agricultural life, ever since my return to my country. I have a fondness for it, and you will probably be surprised when I tell you that I have purchased a farm, at Kalamazoo, in the centre of Michigan, which I am preparing to improve and cultivate. I passed part of last summer there, and shall return to it again very early in the spring. I shall be pleased to be remembered by you, and to receive occasionally a document. I shall shut up my house here next week, and receive all my communications at Utica, until I leave for the West. Please to accept for yourself, and present to your family my best respects, with the compliments of the season, and believe MY DEAR SIR-Will you allow me to trouble you to send me two copies of the President's Message and documents, and also two copies of Mr. Secretary Walker's report? I hope you will not imagine that, under our new constitution which opens the door of political office and emolument to the clergy, I am about to turn from theology to politics, because I solicit two copies. I ask one for myself and the other for my son, who is a young lawyer at Albany. Hitherto in our church, we have succeeded in keeping the clergy quite free from political intermeddlings, and I feel no disposition to deviate from the "old path" in this respect. I wish to place the message, &c., in my library. I hope your health continues good, amid the exciting topics and discussions at Washington, and that I shall have the pleasure of seeing you at Binghamton on my visitation there next summer. Commending you to the divine blessing, I remain, Sincerely and truly, Your friend and servant, W. H. DELANCEY. GOVERNOR SEWARD TO MR. DICKINSON. AUBURN, May 18, 1848. MY DEAR SIR-My respected friend, the Hon. John Davis, has introduced into the Senate a bill to repeal that important provision in the Patent Law which rejects the testimony oral and written of persons called to prove a foreign use of a thing patented, prior to the date of the patent issued in this country. The ground upon which the provision stands is obvious enough. There is no evidence so fatal to a patent, none which could be given falsely with such safety against contradiction, and such certainty of impunity, and no perjury which could command such rich rewards. When the principle has been thus established and approved of, so far as I know, by all who have administered patent law, I trust that the Senate will require conclusive reasons for repealing it before adopting a measure that would render our entire system inefficient and worthless. I am, dear sir, with great respect and esteem, WILLIAM H. SEWARD. MR. ROGERS TO MR. DICKINSON. BUFFALO, September 15, 1848. MY DEAR SIR-I am rejoiced to learn from your recent letter that we are very soon to see you in our midst, and I write at once to say that your wife must come too. You don't know how much my family wish to see Mrs. Dickinson, and have a visit from her at our own home. Will you not bring one or both of your daughters also? We have fixed upon the 28th for you to speak here, and we shall spare no time or pains to give you a good reception. I hope you will be able to come to my house directly. I some expect to be able to meet you at Fredonia and come down with you. Though late, I desire to express to you my gratification at, and admiration of your conduct at the trying and exciting scenes in the Senate at its late session. You added fresh laurels to your brow by the judicious course you pursued, and you will not be forgotten by your friends. With kind and affectionate regards to your wife and daughters, in which I am joined by my wife and daughter, I am Sincerely your friend, W. H. ROGERS. Hon. D. S. DICKINSON. MANCO C. DICKINSON TO HIS FATHER, MOTHER, AND SISTERS. NEW YORK, February 1, 1849. MY DEAR FATHER, MOTHER AND SISTERS-I thank you all very much for your recent kind letters. I am quite well, and in good spirits, although many were the tears that could not be repressed last night, and every new thought of home, friends and dear ones, caused me deep emotion. I parted with J. E. yesterday, and I really did not know that I thought so much of him. Mr. Porter has been with me most of the time, and has been very kind to me, and I hope you will remember him for my sake. I have to express my gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Morris, and when I read their letters the tears came fast. I received the package for Robert Morrison. There are many things I would say to you, but feel that I cannot express myself as I ought at present. As I am about to leave all that is dear to me, I trust you will have a good picture of all the family taken and sent me, for I may be a long time absent, and if I cannot see my dear ones, I hope to have their likenesses. My dear sisters, remember your promises to love Charlotte, and Stevie, and dear father and mother, please let her hear from you often. The coach is waiting to take me to the ship, where I shall write again. Your affectionate son and brother, MANCO C. DICKINSON. MANCO C. DICKINSON TO MR. AND MRS. DICKINSON. STEAMSHIP FALCON, OFF CHARLESTON, MY DEAR PARENTS-I was much disappointed at not receiving any letters yesterday morning, and presume there must have been some there for me, but, as I came down to the ship at eleven o'clock, think I was not in town late enough to get them. When I had got my baggage on board and everything ready for a start, I had plenty of time to have gone up town, but the crowd was so great, that I was afraid I could not get back to the ship again. You can have no idea how immense the crowd was, it extended all over the pier, as thick as men could be crowded together, and hundreds were not able to even get near the pier, and many of the ships lying by us were covered with people. We have just spoken a ship from Chagres-No cholera there. We have had a very stormy time, and the rain is pouring now. Nearly all the passengers have been or are now seasick; but so far I have escaped. Captain Simmons and wife are on board, but Mrs. Sis sea-sick, and I have not seen her yet. Mr. Pugh is by my side writing. I understand that we do not go to New Orleans at all, and therefore can receive letters from you only at Charleston or Savannah. I am much afraid I shall find none there for me. I can scarcely write, as the sea is so rough I have to go on deck every few moments to keep from being sick. Give much love to Lydia and Mary, and ask them to write me often. Ever your affectionate son, MANCO C. DICKINSON. MR. E. B. STEPHENS TO MR. DICKINSON. PANAMA, March 15, 1849. DEAR SIR-I regret to say that, since my last letter to you, Manco has been very ill. He was quite prostrated with the fever, and the day before the sailing of the Oregon he was attacked with a hemorrhage of the lungs, in consequence of which the surgeon pronounced him utterly unable to be removed on board the vessel. His party have left him and gone Commodore Goldsborough has ordered him to report himself at Washington unfit for duty, on his recovery, which I learn he intends to do. on. He is having every attention which friends can give him. Dr. Harris of New York, Dr. Payne of Virginia, and Dr. Van Dyke of New York are attending upon him. I think he is rapidly recovering, and the physicians say that in a short time he will be about. Dr. Harris will write you before the closing of the mails. His physicians think he had better return to the States. The mail closes on the 18th. I keep back this letter to the very latest moment, in order to give you his condition. Yours truly, E. B. STEPHENS. March 16th. He is doing very well, and without doubt will soon recover. He is at the house of a Spanish gentleman in Panama, and has abundant means. Hon. D. S. DICKINSON, U. S. S. E. B. S. MANCO C. DICKINSON TO MR. DICKINSON. PANAMA, April 7, 1849. MY DEAR FATHER-I suppose before this time you are pleasantly situated at home, our old sweet home, and most earnestly do I wish myself there also. I am much better to-day, and if I continue to improve shall soon be able to start on my homeward journey. E. B. S. still remains with me and has proved himself a good friend. Dr. Payne is one of the best men in the world; and if you knew how attentive he has been to me through my severe illness, and how much kindness he has shown me, you would not fail to express your appreciation of it in the strongest terms. He is a great friend to you. It is now uncertain how, or when, or which way I shall go home, and you need make no calculations on what I have before written. I feel the want of the care of mother and sisters now more than |