the Port Ryerse Journal The RYERSE-R,'ERSON Family Association Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 1 ISSN 201-0065 February 2003 LETTER from Martin Ryerson to Abraham Lincoln, April 18, 1864 From the Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress Newton. Sussex Co .. N.J. Apl. 18. 1864 "' I "4• ("l.,L.- ./ , .... - "· "-'Ir. President. As I never have been. and am not now, & never expect to be an .11... r....,..·,.,f..,.c:-- applicant for any thing from your Administration. I trust my motives in this ' ,,!,, • / •••• - ....... "-· communication may not be misconstrued. ...... ..,., .,.c,-~..,-·, ,_ ••~ _, ,,,.,..L1e---r.· .. ··- -'-"' t.:,.__c·r- ........ ,r·.~ r--··~ ~L~.._._ • •',V. •. ,: , I -:-~C.,.,. ./ ~uJ--C- ••• ., For 18 mor•1 iave been convinced that the best interests of the ~- ... I'.=. ,, ...: ~ ...! 11T•---·- ••• ,·c...~~~ - ....,,. ··ountry dema" _.o ur reelection. & so wrote nearly a year ago to Govr. -·-c "-c.... ~ .. :....._ .. ._.ii'"-... .... r.>( . .;\ ard. wnh whom I have been in the habit of corresponding for some years, .::." ., .... -.~./ ...... ,, ......... ._,,,~ .-,,, , Jnd am much gratified at the degree of unanimity among Union men in your ,:..._.!A..-'{ of..,r l':Z . t.c-~ u: ~..... .,,t; ....r .;:; favor. .-J4 •'"'-er-_.._.._ .... .. y ,, ,,._ ....,.. ..... I have always been a Democrat, & voted for Douglass in 1860, but :t"ri-.. .. -cu.. """''".(.,,, 1 ~<11--rr-,.-,J(',n._ /,;,........ there is no longer any Democratic Party like that to which I was ardently L..__ . ;... ~~ ... ._ ... ? lM\l..._..;A,...·-'7 devoted: modem Democracy is devotion to slavery & traitors. r- , r, ._ ...,_ .....__ . -....> ,~ .... ~ ... , ,:.. 1o&S.C:~c.-£.. Arno-d.,- r ''••~~ I' ' I/ • • ' , ; But while I look upon your nomination as a certainty, at least as .. ·-/ · ··~ "'· -·- ·-r·-1-. ·- //......_.~I t..._.. 4.. ~~Ot.A..lil.C° .._ certain as any such future event can be, yet I am by no means so sanguine ; .:. NL c;- about the election. & unless we speedily have great military successes I look --~/- ~,_,,; -:~. ,,.~- • ••• (--..,..c...... ---r J~ , ... "~ 4o r.: upon it as quite doubtful. I have not space to detail now all the reasons for this opinion. One of the chiefones is the division among Republicans, & the , . apparent determination to run Fremont at all hazards. Should it be done, I fear that in ... /1'.. .- *1c-- 1~{, t c-? ...,.... .. ( " many large States he would take off votes enough to defeat you, and your defeat. & the ...v~"'' .,..tt"""7" ~ -,, r:- triumph of the Copperhead Democrats, would be such a calamity to our country that nothing not positively wrong should be left undone to prevent it. In view of this permit me to suggest whether Fremont cannot be induced to refuse the use of his name against "'U if nominated, & to give you a hearty support, by an understanding through some _ .1fidential friend. that he should have your support for the succession? I am aware that here are at least half a dozen, including members of your Cabinet, looking to this succession, & such a movement would require very 2 The Port Ryerse Journal February 2003 'Deal& ?/tt&. P~ -continued delicate management to avoid giving offence in those You have Mr. President, my warmest sympathies in quarters, but I am persuaded that it might be made; & kept your trying position; no ruler was ever so tried. But we may secret long enough. Surely a fit negotiator could be found, & rejoice that God rules, that he is the hearer & answerer of if I do not greatly mistake in my estimate of HeRt Fremont it prayer, & while unceasing prayer is offered in your behalf, in would succeed. His heart is fixed on the Presidency, & he many lands, besides our own, I shall not cease to hope for a ought to have sense enough to see that by running now as an speedy & auspicious solution of all our trials. independent Candidate not only would he greatly endanger your election, & be himself defeated at present, but be With sentiments of the highest respect & regard, politically destroyed in the future, & that only in the way I suggest can he ever reach the Presidency. I cannot see any Your obt. Servt. political or moral wrong in such an arrangement, & the stake to the country, & to the whole human race, is so great, that I Martin Ryerson. should rejoice to see it made. ••••••••••• Permit me some suggestions about the Vice Presidency. It seems to me that you would be greatly JUDGE MARTIN RYERSON, LL.D., was the eldest strengthened by changing the Candidate, & taking either Dix, son of the Hon. Thomas Coxe and Hannah Amelia B. F. Butler!- or Andrew Johnson. I name Dix first, because I Jarvis (Ogden) Ryerson. He was b. at Hamburg, N.J. think he would bring most strength to the ticket. He enjoys Sept. 15, 1815 and d. July 17, 1875. He opened a law the respect & confidence of the whole country; there is office in Newark but later moved to Newton, his native nothing about him positively offensive to any Democrats county and there practiced law with very great success. except those of the Vallandigham & w()()(iZ stripe; the Dem. In 1844 he was a member of the Constitutional press has not that I am aware of at all denounced him; he has Convention and in 1849 he was elected to the Lower a strong hold upon the conservative & business men, & House. In 1855 he was made an Associate Justice of capitalists, & would I think strengthen the ticket greatly in N. the Supreme Court. His reputation as a jurist was Y. & to some extent in every State. I would next prefer national. Johnson; I beleive he is well liked in all the Joyal States by conservatives & radicals, & his nomination might strengthen MARTIN RYERSON also wrote a (9 page) letter to the eause ticket in the West, South, & South West. But I am William H. Seward on August 11, 1862. The subject of not enough acquainted with public opinion in those States to that letter was Emancipation, and although far too long have a decided opinion of my own as to them. At all events. it to include here, we excerpt one interesting paragraph. would animate & encourage loyal men in the South & South West, & strengthen the Union in those quarters, by shewing "I was once a .A.._ ,.,,,., them that loyal Southern men are not to be ignored. Democrat of the straitest . 1.... - sect, a Pharisee of the ···- ,.. " ........ .. :t! .~ ....... :,:-:=:~.:. /;' - -· ... ,_ I name Butler, because I think he would do most to Pharisees but I am now most conciliate the Radical Republicans: he would not bring any thoroughly convinced that Dem. strength; Dems who oppose you, hate him much worse unless our Government than they do you, chiefly I suppose because of the contrast makes up it's mind, and that ~,:~tt~~~;i:~~: between his former & present position. But at all events a new speedily, to destroy slavery, man should be taken for V. P. & he aught to be one who in ~ !~.. :·.:-- ?.l;:_:~::t' ·..:~~~:: ~ ·:·: and proceeds with out delay • · • • , ,..,J, I). .... , • ,/ I'- • - • 1860 acted with the Dem. Party. :·:.-.... ··.-;.. :· _-:;;; ; .-"::·~: ·- '":-:· to act upon that :. u " ::, ,,"' ';,',, ••• :~.:';:· : · _ '"'• ' .. ' ... ,(,...... .. ~·· '· ·- .. determination, it will destroy , " • ,, - - ···- · r- "'•/ .. ' ..; I trust Sir that you will pardon my freedom in our Union and we of the Free :.?~·.:: ~:=:~: "..=:::.:.~ ::~· ~ .. -- ,,_,., ,... .. "· ...... , making these suggestions. I have done it because of the States will be at the mercy of ,"... -· i: .. .:. • • . •. •• earnest desire I feel for your reelection. National gratitude, as Europe." well as the safety of the country, demand it, & I confess that there is still enough of the old Adam about me to cause me to desire to see Southern Traitors still further humbled by living READ MORE ABOUT IT four years under your Presidency with a restored Union; they causelessly, & most wickedly rebelled against your lawful election, & basely plotted your murder, and now I want them Our thanks to Roger Hastings who has provided this to have enough of it, for their own good, as well as their internet link: humiliation, & as a lesson to future generations that the lawful http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/malhome.html decisions of the ballot box must be quietly submitted to. February 2003 The Port Ryerse Journal 3 Ryerson/Ackerman Bible (recently auctioned on eBay) ..... -· .. - - l. OUH \' U .. \ \ I 01't\ .I E :-; t · I'S (' II H I ~ 'l'. Ht; ruruu.a TR.J.'"'L\TIO"' DJLIO£.~LY CQ)[p\f\ED \;\D l!L\J"-t::O. 11 ur-nn.n. nmu~r ~11 a .. & tW:'ll'Ur ... ~...... -..,~--...- .. ,..~~ 1e..•. ..... ....... ... .a;.. .... ...... ""'''... .-.· ....~. ·.· ...... ·. ·' .11.1m11y 1>1101 t, --:--- I t :.;.·.:,..:,=·=-··:..-: .. : • "'\' :s··-----·-··-·_,._,.o_____ . ,_____ ......:.::.:;":.: •=-<>::_ / I ,,"i~/, . i/.. .. :n . ,•,••' ,.f ... ! • " \ ..,, ·. I ; /',,~1• ~ ,, '\&,..,,, '"' ;• .~:- Jl1 ~ , ,,,,,,... ',. ~... '•i•,;· ··"· / ~ · . I , - ~ -.....:: /',· ...~ .. _. "•;a. ~ /. ·- 11t/.• I ' ' . j ..,;, li.t•·'·' . It:••;; I G6i'itast The Port Rverse Journal Februarv 2003 2ol 7 List Tl1inl ~lrcct • Oulntl.. ~linm·snt..:i .:;.:;$12 •Toll Fn.'C 1~771 ~07-~077 The home now known as the A.G. Thomson Ryerson had come to Duluth that January from House was originally built for William N. a similar position in Niagara Falls, New York­ Ryerson in 1909 at a cost of approximately along with wife, Martha, and their three $17,000. It was designed by Minneapolis children. The Ryersons moved into the newly architect, Edwin H. Hewitt-a native of Red completed home on April 27, 1910. A fire on Wing, Minnesota, "whose impeccable credentials Christmas Day, 1913-apparently caused by included an apprenticeship with Cass Gilbert burning wrapping paper caught in the and a diploma from the celebrated Ecole des chimney-resulted in major damage to the Beaux-Arts in Paris." Among Hewitt's better house, with repairs totaling nearly half its known buildings in the Twin Cities are the original construction cost.