not against him. Under such circumstances, what can be dug or raised from the earth in Col. [unreadable]. By [Trusts] to pay the principal and interest of $50,000 in ten years! Boards if taken to Baltimore will not pay the Sawyer and raftsman and if the farmer takes his wheat or pork to Albany or New York he must go to bed supperless to save enough out of the proceeds of his farm to purchase a felt hat. How can he pay for a farm? He cannot, and you may every five years foreclose your mortgage and take your farm back. But the times may change so they may, when the Lord in his wrath shall blast the harvests in Europe, or suffer the nations in that part of the globe, to engage in wars for a prostituted Queen or debauched King. But when shall these things be! Until they shall happen, the only safe course is not to contract new debts; but try to pay off old ones. I could hardly be tempted to make [Mrs. Laight] an offer for the property which she wishes to sell, for the probability is, that the difficulty to raise money will continue to increase, and lands to decrease in value for some years, and it is wholly out of my power [to] satisfy myself, to what degree of depression real estate must depend. As you and [he] are both interested in those lands why not go before the Rev Doctor Mason and unite your interests? You want a wife and she probably would not be unwilling to have a husband. I once gave a letter of hers and that satisfied me that she possessed no ordinary mind. You are on the spot and can judge of the graces of [her] person. If she does answer all the qualifications which you demand in a wife, collect all the marriageable ladies in New York into one large room and take you choice of them. I have no doubt that most of them would most readily purchase a ticket in a lottery in which all the prizes were husbands, than in literature [lotting No: 4?]

Gerrit appears to enjoy glass making and to consider that as the only mode of making money during the hard times. I hope he may [unreadable] no more Brown's as purchasers.

I am My Dear Friend
Yours Sincerely
Daniel Cady

Hon Peter Smith-

Johnstown 29 Nov 1820

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25 Nov 1820

My Dear Friend,

I have this moment opened yours of this 21st instant. I returned from Albany last night at 9 o'clock from attending the funeral of Mrs [China?] + taking an inventory of her estate [ln.?]. I wrote in answer to your first letter from New York, + forwarded to you my annual [account], but this morning on reading a letter from Gerrit, I find my letter to you [instead] of reading you at New York has found its way to Peterboro where it is waiting your arrival.

The written arguments in case of Robertson have been submitted to the judges + they will decide in January as is expected. McMichael + [Lustier?] have not yet answered. I shall compel them to do so as soon as may be.

I hope you may in New York find every thing necessary to consummate your happiness if not there to be found the claim may be given up as hopeless.

I am My Dear Friend
Yours Sincerely
D Cady

Hon P Smith

Johnstown 25th Nov 1820

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1 Feb 1820

My Dear Friend,

Many of our best plans originate in accident and for their completion or defeat depend on circumstances [beyond]. After I last wrote to you I was much troubled [have] to avoid disappointing you - and yet free from my duty and engagements to others. I could not well imagine how I would serve you at Peterboro, unless it was by completing the arrangement of [cart?] fall - but I did not know that my ten days delay I might possibly interrupt an arrangement of a more tender nature than the execution of a mortgage or the sale of a farm - and now could I forgive myself or hope to be forgiven if the Lady without Peers was in any way concerned in making the 7th the necessary starting time. It was too much for me to hazard and therefore while in church on Sunday I made up my mind that on Monday I would start for Peterboro - with a view of so far “deranging your arrangement” as to return in time that I might be in Albany on Saturday, believing that there would be less danger in accelerating than in retarding your movements to the south]. But on Sunday evening yesterday and to today the snow has been driven into such heaps that I can admonish to make no more plans of a temporal nature while in Church nor to leave home until I hear how the roads are abroad. Here they are not too impassible and still growing worse - but while we have strong winds from the northwest you may be enjoying a perfect calm. I hope if the weather be with you, as it is with us, you are not ready to repeat what you once said "That gloomy [unpathetic] lands + [tempests] were congenial to good feelings."

As I cannot be with you on [Friday] - I shall not know when I set out unless I hear from you - you may leave Peterboro on the 7th and should I then be on the road we may pass each other. If I hear from you between this and Monday and learn that you will be at Peterboro next week I shall if the roads become better be with you on Wednesday.

I am My Dear Friend
Yours Sincerely
D Cady

Hon Peter Smith
Johnstown 1 Feb 1820

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1/20/1820

My Dear Friend,

You must not be disappointed should I not be at Peterboro on the day you mention. My business and the circumstances of my family I fear may be such, as to render it difficult if not improper for me to be absent from home, a sufficient length of time to make journey to Peterboro. Should I leave home I will try to be with you on the 4th of Feb. If it be necessary that the mortgage which Gerrit and I were to execute covering the counties of Oneida and Madison, should now be executed it can be prepared + he can execute it + you bring it with you + I can sign it here but what would he [mean] agreable [sic] to me, let him come with you, he must have given so great an impetus to the glass establishment that it will keep in regular a rapid motion should he be absent eight or ten days.

I presume you have already heard, that the sale of lands for [Weds] has been postponed for a year so that if Gerrit and I fulfill our engagements you can then purchase all the lands offered for sale - should you be inclined to renew your exertions to accumulate wealth.

Tompkins has indeed been nominated as a candidate for the office of Gov. It was I believe, expected by many who [unreadable] in that nomination, that he would decline, in that he may disappoint them. I find that his nomination is less agreable [sic] to the [unreadable] than I expected.

Tell Gerrit I wish very much to hear from him and to know whether he is making the necessary arrangements to buy $30,000 per year. The oldest due from [Primlub?] has been paid so that I have $213 in hand ready for any great operation.

I am My Dear Friend
Yours Sincerely,
D Cady

Hon Peter Smith Esq

20 January 1820

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1/17/1820

Dear Friend,

I have just been informed that in [Robertsons] cause a default + judgment have been entered and an execution made out and probably issued. How this has been done I have not yet been able to discover. I [commanded] to my agent a motive to serve on Mr Jay - but I can not yet say whether he served it - or whether the mistake has been made by Mr. Jay's agent. I wish however that you without delay swear to the answered affidavit + send it to me at Johnstown that I may get an [excuse] to stay proceedings. I shall in the morning be able to get some further information as to the mistake. It is possible that [Robertson’s] name was not as it should be. I am uncertain as to his name - fill up the blanks.

Yours Sincerely
D Cady

Hon P Smith Esq

Albany 17th January 1820

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12 April 1819

Dr Sir,

I have not been to New York. The last mail brought me a letter from Mr Williams written after his return to [Cadsan?]. If the [necessary] proof to share that [Vangebo?] knew you + [Vern Santroad?] were not partners. When the contract was made upon which you are prosecuted - can not otherwise be obtained - you will have to employ some [certain] man to go to New York + hunt after evidence. I have received a letter from Peter upon the subject + have written to him directing his attention to some enquiries.

I presume Mr Beckman defends the cause for you and if so - Ask him if the Supreme Court would not grant an order to stay proceedings until [Vangebo?] should permit you to examine their words - or produce them in Court on the trial? I do not know of any case in which the [unreadable] have done this, but it appears to me a mode of getting at the [unreadable] of the case which the Court have the power to accept, and one will calculated to prevent the necessity of resorting to a bout of [chicanery]. So many find a case in [D Cains = S2]. Jackson vs. [Waggoner] in which the Court have done some like this. These can [however] be no use in application unless you suppose [Vangebo?] have entered in their books the names of the names of the partners in the firm + that your name is omitted.

Do let me know what defect you suppose there was in the motive of nonpayment of the $10,000 notes. I wish I could spend this afternoon + tomorrow with you and enable you to smile misfortune out of countenance - but I feel that my promise to administer consolation would prove far less efficient than the execution of your own mind would be on a cool dispassionate view of your situation. You cannot recall the dead, and if you could you would not dare to do it - it is in vain therefore to feel an unceasing regret for their departure. The acts which the living have done, can no more be recalled that the tombs can be opened by grief. What then shall a pious Father do whose children have curiously or wantonly offended? Shall he forgive them and thereby prove that he has regained the bright image in which man was first erected. Shall he never [upbraid them] for their offenses nor even mention their faults but in a mild and affectionate whisper + with a view to caution them as to the future? How would Philosophy + Religion answer these questions?

March has with us been a terrible month. And April thus far has been almost as tempestuous. Our roads at present are next to impassible, and notwithstanding Doctor His prayers for a mild season and a good seed time we can yet do nothing towards farming.

Shall you be at the Charlotte Patent this Spring and [unreadable] able to see Merrill. If he does not pay or confess judgment it will be necessary to make enquiry for Frederick Miller the witness to Merrills contract.

I am Dear Sir
Yours Sincerely
Daniel Cady

Peter Smith Esq

Johnstown 12th April 1819

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Albany 19 March 1819

Dear Sir,

I have deposited the Mechanic's + Farmers bank $131 for you on account of the [printer's] debts.

I have been there since Monday - hearing little + doing less. The Clintonians are rather [shop?] fallen I think + know not what to do. Their adversaries in good spirits and on the alert.

I shall probably be at home tomorrow. I am now waiting for my horses to take home a sleigh which I have purchased - but from present appearances - the snow will leave us before I can ride enough to pay the interest of the purchase money.

I am Dear Sir
Yours Sincerely
Daniel Cady

Peter Smith Esq

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2/16/1819

Dear Sir,

Last night at ten o'clock I returned from Canaan where I have for the last eight days, my father died on the fifth instant. Where is he now? He will not return to tell us, but we must follow him and leave behind us the fruit of all our worldly toils.

We now have snow but my business is so much behind and in [convergence] of my own and Watt’s absence that I shall not be able to visit you as I intended. I think you should visit your parents and your friends at New York you would probably find pleasant food for your mind.

I was so short a time in Albany that I did not hear much of political news. Gen Jackson has escaped the [concern] of our group by a majority of 30. Presidential power has too many charms to be resisted by those who are seeking promotion.

It is believed by many that Mr. King will yet be elected a Senator in Congress and that judge [Spinner] will willingly supply the place of Mr Sanford hereafter. John Woodworth it is now said, will be Attorney General and a [Federalist] probably Samuel Jones will be appointed a judge - but I do not believe a Clintonian assembly will appoint a [Federalist] judge. They will suppose that such an act would offend some of their party and jeopardize their power. [Wait] and see us on your way to New York.

Yours Sincerely
D Cady

Peter Smith Esq

Johnstown 16 Feb 1819

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