Seward, William Henry

Autograph letter signed ("William H. Seward"), 1 page (9 7/8 x 7 7/8 in.; 250 x 200 mm), Washington, 28 June 1850, to Samuel Wilbur, discussing the Fugitive Slave Act and the admission of California to the union; a few light spots at lower edge, formerly folded.



[With:]
California, Union, and Freedom. Speech of William H. Seward, on the Admission of California. [Washington, D.C.:], printed and for sale by Buell & Blanchard, [1850].



Pamphlet, 8vo (9 ½ x 6 in.; 242 x 152 mm, uncut); light marginal spotting on first and last pages.

Autograph letter signed ("William H. Seward"), 1 page (9 7/8 x 7 7/8 in.; 250 x 200 mm), Washington, 28 June 1850, to Samuel Wilbur, discussing the Fugitive Slave Act and the admission of California to the union; a few light spots at lower edge, formerly folded. [With:] California, Union, and Freedom. Speech of William H. Seward, on the Admission of California. [Washington, D.C.:], printed and for sale by Buell & Blanchard, [1850]. Pamphlet, 8vo (9 ½ x 6 in.; 242 x 152 mm, uncut); light marginal spotting on first and last pages.
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"I have a confiding hope and belief that California will be admitted on her own merits and not upon any compromise."

Seward (1801-1872), Governor of New York, and then United States Senator, defended runaway slaves in court and opposed the Fugitive Slave Act. The Act arose as one of a series of measures called, as a whole, the Compromise of 1850, which attempted to redress the new imbalance between free and slave states created by the Mexican War. The decision to admit the newly-formed state of California as a free state angered pro-slavery Americans, and to prevent turmoil the Act was passed to help slaveholders by mandating that all escaped slaves must be returned to their masters, and that ordinary citizens must aid slave-catchers. Seward's actions in the Senate were instrumental in the admission of California as a free state.

In the letter, Seward promises to send a copy of "Mr. Mason's Fugitive Slave bill" to his correspondent (evidently a newspaperman), but believes he is unable to supply him with any more information "more definitely than you have it in the public journals, concerning the great questions discussed here." He demurs from written comment on these questions: "Thus I deem it proper to avoid writing letters concerning political subjects. Letters must be written hastily if at all, and the debates here offer a representative abundant opportunity to make his sentiments known."

In his speech of 11 March 1850, Seward wants California to come into the Union as a State immediately. Its admission would guarantee its anti-slavery status, as Mexican law had barred slavery there. Seward answers Calhoun's objections to statehood, and insists that Congress may reject a statehood application by a territory which wishes to maintain slavery within its borders, a position that of course infuriated the slave-holding states.