476 . MEMOIR OF DANIEL TREADWELL, 



from New York, but I have got over it, and for the last three months ha^e been remarkably well, 

 spirited, and active. 1 have employed some time in revising, perfecting, and publishing a papec 

 that I read, in substance, to the American Academy many years ago. It is short, but / think 

 there is much in it. I shall send a copy per mail with this ; and if you will read it, so as to get 

 hold of it, I tliink you will like it. 



I have, likewise, taken uj) my cannon again. This must now come up, and I have written 

 upon it to the authorities at Wasliington, and shall, during the present week, publisli a pamphlet 

 upon it. This I will .send you as soon as it is out. I think you will say it ouglit to have had the 

 motto, " Who would have thought tiie old man to have had so much blood in him?" But we 

 shall see what comes of it. One thing is certain, I shall not " worrit " about it. 



For Mrs. Treadwell, she is about as she was when at your house. She often speaks of her 

 visit as one of the most pleasant that she ever made. She had a letter from Mrs. Sweetser a few 

 days ago, with which she was much pleased, and will answer it very soon. In the mean time, lier 

 love to both. 



What a miserable business this taking of Mason and Slidell has turned out to be. What 

 fools the politicians and lawyers have shown themselves, not to have known at once that it was 

 entirely contrary to the law of nations, and that England would never jtut up with the insult and 

 wrong. The truth is (and Mrs. Sweetser will agree with me if you do not) that we have had 

 all our heads turned by a success through the greater ])art of the last eighty years. This has 

 engendered such an overweening opinion of ourselves that we have thought we were a match for 

 all the world, and Jupiter (the planet Jupiter) into the bargain ; and now the time has come to 

 pay for our nonsense. I do not see any way out of it. The Union split in two, and the Consti- 

 tution gone ! Alas for the great Republic I I have known this thiz-ty years that it must come, 

 but it has come at last " like a thief in the night," and after all taken me by surprise. But why 

 should a man of seventy grieve for the few years that remain to liim. Those that are coming 

 forward in life will find some way to carry on the world that they will possess. 



Best regards to Mrs. Sweetser, Mr. and Mrs. Haven, Mr. J. Haven, and Mrs. Hopkins, and 

 believe me ever yours, 



Daniel Treadwell. 



In April, 1862, daring the war of the Rebellion, the State of Massachusetts was in 

 want of guns for the defence of her harbors, and applied to Mr. Treadwell to make 

 them. A Commission was appointed, and an arrangement made by which he un- 

 dertook to manufacture one hundred large guns according to his methods. The 

 Commission, and a joint committee of the Legislature, after a full examination of the 

 subject, made reports highly favorable to the guns, and recommended that they be 

 adopted for arming the forts, and an appropriation be at once voted for the purpose. 

 The appropriation failed, being lost in the Senate at its last reading on the last night 

 of the session by a majority of one vote, — 18 to 17. 



A few days after the failure of the appropriation. Governor Andrew sent to the 

 Secretary of War the following letter, calling the attention of the Government to the 

 importance of the propositions that Mr. Treadwell was about to make, and his ability 

 to execute them. 



