MVB Papers (DLC)
"The Martin Van Buren Papers, one of twenty-three presidential collections in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, contains more than 6,000 items dating from 1787 to circa 1910. The bulk of the material dates from the 1820s, when Van Buren (1782-1862) was a U.S. senator from New York, through his service as secretary of state and vice president in the Andrew Jackson administrations (1829-1837), to his own presidency (1837-1841) and through the decade thereafter when he made unsuccessful bids to return to the presidency with the Democratic and Free Soil parties. Included are correspondence, autobiographical materials, notes and other writings, drafts of messages to Congress in 1837 and 1838, and other speeches, legal and estate records, miscellany, and family items.
The collection primarily consists of letters received by Van Buren from other individuals, as well as copies, drafts, transcripts, and photocopies of letters written by him. Correspondents include George Bancroft, Thomas Hart Benton, Francis P. Blair, James Buchanan, law partner Benjamin F. Butler (1795-1858), Churchill C. Cambreleng, John A. Dix, John Fairfield, Azariah Cutting Flagg, Henry D. Gilpin, James Hamilton, Jr., Jesse Hoyt, Charles Jared Ingersoll, Andrew Jackson, Amos Kendall, William L. Marcy, Louis McClane, Richard Elliot Parker, James Kirke Paulding, Joel R. Poinsett, James K. Polk, Thomas Ritchie, William Cabell Rives, Andrew Stevenson, Levi Woodbury, and Silas Wright.
The Calendar of the Papers of Martin Van Buren created by Elizabeth Howard West for the Manuscript Division in 1910 provides a list and index for the general correspondence contained in the original collection up to that date. Some 150 letters received by the Library of Congress after 1910 are not represented in the calendar. These items have been interfiled within Series 2 of the collection. Typescripts of letters can also be found in Series 7, Miscellany. A finding aid to the current Van Buren Papers collection is available online.
Note that this site is limited to the Martin Van Buren Papers collection and does not include all documents by, about, or related to Van Buren in the Library of Congress. The Library’s Manuscript Division holds additional Van Buren-related documents pertaining to his family and his long and varied political career in New York and Washington, as well as his role in evolving party politics in his era. These documents are located in the collections of other individuals, including Andrew Jackson, Andrew Jackson Donelson, James K. Polk, William L. Marcy, William C. Rives, Charlotte Cushman, Duff Green, Reverdy Johnson, Andrew Stevenson, and Nicholas P. Trist, and in the family papers of the Blair, Bancroft-Bliss, Henry Clay, Samuel Smith, and Singleton families."
"This collection of Martin Van Buren Papers is arranged into eight series and oversize. Series 8 of the collection contains the newer additions. These are grouped by the year the addition was received or processed as part of the collection. The bulk of the collection was captured on 35 reels of microfilm, the scans of which comprise the bulk of this online collection. A list of the series follows.
- Series 1, Autobiography, 1854-1862 (Reels 1-3)
- Series 2, General Correspondence, 1787-1868 (Reels 4-34)
- Series 3, Additional Correspondence, 1811-1853 (Reel 34)
- Series 4, Messages, 1837-1838 (Reel 35)
- Series 5, Legal Record Book, 1807-1813 (Reel 35)
- Series 6, Estate Record Book, 1862-1863 (Reel 35)
- Series 7, Miscellany, 1814-1910 (not microfilmed; scanned from originals)
- Series 8, Addenda, 1799-1862 (Reel 36 and not filmed; some scanned from originals)
- Oversize, 1837-1839 (not microfilmed; scanned from originals)"
https://www.loc.gov/collections/martin-van-buren-papers/about-this-colle...
Print DocumentDocuments in this Collection:
I shall attend to your brothers concern. Mr. J. forgets what is due to the subject, to his friends & to myself. I can conscientiously say that I never have, and I <illegible> I never shall subject my course on a public question to the controul of my personal interests. I shall always listen with respect and <candor> to Any suggestion which may be made <to me> on the subject... Continue Reading
Sender: MVB
Recipient: Edward Livingston
I have to acknowledge the receipt of a letter from you. The period has not yet arrived here for interesting political events but is rapidly approaching. Genl Root has made us a visit, talks very well and does not appear to have any wants to be gratified, I mean political wants. He is in favour of Young for speaker & Livingston for Clerk, does not think it expedient to vacate the Seat of the... Continue Reading
Sender: William Learned Marcy
Recipient: MVB
I have heard with the most lively satisfaction the of the course taken by you in the Senate in relation to the nomination of my friend Conkling. It was earnest it was kind & magnanimous. I have advised Conkling of it. Your generous conduct is entitled to the warmest gratification of him and his Friends. It will I trust be remembered and duly appreciated by them, but ^by them^ now with the... Continue Reading
Sender: Jabez Delano Hammond
Recipient: MVB
I wish you & your family not forgetting my frsweet heart Miss Margaret a very merry Christmass. Here the day is dark & raining & except the promise of some pleasure at dinner with Mr & Mrs. McLane nature & every thing else appears to be out of sorts. Nothing has transpired of much interest in the political world. The Jackson men being in the field are of course looking out for... Continue Reading
Sender: MVB
Recipient: Benjamin Franklin Butler
I am as you supposed somewhat surprised to hear that you went direct to Greenbush. I wrote you advising you to go to Kinderhook & to visit Albany from thence. I know the kindness which induces Mr & Mrs. Duer to wish to have you at their house, & approve your taste for <being> pleased with the good society you meet there, but I fear your Kinderhook friends will think themselves... Continue Reading
Sender: MVB
Recipient: John Van Buren
After your suggestion the other day, I tho't it barely possible that I had in the number of matters at the beginning of the session mistaken ^in^ my memory my intention for the fact, and therefore wrote again to Mr: Sergeant. I recd. today the enclosed answer. In my letter to him, I used duplicity ^<and>^-pardon the word, <enough> to say I had made the communication to you without... Continue Reading
Sender: Louis McLane
Recipient: MVB
I like the openness and candour with which you express yourself respecting my friend [Ver]planck at the same time that I think you have formed an erroneous opinion of his character. If any person ought to know him I should; our acquaintance commenced in boyhood, and since we have been engaged on the same side in Politicks, it has matured into friendship. In acting with him I have had frequent... Continue Reading
Sender: James Campbell
Recipient: MVB
I have received a letter from Mr Williams requesting your attendance as a witness in Charles’ trial on the 2d tuesday in April & have written to him that unless they will consent that you should be examined at New Haven you shall be at Hudson at the appointed time. Mr Williams will write to Mr Croswell & you must conform to what is required of you. I feel persuaded that it cannot be... Continue Reading
Sender: MVB
Recipient: John Van Buren
I do not remember that Kane offered to redeem my mortgage in his Bill. If he did cannot the other defendants set up my rights to defeat his claim of foreclosure because in my rights consist their defense to his pretensions. But I leave the whole matter to you & Mr. <illegible>. Rather than have more trouble with this creature if you & Mr Van Rightor find that you can settle with him... Continue Reading
Sender: MVB
Recipient: Benjamin Franklin Butler
The Tammany Hall Committee have written to their members to have a legislative caucus to nominate candidates for Govr. & Lt. Govr. What can we do? Sanford is the most likely to succeed. He would secure a portion of the Adams men. The conduct of Ewing & other bucktails in regard to our state road will secure to Clinton a majority in the southern tier of counties. If we should succeed with... Continue Reading
Sender: Erastus Root
Recipient: MVB
I must ask you not to be surprised at the tenor of the leading editorial article of this morning. It has not been written without deliberation. The truth is, whilst there is an increasing aversion towards Mr. Adams amongst the reps. of the State, there is a great aversion on their part to any collision with the Administration that shall drive them to the support of Clinton, or of that shall force... Continue Reading
Sender: Edwin Croswell
Recipient: MVB
I thank you for the favor you have done me in sending me your Speech and the document on the Panama Mission.
I have read the former with pleasure and instruction. You have made an able, manly and eloquent argument, and without <confessing> to question the wisdom of the Decision, I feel myself at Liberty to say that the argument against the Policy and Expediency of the Mission, is placed in... Continue Reading
Sender: James Kent
Recipient: MVB
The object of this letter is chiefly to request you to sign the enclosed, & to transmit it to Mr. Olcott or me, by return mail. Our note will be due the 2/3d May, and will require one more renewal before the business can be done. There will be no dividend this time, & I will therefore pay the discount.
Your speech has given great satisfaction to your friends, and great annoyance to those... Continue Reading
Sender: Benjamin Franklin Butler
Recipient: MVB
1. My general opinion—Tazewells resolution
2d. Reasons in part
1. Removal of grounds of collision.
2d. Injurious effect upon our legislation.
3d. The tendency to the subversion of the constitution.
3. Difficulties in arriving at result—causes.
4. The different measures proposed—changes—still all ending in ^gratuitous^ cession to the states
5. The importance of considering the ground taken by the... Continue Reading
Sender: MVB
I owe you an apology for neglecting so long to acknowledge my obligations for the kind manner in which you have shown your recollection of me by sending me several copies of documents & your speeches on the Panama mission & the judiciary bill.
I had believed that the minority in the senate upon the Panama question, were completely put in the wrong by the Presidents message to the house of... Continue Reading
Sender: Ambrose Spencer
Recipient: MVB
Knowing that you will take interest in whatever comes from Mr. Madison I send you an other letter of his. There has been a great deal of shuffling on the part of Webster & Co. to let the Bill die in our house. This ^plan^ been defeated by a pretty strong course. With characteristic yankee craft he has though defeated in his main object <illegible> seized upon some clumsy expressions of... Continue Reading
Sender: MVB
Recipient: Benjamin Franklin Butler
Major noah was one of the party of pleasure in the Steam Boat the other day, got up for Madam Clinton He tells me had a long political Confab with the Gov & among other men & things he introduced your name & discoursed upon the importance of your reelection, & M clinton replied that you <illegible> was a better member than Spencer would be–that you had had the reputation of... Continue Reading
Sender: Jesse Hoyt
Recipient: MVB
If my friend Col. Hayne of South Carolina a member of the U. States Senate should spend any time at Geneva I know it will give you pleasure to make his stay as agreeable as you can.
Sender: MVB
Recipient: Charles Butler
Several causes have condused to suspend my correspondence for the last fortnight, and among others, the dangerous illness indisposition of my little son, ^who^ was sick when you left us. He is still very low, and I fear his recovery is very doubtful. The physician recommends travelling, and we have concluded to go South, so soon as the state of his health will permit. Our re^si^dence in Carolina... Continue Reading
Sender: John Caldwell Calhoun
Recipient: MVB
On my calling at the Presidents Bank of this City for my Letters by Mail I this Day received yours of the 12th. Instant, in which You propose to me to pay £1,000 & perhaps the whole of the Monies due from You to me.
Under the Circumstances in which You were accommodated with the Exchange of Securities for the Monies originally loaned by me to Peter A. Yates, I had no Reason to suspect that... Continue Reading
Sender: Richard Varick
Recipient: MVB
I am as anxious to have our accounts settled as you can possibly be & determined to have it done at all cost before I go South. A previous settlement with Abr. is indispensible & I have sent your letter to him from here begging him to be ready on my return. As soon as that is done you shall hear from me. I would not for the <illegible> have the matter lay an other year
Sender: MVB
Recipient: Peter I. Hoes
I feel much regret that I could not remain in Albany, till after the thursday following this sunday evening, when I had the pleasure of seeing you at Saratoga. I should have been glad of the opportunity of meeting you again, & should have been able to avail myself of your kind offer to allow me to read Mr. Jefferson's letter to you upon interesting topics. I presume, now, I must not expect to... Continue Reading
Sender: John Thornton Kirkland
Recipient: MVB
Your letter of August 30 has been longer unanswered than I could have wished; but the delay has been unavoidable. And I am sensible now that the subject of it invited more of development than successive occurrences calling off my attention have permitted. The brief view taken of it, will at least be a proof of my disposition to comply with your request, which I regard as a private one, as you... Continue Reading
Sender: James Madison
Recipient: MVB
Agreeable to your request I enclose a copy of Mr Jeffersons letter. You will see ^perceive^ in repelling imputation of a peculiarly offensive character, he indulges in some personal & party animadversions ^of considerable <illegible>^. Of the individuals thus spoken of, some are yet alive, & although the letter itself looks to a future publication of its content it seems to... Continue Reading
Sender: MVB
Recipient: John Thornton Kirkland
As the accompanying report may not have come to your hands ^reached you^ I take the liberty of sending it to you. You will ^observe^ not fail to notice the lame attempt to make out that Genl. Washington was in favour of the power whilst on the contrary. ^The result of his <believes> must be <illegible> result <illegible>^ the <illegible> <illegible> ^impression for... Continue Reading
Sender: MVB
Recipient: James Madison
Believing it possible from some intimations given me ^It having been intimated to me^ that my name may be brought before the Herkimer Convention as a Candidate for the office of Govr. I take the liberty of troubling you with my views upon the subject, relying on your friendship to lay them before the body if in your judgment the circumstances require it. There are few men in the state more... Continue Reading
Sender: MVB
Recipient: Silas Wright Jr.