<hi rend="bold"> Letter from M. S. Sherwood to His Nephew Benjamin S. Hedrick, August 20, 1856:</hi> Electronic Edition. Sherwood, M. S. Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title. Text transcribed by Bari Helms Images scanned by Bari Helms Text encoded by Brian Dietz First Edition, 2005 ca. 11K The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina 2005

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 Benjamin Sherwood Hedrick Papers (#325), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Letter from M. S. Sherwood to His Nephew Benjamin S. Hedrick, August 20, 1856 M. S. Sherwood 3 pages, 3 page images 1856 Call number 325 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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 </bibl> </taxonomy> </classDecl> </encodingDesc> <profileDesc> <langUsage> <language id="eng">English</language> </langUsage> <textClass> <keywords scheme="unc_history"> <list> <item> Any special keywords assigned for this project </item> </list> </keywords> </textClass> </profileDesc> <revisionDesc> <change> <date>2005-10-31,</date> <respStmt> <name>Brian Dietz</name> <resp/> </respStmt> <item>finished TEI/XML encoding.</item> </change> </revisionDesc> </teiHeader> <text id="unc08-13"> <body> <div1 type="letter"> <pb id="unc08-13-p01" n="1"/> <head> Letter from <name key="pn000" reg="Sherwood, M. S." type="person" rend="yes">M. S. Sherwood</name> to His Nephew <name key="pn0000708" reg="Hedrick, Benjamin Sherwood" type="person" rend="yes">Benjamin S. Hedrick</name>, August 20, 1856</head> <opener> <dateline><name key="name0000443" reg="Greensboro, NC" type="place" rend="yes">Greensboro</name>, <date>Aug. 20, 1856</date></dateline> <salute>My Dear Nephew;</salute> </opener> <p>I rec'd a letter from you under date of 12th inst., which commences by condoling me, rather after the manner of Job's particular friends, upon my defeat as a candidate for the <name key="name0000763" reg="North Carolina Legislature" type="organization" rend="yes">Legislature</name>. Had your letter stopped at that, I should probably have tossed it in the fire, and thought no more about it. My being beaten has caused no tears from me. I am well satisfied with the result. I am fully convinced that an election would have been unfortunate to me in a pecuniary point of view. I felt this very sensibly before the canvass was half over. I soon found it impossible to secure the services of any one to attend to the Patriot office just right in my absence. Here I might stop. But I feel impelled, by my wish for your wellfare and prosperity, to add a few words more. </p> <p>It is with extreme regret, that I learn that you have turned <hi rend="underscore">public</hi> <hi rend="underscore">politian</hi>. The Faculty at the <name key="name0001146" reg="University of North Carolina" type="organization" rend="yes">University</name>, in my humble judgment, should have nothing to do with party politics, farther than to cast their individual votes as "seemeth good in their own eyes." For them to make themselves partizans in elections, State or National, will inevitably create<pb id="unc08-13-p02" n="2"/>difficulty, strife, and embarrassment. This will be the effect of such a course, without reference to what party such partizan efforts are made for. This is my well-settled judgment on the general subject.</p> <p>But what has given me most pain, is to learn that you have taken public ground for <name key="pn0000545" reg="Fremont, John C." type="person" rend="yes">Fremont</name>. This, as an individual, you had a right to do. But would it not be much better, if you could not consistently vote for <name key="pn0000228" reg="Buchanan, James" type="person" rend="yes">Buchanan</name> or <name key="pn0001843" reg="Fillmore, Millard" type="person" rend="yes">Fillmore</name>, just to let the matter alone? You are a member of the Faculty of a Southern State Institution, patronized almost entirely by the <name key="name0001060" reg="The South" type="place">South</name>. And if there is any possible good to accrue to you personally, or to your country, by your rendering yourself obnoxious to the <name key="name0000107" reg="Board of Trustees" type="organization" rend="yes">Trustees</name> and Pupils of the Institution, I cannot see it.</p> <p>I have no disposition to argue for or against your position in politics. I leave that out of the question. But as one that wishes you well, I ask you most affectionately, to drop the subject. I fear you have already gone too far for your own good. I would like to write much more; but it is growing late at night. I will conclude by giving you my opinion of the effect of your advocating the cause of <name key="pn0000545" reg="Fremont, John C." type="person">Fremont</name>. You will soon become<pb id="unc08-13-p03" n="3"/>obnoxious to the whole Southern Students; your intercourse with them will be unpleasant; the <name key="name0000107" reg="Board of Trustees" type="organization">Trustees</name> will look upon you with a suspicious eye; and your situation at the <name key="name0000165" reg="Chapel Hill, NC" type="place" rend="yes">Hill</name> will soon become precarious. All this, too, without you or any body else being benefited by your turning <hi rend="underscore">politician</hi>.</p> <p>You may think it strange that one whose daily business is to preach politics, should advise as I do. In my position, every one expects me to be, to some extent, a partizan. In your position, the community looks for you to dabble but little in party politics. When I get to be a Minister or a Teacher in a high Literary Institution, I shall most assuredly feel it my duty to lay aside the character of a politician.</p> <p>We are all well. Your sisters, <name rend="yes" key="pn000" reg="Martha" type="person">Martha</name> and <name rend="yes" key="pn000" reg="Sarah" type="person">Sarah</name>, are here going to <name key="name0000315" reg="Edgeworth Female Seminary, Greensboro, NC" type="place" rend="yes">Edgeworth</name>. The health of the place good.</p> <p>Give my love to <name key="pn0000709" type="person" reg="Hedrick, Mary Ellen (née Thompson)" rend="yes">Ellen</name> and babies.</p> <closer> <salute rend="center">Yours, Respectfully,</salute> <signed> <name key="pn000" reg="Sherwood, M. S." type="person">M. S. Sherwood</name> </signed> </closer> </div1> </body> </text> </TEI.2>