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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Henry Eustace McCulloh to John Harvey
McCulloh, Henry Eustace, d. ca. 1810
May 20, 1768 - July 15, 1768
Volume 07, Pages 755-758

[From MS. Records in Office of Secretary of State.]
Letter from Henry Eustace McCulloh to Col John Harvey


London 20th May 1768

Dear Sir

I did myself the favor to write you [Decr] last, and I shall hope to be favored with hearing from you, when your leisure may make it convenient.

I am informed by some letters I have lately received from my Friends about Halifax, of the very kind part you was pleased to act towards me, in your last meeting: permit me to return you my best Thanks, and to assure you with truth, I ever have, and ever shall esteem your partial opinion and Friendship amongst the most pleasing and honorable circumstances of my Life. It is useless to look back upon the past, other than as a direction for the future: I am far from conceiving that I have the least right to murmur because the Assembly did not think proper to accept my offer of Services. I will only take the liberty to hope, that the respectful, the disinterested principles upon which I made the offer will not lessen any favorable prejudices which the Gentlemen of the Assembly in Carolina may honor me with.

I observe which way the political Current took but I am bold to say in trusting their hopes of Success to the Governor's agential Exertions they have done nothing. No man can think higher of the Governor's principles of Honor and Sincerity than myself—I grant his Recommendations weighty but still there is something wanting, a person here to lead your applications thro' the Maze of Office, to answer Questions—clear Doubts—solicit and ripen it into Action. Till this is done, apply how you may, but my Life on it,—you will apply and apply in vain. My Father's great experience in Official matters, his connections, gave me hopes I could serve your Public with success equal if not superior to most; the experience

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you had of me—the Security you had (my all) for my most faithful and zealous Exertions—I thought might weigh with you—And tho' the Assembly have seen it in another light at present—should they hereafter conceive a necessity of an Appointment, I by no means decline the honor of serving them. Whether the Appointment is in my Father's or my name it is all one. I am bold to say we are best able to serve you:—and if the Council continue the Exercise of their Negative I conceive an Appointment by vote of your House will be sufficient Authority. I beg once more to repeat my thanks to you, and to entreat the favour of you to mention me in the kindest manner to those Gentlemen who were pleased to exert the warmth of their Friendship for me. I have wrote to Mr Montford on this subject and [asked] him to consult and determine with you and Mr Fanning on this matter

By a Letter from Mr Hardy dated in Decr I am made extremely unhappy. He mentions to me that you had taken so much umbrage at the [     ] as to complain openly of sundry Improprieties. [From] the Knowledge I have of your good [intention] and the tenor of your mind [toward] me, you would not complain without [cause]. I am without a doubt [he has] been to blame: and the favorable manner in which you have ever behaved towards me, emboldens me to state things to you with all the openness of Friendship. You are sensible (I hope) that whilst the Office was under my Direction, my first wish was to give universal satisfaction—to you in particular—when I appointed Hardy I thought he would have pursued my Steps,—it was done with apparent general satisfaction. If his conduct is different I am extremely concerned for it. I have wrote and now write him by this Conveyance very strongly on this subject. I direct him to be in all things obliging to all—to you and yours most particularly—to avoid all unnecessary Severities, and if the amount of fees is the grievance to relax in that point, as his Prudence and the Desire of my Friends shall direct. Now my Dr Sir I trust it will appear evident to you I am not in any cause to blame—reflect at the same time that any attack or complaint which is made upon the office in Hardy's hands can but slightly affect him, but would deeply wound me. In little more than a year I shall return. I then will make every Alteration which may give satisfaction. Till then I must entreat and trust that my Friends will forbear measures of opposition. I shall rest assured of your Friendly Exertions and shall most cordially esteem the favor of your advice and opinion on

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the affairs of the Office. Your new Comptr is a Relation of mine, whom I shall take the Liberty in a particular manner to recommend to the Honor and Advantage of your Notice.

Our public Officers here are all in the utmost Confusion and Uncertainty. I will not intrude further upon you at present. I shall hope to be favd with hearing from you.

I am with the greatest Esteem &c
HENRY E. McCULLOH.

I am now at the 3rd June. Afterward I was favored with your letter of 11th Feby and I think there is a fatality in Carolina politics. I can be but most sensibly obliged to you for your partial opinion—I will only say from my heart that according to my poor opportunities, I ever wished with the utmost zeal to promote the interest of the Province—am here at the Bristol wells, far from the seat of politics. I have nothing particular except that I enclose to J. M. Estimates of Robes and maces to lay before you—I am sorry to hear of your indisposition Permit me to assure you none of your friends can think more kindly or respectfully of you than myself. I will hope to be often favored with hearing from you. My best wishes for health and Happiness of you and yours. Conclude me ever your most assured humble servant

H. E. McCULLOH

15th July 1768

The above are copies of my letters by B —— I have nothing to add to either of a public or a private nature. This is quite the still season for politics. The measures of administration seem in general very disagreeable especially as they relate to Corsica. They are quite divided weak & unsettled and consequently no measures of a different complexion ever will be expected.

The affairs of America seem very little understood & not all attended to. I do not flatter myself any thing will be done next winter as to a currency. Do you not conceive an emission of new scrip under proper circumstances may do great things. I have communicated this hint to our J M. My father proposes to exert himself next winter in favr of every scheme in which the Interest of N C is concerned, especially extending the time for the Importation of Corn & Provisions here (of which he has much hope) and a liberty of exporting Naval Stores. Mr B lately applied to him to consolidate

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their pretensions & offer their joint services to your public. My Father (I submit, properly) declined it conceiving it to be using too much freedom with you & that from the natural contrariety of men's opinions it would be neither agreeable to them nor serviceable to you. As I mentiond next year I propose revisiting Cambria; I honestly conceive you will take every step as to the appointment of an agent next Assembly If you should, I would wish my father's name used instead of mine for the reason above. If you decline this matter at your next meeting it is more than probable at the next succeedg I am with you I impatiently wait letters from Virginia and morning after their receipt propose crossing the Channel. I will do myself the favor to write you a few lines before I set out and shall now conclude with repeating my best wishes for your health and happiness I subscribe myself truly your assd hble St

H E McCULLOH