Washington City
Feb 10, 1845
Mary,
I have recd. no papers or letters the week
past from Vermont. The mails were delayed
three days by the snow this side of New York
and we have frightful accounts of the snow
and wind along the sea coast as far north
as Salem. We have not yet heard anything
from the interior of New England & New York
but presume you have had a heavy storm.
It was for several days extremely cold here &
then we had snow & rain and all the time
high wind & extremely disagreeable weather;
much worse than the winter cold in Vermont.
All well. I think the whigs are gradually
outgrowing the first depression of defeat and are
beginning to assume a little more spirit and
cheerfulness and [indoworing] to put as good a
face on their condition as they are able, but
it is a sore defeat
You shall hear & read of con-
troversies, personalities, quarrels, fights & duels
among the members & there are some, but they
appear much greater in the papers than they
are in fact. They disturb but for short time
the ordinary tenor of affairs & then pass off and
are forgotten, or afterward, alluded to only as
matter of ridicule. Indeed I think this
session of congress has been much more peaceable
& the general treatment of the members of the
two parties by each other has been much more
courteous than the last session. Then the controversy
for election of presidency was warm & violent, but
now that has passed by.
In about ten days the new President, Col.
Polk, will be in this city & immediately there will
be a crowd here soliciting appointments. Yes no
doubt there will be many thousands & it will be
a motley of amusement to witness the strife, e-
specially amusement to whigs who have no part or
lot in the matter.
Since writing the above, I have recd. your
mothers letter of the 1st and you may well
conceive the impression it made when I consider
her long nights of distress. Mary, she must keep still
& some mode must be taken to have the work done
without her. The information that a girl is to there
before now was some relief to me. She says she
has abandoned her proposed journey and I should
think her health would not enable her to proceed.
I know not what to say but let all be done for
the best. I am glad my time for return draws
near, it is three weeks however & that is a long
time to the sick. I must dismiss this subject.
Texas, Texas, Texas. I am sick of that too and
shall say no more of it than I can help.
Your mothers letter speaks of Col. Coolidge &
the marriage of his daughter. I had seen that
marriage in the paper. It was unexpected to me
but, from what I have heard Col. C say of Mr. Butler
I presume it was to him satisfactory. You know my
respect to Col. C. He was here this winter several
days & was indeed very decisive in his disapproba-
tion of our house, but your mother is very correct
in presuming it does not appear to lead to those
who become accustomed to it.
I have nothing new to write. I have been
very busy in relation to my speech. There is much
hard work in preparing the materials for a speech
in [from], then after its delivery, in writing it out
for the press, in correcting the proof sheets & then
in [fauling] , directing & sending off fifteen hundred
copies by mail. But it is done & my friends must
not expect I shall do this more than once in a
My Love to my wife & children
session.
Affectionately your father
J. Collamer