MVB to C[harles] E[dward] Dudley, 24 August 1828
Private
Albany
August 24th 1828
My dear Sir
When at Chenango I found that our friend Lot Clark had come to the conclusion that his old quarters did not present a field of such dimensions for his encreasing fame & had therefore concluded to <renown> from there to Oswego or some other place. His professional standing I was pleased to find much higher than I had supposed it to be. Judge Nelson told me that he was decidedly at the head of the Bar in that County & that opinion was fully confirmed by my own observation & the opinions of others. He had two schemes under consideration the one I have already mentioned & the other was to invest his $10000 in a land speculation with you & <6,000> with some other person and divide his time between his profession & the settlement of a new country. Upon the latter plan I promised to speak to you & let him know. But my advice to him was to locate himself at Utica & rely upon his profession & take Rutger Miller into partnership with him. He listened very favourably to this last project & told me that Montgomery Kent had urged him very hard to do so & had promised him larger advantages in the way of business &c. This however is not to be mentioned. Now from my knowledge of Clark I have no doubt that the connection would be in an eminent degree useful to Mr Miller. The limits of a letter [d]o not permit a detail of the many reasons that can be urged in favour of it but I have not the slightest doubt as to the result. Shew this letter confidentially to Mr Miller & his mother & enable me to speak definitively to Mr Clark upon the subject. I hear that Mr Miller has already a partner but you & he will judge whether this does not present an adequate inducement to dissolve his present connection if that be practicable. The Patroon has determined to run agt. you & you must come home & immortalize yourself by beating him. Our friends insist that it shall be so & I have strong confidence in its practicability. Remember me kindly to Mrs. Miller & Mrs Dudley
Yours truly in haste
M.V.Buren