|
James W. Seward to Gerrit Smith Lt. [sic] Louis, July 7th [?], 1840 [?] Gerrit Smith Papers, Syracuse University Mr. Smith My much respected & highly & most justly honoured friend When I look back upon the scenes of my past Life, when my mind reverts to scenes of Boyhood and the still more recent associations of manhood to the days when my heart was a stranger to distress [?] or via? & when I walked in the paths of morality with the inward gratification & pleasure that every just man experiences in the discharge of his relations to his fellow man. Often during the recollection it is with extreme sorrow & burning shame that I revert to the fond hopes & anticipations in my future [?] Circirm [circumstances?] in Life, and to the numerous & Kind friends of boy, youth & verging [emerging?] Manhood. Among the first Kindest Best and Most untiring I still remember your name with emotions of liveliest gratitude. You have been even so Kind as To extend me your profound & everlasting [?] Judgement. & Advice in Relation To my [y?] & prospects both Temporal & spiritual. In prosperity or adversity your Kindness was unchanged. When I saw [?] Trouble & distress you were the first to Kindly Lend me your Home Influence & Love [?] To extricate me & your advice to shield or guard me from future danger. I now reflect how I neglected [rejected?] Your advice & Kind instruction & Launched Forth upon the perilous Part [?] of the world without Experience, and forgetting & Rejecting the Knowledge that I derived from the experiences of . . . . [Last line missing at bottom of page one.] But I am reconciled to die, I am resigned to my fate. My hope & trust is in the all prevailing care of the blessed Redeemer. I am attended by a Catholic Clergyman. Mr. Kowun [?] the Prebyterian C. who has visited me until very recently and would have attended my last hours is now very ill. Mr. Connelly being a very pious & benevolent gentleman and entirely free from prejudice to my opinion, I preferred for He interferes not with my Calvinistic belief, which is still unchanged. I must now Close forever. I have but 54 hours in this world. I am in a Spanish cell, 8 ft. under ground. The Cell is 8 by 12, no light but through a loophole and the Iron door. I have heavy handcuffs on each hand fastened in the centre. Heavy irons on my feet and fastened to a ring in the floor by a chain 3 Inches Long. My fare is Coarse Corn Bread & water. In this cell are six other persons. The heat is so intense that prisoners are to strip upon entering & remain so while they stay. The Cell is constantly ringing with oaths and Blasphemy. Even while I am now writing my ear is stunned with Oaths & Obscenity. But in all my trials, troubles, & sorrows, I enjoy a Comfort & pleasure by trusting in God. I feel to day that I know that my Redeemer Liveth and because he Lives I shall live also. Adieu forever. When you receive this James will be in another & better world. My dying respects to Mrs. Smith & to all that inquire of my melancholy & unfortunate fateThe Last of James W. Seward. Transcribed by Judith Wellman and George Wise |