The name of this song is "OH! SUSANNA" by Stephen Foster from 1848. American Folk Music.
Tuesday, November 7, 1848
Dear Reader,
Went into Winfield today to cast my vote for
president. For the first time, all 30 states have voted on the same day so it
may take a long time to count all the results.
Presidential
politics have been all the talk for the past couple months. But we had to put a
stop to the topic at the (Masonic) Winfield Lodge last month as things got a
bit too heated. Thought some of the men were going to come to blows.
As
part of the business of the meeting, we took up a collection for Mrs.
Clapsaddle. She was recently left alone when her young husband was killed in a
hunting accident. Mother, in her usual anxiety to get me married, has suggested
I make my existence known to the grieving widow as she has over 200 acres of
rich bottom land and a herd of healthy Holsteins. Such is the case, but she
also has a brood of three young-uns under the age of five.
We
concluded the meeting with the induction of Josiah Eckler who having reached his
18th birthday and asked to be admitted to the Lodge. He is now an apprentice as
he got 100% favorable vote by the members.
After
the meeting, his brother, Martin, told me of watching an outdoor Whig rally
over in Utica. He said most of the speakers for (Zachery) Taylor were awfully
dull except for one - the homeliest man he'd ever laid eyes on - a Mr. Abraham
Lincoln.
In
the end, I believe that most of the farmers in the valley will have, as usual, voted
for the Democratic Party and our candidate, Mr. Lewis Cass.
They
say President Polk has failed in health in the past few months. The war with
Mexico hurt our party and must have ruined his health as well. But in the end -
his war left us with thousands of additional acres of territory for our nation.
But he also left us with the vexing question of whether that territory will be
slave or free.
Our
party has been dangerously split on this issue; many of our members have left
us to join the new third party that formed for the main purpose of keeping the
new lands free of slavery.
This
past June, they held their convention in Utica and nominated our eighth past
president Mr. (Martin) Van Buren as their candidate. I fear that Mr. Van Buren's
Free Soil Party has taken votes from our Democratic party and given the Whigs a
way into the White House.
Mother
has become more bold in speaking of things other than my marriage prospects at
the supper table. This past Sunday she opined that if she, "as a mere woman",
were allowed to vote, she would put her mark on Mr. Van Buren's column to
"rid our blessed nation from the horrible scourge of slavery."
Father
rolled his eyes and later lectured me on the "obvious single-mindedness of
women which made any attempt to let them vote dangerous to the very fabric of
the nation."
I
have not given too much thought to the slavery issue. There are very few men in
the surrounding counties who are slave owners and I don't know we should be
telling the southern farmers how to do their business. I will have to study on
the subject as I believe it will continue to well up in future elections.
Your Devoted Correspondent,
Chauncey Sherman Seckner
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