Year: 1873

| dlC uDOut " .JOuI pICGGDb
ton for the more active and expensive
| one of a canvass of approaching elec-
| ton, [ beg to offer the enclosed to as
sst in paying the cost. You need have
no fear that / shall trouble for office as
| am better calculated for business than
| political position, nor do desire that it
shall be known that we correspond. If
| it should be, | would probably be i'm
portuned for letters of introduction to
an extent that would be anything but
pleasant to you or myself l, like your
self am a New Yorker born and am
ever ready to contribute to the honor of
| New York and her sons. |, like your
| self, was at an early age sent forth to
earn living and establish character.
In the first have succeed to my utmost
deserving; for the latter refer to those
who know me best Your career has
been different from mine. You aimed
| to be statesman, position more full
of honor than profit thus far. Your
| friends must be satisfied with your posi-
tiOn aid reputation; in a pecuniary
! point of view, | doubt if it can be very
satisfactory. Observation has taught
me to allow that it is almost impossible
| for poor boy to succeed as statesman,
unless he has friends who will assist him
in his financial necessities. If not assist
| ed, he must remain in the background,
and the places of statesmen be filled in
many instances by persons having more
money than ability. Where would have
been our Webster, Clay and many 9TH
ers if it had not been for friends who
/ came forward during their financial en-
barrassment. l hope and believe you
have many friends who will assist you to
obtain the high position your character
and ability so fully entitle you, and you
/ will not accuse me Of fiattery, | hope,
when | say there is no position under
| our government for which | think you
unqualified. The present campaign viii
be an expensive one. If you find you
are in want of funds you are at liberty
/ to call upon me, with the assurance that
! if | have money to spare you shall have
/ it. If | have not [ will 50 inform you,
and in either case the matter will then
terminate. | have the honor to be your
obedieDtsservant,


GEORGE F. NEsBITT,


Hon. Schuyler ColfaX, Washington,
I d. c.


NEW YORK, July IS, 1868.
Ny Dear Sn:-Your favor of the
/ 18th was duly received. l fear it is too
/ late for you to think of engaging in bus
mess unless you are defeated in the COM
! ing election, which is not possible The
! opposition will resort to all and any
means to elect their ticket, and they
/ have an untold amount of money to
back them, but with all this we will
/ beat them not by remaining idle, how
ever, for we have much and hard work
/ to do, and the party Will require money,
/ but the furnishing of this must be left
/ to the political organizations. Persons
who are in office will pay in the hope
/ that they will be retained, and others
who are out will pay in the hope that
/ they may get in. Between the two /
/ think the party will be supplied Not
/ so with you. Your friends must supply
/ you and the money must come without
any promises on your part, expressed or
/ implied. have but little experience in
/ political matters and may not be a safe
/ adviser, but | might be allowed to sug-
/ gest that your reputation is sufficient for
present purposes and would not proba-
/ bly, be improved by letter-writing or
/ speaking in public. | think if you were
! put away somewhere it would be almost
as well. If You should be coming North
and wish to spend a few days quietly
/ and out OF the way, | would like you to
/ get in one of the cars of the New Haven
road and take a trip TO the quiet little
town OF Stamford, and ask the first hack
man you see to take you to my summer
/ house. ! am about one and half miles
from the station, in a very quiet neigh
| bOrhood, and live very plainly. | am
at home at all times except Wednesdays
] Col 7 in .,,-l~
and would have my carriage at the sta
ton to meet you. if l knew when to ex-
pect YOU You shall not be ANNOYED by
company, unless there should be some
friend of yours in the town whom you
would like to see. The Sabbath is de-
lightful day with ms. | regret that we
are not personally acquainted, | never
having seen you except from the gallery
of the House, and you never having seen
me at all | feel that am taking liber-
ties with you, but | do assure you | am
anxious only for your success, in the
first place because you are a son of New
York, but more particularly because you
have shown conspicuously that though
born of humble parents, you have been
rendered almost the highest honor in the
power of your fellow citizens to bestow,
without resOrting to the low devices of
the politician, but rather exhibiting all
those Christian virtues so well becoming
a true gentleman of honor. About the
first of November next | shall have an
other ST 900 for your use, and will re-
quire your address at that time. You
do not probably fully understand me,
but in order that you may | will explain.
have made it a rule to inform my chill
dren, as soon as they were old enough
to understand me, that it was my inten-
ton, if had the means at the time of
nv death, to leave them sufficient to
provide them with the necessaTies of
life. As for the luxuries they must
work for them as | had done, if they
required them. This rule | am prepar-
ing to carry out. 1t enables me to do
some good while living, and probably
Will save some of my children from the
disadvantages too often attending the ac-
quisition of money not earned. My
children are being educated to earn their
living at such occupations as seems best
adapted to the disposition of each.
have written more than | meant to, and
more probably than will be interesting
to YOU. will close as | began. 1t is
too late for you to think of being any
thing but statesman. If that does not
pay, your friends must make up the de-
ficiency. While can l will contribute.
When | can do it no longer, some other
friend will appear to take my place.
Please believe me when | say | desire
most particularly that our correspond
ence should be private, and when a dis
continuance would appear desirable by
you, you are only to notify me and your
wish shall be respected.


Very respectfully,


your obedient servant,


GEORGE f. NEsBITT.


Hon. Schuyler Colfax, Washington,
D. c


Mote. This letter cannot be found.


SCHUYLER CoLFAx.


Mr.. Colfax stated that he met Mr..
Nesbitt after this at his office, bis house
and his (Colfax's) residence in Washing
ton and sneakinu to him about his Law