We have had a terrible blow here for the last two days which has prevented the Steam Boat for Savannah from leaving here & which will probably detain me until tomorrow. I have received here a letter from Genl Marcy to which I have written an answer which you have doubtless seen. If I could have anticipated that the folks at Washington would have made so decided a push at me & that they would have sent their congressional emissaries to Albany to misrepresent me to the Legislature I would certainly have been at the seat of difficulty.  But I had no reason to believe such things until it was too late to shape my course to it. In other respects I think but little doubt can exist that it will enable me to be more much more useful to my Republican friends by extending my acquaintance of the number of my personal friends over the other States as far as that can conveniently be done. Personally this was important to me but politically considered I regard ^it^ as of great importance to our cause. It is certainly true that for the fact our public men have confined their intercourse & views too exclusive to home concerns. The consequence has been that out of the state they were but little known & when their friends at home stood in want of their influence abroad it could not be given. It appeared to me that there never was a better opportunity for me to <counterpoise> for it lay in my power this error, because ^the^ circumstances of the moment enabled me to visit other states under the most favourable auspices & because I left at Albany a host of talent & experience which it would have been an excess of vanity in me to have supposed stood in need of my personal <illegible> assistance. I am not certain whether you or the <illegible> were the author of the “Choice” in the Argus. I have once or twice <confounded> your works. He will show you what I have written him on the subject. It is a good field & can in our state be successfully sought. I had intended to have made the attempt upon that point personally in some speech but as it is it should now be pushed without intermission in the manner in which it has been commenced. The part now possessed by the Genl. will enable you to push Gales & Seaton to the Wall upon the subject of ^in regard to^ their disingenuous <provisions> upon the subject of the “improvement of the press”. They are very guilty upon that point & for public consideration should not be suffered to escape. You see Ritchie has silenced them in regard to it. Their jeremiads about party too & their attack upon me in regard to the appointment of Solomon V Rensselaer could be used with great effort in Nyork. You recollect that many was turned out to make war for him, the meetings at Albany the general feelings of the Republicans &c. &c. You will of course show my letter to Croswell. I read with great regret the account of his sickness. I hope he is better. I have so often found myself in the wrong when the warmth of my feelings induced me to think that his pace was too slow that I shall not on slight ground commit farther more on that point. All I ask is that he protect his press from the imputation which has now buried itself in the Intelligencer & must bring it to the ground viz too much caution & too me in consequence of too much solicitude about its own interests. I repeat that candor obliges me to confess that <illegible> every past occasion when I have questioned his course experience has shown me to ^have^ been in the wrong & that I have such strong confidence in his political discretion & sound sense & principles that for myself I have no doubt he will do all for the best. We have been treated with great kindness & have now on hand a request from a branch of the public authorities of the plan to remain until Wednesday to give them an opportunity of making a public manifestation of this feeling which we have of course declined. Make my best respects to all my friends & believe me to be