"NEW YORK, _Mch. 21st, 1853_.
"MY DEAR FOWLER,--Yours of yesterday is recd., and I have read it to
Kennedy and Waterbury, who have started to get letters--they feel
confident that the Mayor will write; Dix is at Rye, but has written,
I think, to Tilden. Havemeyer writes for nobody this day. I enclose
a note of my own, which, with Marcy friendly, ought to cover ground
enough.
"I yesterday wrote O'Sullivan by Benton--also Temple; you will have
seen my letters before this. If I had known last week I could be of
service I might have run on. Now I start for Albany at 1.15, where
I have 3 causes amongst the first 10 in the Court of Appeals, and
they now have a rule that they will not strike off or reserve on the
first day. If I can get away the last of the week I will run on to
Washington, but then I suppose it will be too late. Tallcott came on
with Tilden to Philadelphia, and brings accounts corresponding with
those in your letter. If I had known exactly how matters stood I would
not have alluded in my letter to Temple to my previous letter to
Tilden; if he has not read the President my letter to him he may strike
out that part, or say that Tilden was afraid the abruptness of it might
not be understood, and so retained it. There is nothing in either
letter that should be misapprehended between honest men--the President
is entitled to frankness and plain-dealing, and so are we.
"In regard to my visiting Washington, I see no good I could do,
except to satisfy the President and Govr. Marcy that we mean to deal
with them not only fairly but liberally. This can as well be done by
yourself, Tilden, Richmond, O'Sullivan, Crosswell, Temple, Cassidy,
and any other friends with whom I have no secrets, and without whom
I should be powerless, if disposed to differ from them. Marcy must
be perfectly aware of this, and I am sure the President is. I am not
surprised to hear from all our friends that Marcy behaves well--his
natural disposition, old associations, good sense, and obvious policy
all combine to take him to the side of sound men, and if he is prudent
the party can be made very strong in this State. It is curious, but
true, that I have said from the first that the only fear I have about
him is that he will be too violent on the hard shells! It is a singular
fear for me to have, but it is because such a course would weaken M.'s
influence with Pierce, and excite sympathy with the hard shells. That
M. would be just to our people I have never doubted since he was
selected.
"I left word at Dix's that I had named him for the Collectorship. I had
some conversation with him about it the other day, and inferred from
what he said he would not decline. On looking over the whole ground
this seems to me the best thing the President can do--and I think Dix
would be pleased with it. We cannot insist on a mission for him and
the collectorship for a Barnburner. We must have the latter, and if
Dix, after being gazetted to the Cabinet and to France, should get
nothing it would be extremely awkward and almost ludicrous; this would
mortify me extremely as well as him and his friends. I have been to
see Havemeyer; he _says he will not accept_. I told him if he declined
we would murder him. But it seems to me the President should choose
between Kelly and Dix; if he can take Kelly and give Dix a mission that
would be best of all. Write me at Albany, and telegraph if anything
occurs.
"Truly Y'rs,
"J. VAN BUREN."
"P. S.--If the President gives us a fair man for Collector, and the
Navy ____ only, he might put in some Hunker for Marshal, P.-O.,
Apprsr., Surveyor, etc., leaving room for Dix's mission."