Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER S 1036
OBJECT NAME letter
DATE May 29, 18–? [1817?]
AUTHOR Rudolph Bunner (son-in-law of Angelica Schuyler Church)
(see S 1035)
RECIPIENT Mary Anna Sawyer and Philip Jeremiah Schuyler
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE “Bakleys Brother”, ?? Clinton, ?? Sandford, JOhn Thornton
Kirkland, William Ellery Channing, Sir Hugh
PLACES Dutchess county, Savannah (NY), Columbia University,
KEYWORDS Schuyer to Congress?, political support of Clinton waning,
“republicans of the Pewter mug fashion”, Unitarianism, debate on
Religion,
[LATER]
Rudolph Bunner to Philip J. Schuyler / (before 1816?) / P.J.S. did go to Congress in 1817
[ORIGINAL]
Dear Sir or Cousin
[name?] requested me to write you the Current news of the Day_ / I cannot refuse to Write_ but the news of the day is hardly worth / While writing _ and my Brain is not teeming with other matter-- / The information from Dutchefs is Scant, fears of the Result- no determinate / as to the Course: Bakleys Brother is Scouring the County to revive the / the old Federal Influence under a new name _ but with the old business / and the old Principles or rather the old men an still to Lead to future / Bargains of profit & Lofs: profit - means money:- lofs means reputation_ / here in the City the report is Strong that one R Bunner will be sent / to the opening: few object to him all promise him- + his Friends - but / promises are easily Broken or forgotten or Excused, so that this ???? [^Excellent] / young man informs me he will prepare himself for a disappointment / after authorizing alderman Board to push his pretensions:- I think / you ought to return without delay to your own County & prepare / yourself for Congrefs- as for the Convention - if you Cannot trim yr / Boat to your Satisfaction for the first voyage - you ought to go / decidedly for the last- it is more important in its Consequences / and will give Rise to new parties in the State in which you must / act & Suffer_ I sincerely Believe that Clintons friends intend to / abandon him. they talk of Sandford & mean to use his name perhaps? / his? for the purposes of a new order of things- will he suffer it? yes if / he see his way Clear- to me the Prospects from that quarter are more & / more ?? [^gloomy] - There is an unquestionable difsatisfaction in the ranks of / Mr Clinton & a Lowering Cloud of discontent among us old & new / republicans of the Pewter mug [fashion]_ when if ever the Cloud / Breaks [^neither] you nor [^or] I will be refreshed by the showers - They fertilize / Soils more Congenial to the Growth of Shrub oaks & weeds - than for you / or myself I could wish - but patience Cousin & Shuffle the Cards / over
[END OF PAGE 1]
[LATER]
To Mrs P.J. Schuyler / refers to her Unitarian faith. __
[ORIGINAL]
My dear Madam-
how is Mr Kirkland & Mr Channing and all the apostles of the / new faith to which you Cling so fondly - and which seems to have opened upon / [^you] new vistas of cheering prospect and lively promise:? I would not seduce you / If I could (I could not if I would-) to the olden rule- and the Gloomier / Doctrine - you tread so Gracefully so fearlefsly - and so Confidingly the / primrose path which Lur-?-s Enticed your feet - (I will not say to Stray) / that it would be Cruel to attempt it - I have so much of Christian Charity / in me as to believe that the pure heart & the Contrite Spirit is a Better / offering than the greatest accuracy in the mysterious Dotrines of our / abstruse religion: nor do I fear for your Errors that you will be Burned / [some] Slight Eternity or so - until you Come out with a faith so just / and true to the Balance of orthodoxy that the Blessing? A Single hair of a / Rabbinical Beard would [^will] turn the Scales - which is the Belief of some of us / nor am I yet prepared to say precisely what amount of Sinful Error / you may safely Carry with you ought? [^out] of this world without Danger of / Scorching your Petticoats in the next_ But that you Err - my dear Madam- / I Cannot but Believe_ perhaps for no Better reason than that I was / Born in Savannah and Bred an alumnus of Col. College_ where I should / wish to be installed as a profefsor Theol - _ I think that you & I may both be / Saved; though according to the Zealots of yours (are there such?) / I am a Brutified Idolater a kind of three penny pagan_ on whom / the Blefsed light of truth has not yet Beamed_ by the way you should / send us some mifsionaries of the Learned Cast to Convince us- Some / Rhetoricians to allure us - and Bring yourself Back to Keep us true and / Prevent our Backsliding; much may be done with Some of us . who are for / giving reason a fair & full Sweep.-. In the Controversy that I perceive / is about to arise you will require Skill, Courage, Learning, & polish - and / from what I have heard with my Ears (a vile affectation as Sir Hugh says) I / do believe you are Competently providing yourself for the onset /
[END OF PAGE 2]
your great difficulties will be with the Blue Coated Service men of / the __ but I am Interrupted so adieu / 12 13 –
[in pencil]
Rudolp [h] BunnerTranscriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
