Spinner, Francis Elias (1802-1890) to Moses Fowler Odell
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00669 Author/Creator: Spinner, Francis Elias (1802-1890) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 16 November 1865 Pagination: 4 p. : docket ; 19.7 x 16.5 cm. Order a Copy
Spinner, United States Treasurer, responds to a telegraph and a letter from Odell, a former United States Representative from New York. Laments the suicide of Preston King, stating: "While his heart was overflowing with human kindness toward all men, he was rigidly just. No consideration of comfort or interest to himself or the warmest friendship for others, could for a moment sway him from the pursuit if what he believed to be right." Written on Treasury Department stationery. Docketed on the upper right corner of the last page.
Preston King served as a United States Representative from New York 1843-1846 and 1849-1852, Senator 1857-1862, and customs collector of the Port of New York 1865.
[Draft Created by Crowdsourcing]
November 16, 1865.
My dear Sir:-
Your telegraphic dispatch of the night before, which I did not receive until near Eleven O'Clock, had prepared me for the sad news imparted by your kind and friendly letter of the 14th.
I was so impressed with the conviction [struck: with the conviction] that our good friend King was no more that I could not close my eyes for the
[2]
whole night.-Circumstances came to my mind as far back as when he was last here that satisfied me that his mind was in the same state that I had known it in 1838. When I meet you, I will tell you of incidents that then occurred.
For thirty years I have known Mr. King well, and I can say that of all our public men, I have never met one that in all things came so
[3]
near to perfection-While his heart was overflowing with human kindness toward all men, he was rigidly just.
No consideration of comfort or interest to himself or the warmest friendship for others, could for a moment sway him from the pursuit of what he believed to be right.-
My friendship for him was so great that I would have been willing to have made any sacrifice for his benefit-It was from this feeling
[4]
[docket in upper left corner]
Gen'l Spinner
Death of Preston King
1865
but which for the time, I [put] on another ground, I was willing to have taken the Auditorship in his office.-But I was constrained to remain here, and now I am oppressed with a feeling that had I then complied with his wishes, possibly, his life might have been saved.-
Near relatives he has none. Perhaps this was one reason why he loved all that was good in man Every Where.-
Very truly yours,
F. E. Spinner
[illegible] Moses F. Odell,
Custom House,
New York, N.Y.
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