12/15/1848 - We Lost!

Dec 15, 1848

Dear Reader,

                               The Whigs are in --- Our Democrats are out.

                             Meet your next President and Vice-President.

         

     

                   Zachary Taylor                                              Millard Fillmore

 Mr. Taylor, "Old Rough and Ready"  and Mr. Fillmore will be sworn in next March.  I guess it will be after that that we will finally find out what Mr. Taylor stands for.  He certainly didn't have much to say on matters while on the stump. But that House of Representatives member from Illinois, Mr. Lincoln, had a lot to say on slavery and is credited with bringing many electoral votes to Mr. Taylor's side. He might be a fella to heed come the next elections.

    

Sunday suppers have been rather quiet affairs since the results were announced.  Father is in a bad mood and not able to speak of the election without growing agitated. His musings on the matters of state have boiled down to this practiced speech: 

   

"Our Democrats worry about the plans these Whigs have for the economy. Their practices favor  big business, big manufacturing,  the railroad robber barons, and those damned protective tariffs.  The results will certainly lead to the rise of a bunch of bluenose aristocratic snobs.. Our party believes in the common man--the man of average wealth, who holds an honest city occupation or, as a farmer, lives on the land raising food for the nation. We must prevail in the elections to come!

    

Mother has been quiet as well.  She does not want to upset Father in any way and isn't quite sure how he would view her increasing interest in poetry.  She and my sister, Fannie, have had their heads together over a letter sent to Mother by her old schoolteacher, Mrs. Avery, who has discovered the works of a Mr. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  The piece she has copied, which was published earlier this year is called "Evangeline".  The letter is rather long but apparently the whole poem is much longer.  Mother has not felt it necessary to share with me.  This is perhaps for the best as she and Fannie are in tears every time they read to one another. 

I'm sure I will sometime in future meet a woman who I will be able to understand....

Your Dedicated Corespondent,

Chauncey Sherman Seckner

To read the full text of "Evangeline", Click Here

Zachary Taylor                    Millard Fillmore

Mr. Taylor, "Old Rough and Ready" will take office next March.