"WASHINGTON, _March 4, 1845_.
"MY DEAR SIR,--I have received your letter of yesterday, which is much
more acceptable than your personal presence. Indeed, I suppose that
your intelligence from Albany would have changed the design, even if
you had entertained it, of coming here. _I_ did not expect you to start
before Mon. morning.[10]
"As far as your personal position is concerned, it is sustained by your
renewed declension--perhaps uttered, although that it did not need.
For be assured that nothing has been done to bring in question the
sincerity and reality of your declension, as well as the good faith of
your grounds, but everything to satisfy both. It, however, does lessen
our right, or _apparent_ right, to complain of the precipitancy of Mr.
Polk's action before the receipt of Mr. Van Buren's letter.
"I judge from your letter that every time the excitement of the
particular motive operating on your mind for the moment to accept any
department, subsides, your aversion returns and strengthens. This shows
that it is the predominant and settled conviction, which ought not to
be, without imperative necessity, disregarded, and applies even in
the case of a _recast_. In this connection, I should add to the hasty
view of the affair I yesterday gave you that Bancroft thinks that if
you had accepted the War a recast could have been had, and intimates
the possibility as if from the President. This may be so--others have
thought so the whole time--but I doubt, for reasons I will explain when
I see you.
"Last evening we had an interview with the President. Representations
had been made to him which were repeated by us and which he said
_convinced_ him of his error, but it was now too late to retract if the
Heavens and the Earth came together. He assured us that he had acted
from misinformation, and with the best intentions--that he would do all
he could to counteract the consequences of his error--that he should
be President himself, although not coming in with the same personal
strength as some of his predecessors, and would protect us from any
malign influences--that in regard to the important appointments in N.
Y. he would rely on his old friends and act with the concurrence of V.
B. and W. He has repeatedly and to different persons pledged himself as
to the Collector. His asseverations of attachment, fidelity, and fair
dealing towards N. Y. were earnest and strong, almost passing dignity,
yet with an air of sincerity which made a strong impression as to mere
personal intentions.
"Still I have perhaps more fears than hopes. The administration is
captured by the quasi-Van Buren men who went with us before Baltimore
but deserted us there; who cannot risk the power of the government in
those who understand and remember them; and confederate now against
Wright. At least that seems to me the influence--which in spite of
Polk's probable intentions--has shaped the Cabinet. Calhoun has no
share. There will be no one in the Cabinet on whom N. Y. can rely.
Buchanan you know. Walker has a strong will enough to predominate over
all the rest. Marcy is taken by the same influence which selected
Walker because while he answers some of the demands of decency towards
N. Y. is least identified with Wright. Mason, Atty. Gen. (unless ____
to James) and R. Johnson. How can Bancroft stand up against all the
others?
"Truly y'rs,
"S. J. TILDEN."