Henry Clay Letter, 1847

Archive

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Kinsman Historical Collection

Name/Title

Henry Clay Letter, 1847

Entry/Object ID

1935.2.1

Tags

1840s

Scope and Content

Letter from Henry Clay to Riverius Bidwell dated December 9, 1847 concerning emancipation. Given to Kinsman Library by Myra K. Pelton in December 1935 and given to Myra by Eunicia Hotchkiss, wife of Riverius Bidwell. Ashland 9th December 1847 Dear Sir, I received your friendly letter and thank you for the kind sentiments towards me which it expresses. I am glad that you concur with me on so many of the topics of my late speech at Lexington. Nor am I surprised that you differ from me as to those which relate to slavery. If you were here and could see the condition of the slaves under my charge, some very old, many very young, some wholly [unknown] and unable to earn a sustenance, you would be satisfied that to emancipate them at the present would be an act of extreme cruelty and inhumanely. What I may finally do what them is a question which I reserve to myself, and which I shall ultimately decide after a full consideration of all the relations, duties, and obligations which I stand towards them. I have emancipated some eight or ten during my life, and I regret to say they have not all done well. You enquired if I ever owned a slave called Lewis Richardson. I did. He ran away from me two or three years ago. He was a drunken, worthless person, wholly regardless of truth. Either prompted by other or his own wickedness, he has been from time to time propagating the most groundless falsehoods about me. One of the [ ] that I have seen is that I sold his wife and children. Now I never owned his wife or any child of his; or any relation of his. I do not [ ] for but to comply with your request and for your own satisfaction. Your Obt. Sevt. H. Clay

Acquisition

Accession

1935.2

Source or Donor

Pelton, Myra K.

Archive Items Details

Date(s) of Creation

1847

Location

Location

Box

Correspondence

Shelf

Wire Shelving

Notes

Letters 1

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Bidwell, Riverius

Created By

Straub, Nicole

Create Date

September 15, 2025

Updated By

Straub, Nicole

Update Date

October 27, 2025