To Montgomery Schuyler
30 July 1876 • Elmira, N.Y.
(MS: CtHMTH, UCCL 11917)

Elmira, N. Y. July 30.

My Dear Schuyler:1

I don’t forget you & I ain’t ungrateful to you, neither; but I thought of a couple of things when I was casting about for a journal to jam that squib into. The main one, was, that as Mr. Marble was gone,2 I judged you had all been thrown out of the fifth story window after him. And the other was, that I being a Republican (if anything, politically—which I doubt), it would not be in good taste for me to slur th‸is‸ e miserable & entirely damnable administration through a Democratic paper.

I wrote a very elaborate squib for the World a month ago—& burned it, it not being satisfactory to me. That shows that I don’t forget you, dam you, & that I desire the prosperity of the paper, too, & am careful not to do things that might injure it. A man of less exquisite principle would have [sent] you the principle ‸article.‸

And whenever, in coming months, I shall chance to write a squib, a passing squib, I shall either send it to you or burn it——the former if it be worthy, the latter if not. A body couldn’t say fairer than that, I know. With my kindest to Wheeler 3 & the rest of you—

Yrs Ever

Samℓ. L. Clemens

Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary

Editorial Signs

Click to add citation to My Citations.

1Montgomery Schuyler (1843–1914) became a feature writer and critic for the New York World in 1865. He also wrote for magazines, primarily on literature and architecture. Clemens replied to his letter of 25 July, transcribed on 22 July 1876 to the Editors of the New York Evening Post, n. 6.

Click to add citation to My Citations.

2Manton M. Marble (1834–1917) was owner and editor of the New York World from 1862 until he resigned and sold his interest in May 1876. Under his guidance the World became the country’s most influential Democratic newspaper. A strong supporter of Samuel J. Tilden in his bid for the presidency, Marble is credited with writing the 1876 national party platform (“Sale of the New York ‘World,’ and What It Means,” Chicago Tribune, 24 May 1876, 4; “Manton Marble, Publicist, Dead,” New York Times, 25 July 1917, 11).

Click to add citation to My Citations.

3Andrew Carpenter Wheeler (1835–1903), a journalist and author who wrote under the name “Nym Crinkle,” was the music and drama critic for the New York World who had written an unsigned review of Colonel Sellers in September 1874 (L6: 18 Sept 1874 to Stillson, 232–33; Appendix D, “Reviews of the Gilded Age Play,” 645–51).

Description of Texts and Provenance

Source text(s):

MS, CtHMTH.

Previous publication:

MicroPUL, reel 1.

Emendations and textual notes:

sent • sent | sent [rewritten for clarity]