Eutered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1848

BY HALL & DICKSON,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Northern District of New York.

PREFACE

Ir was with great diffidence and reluctance that I undertook the work now offered to the public. My "Political History," which was published in the year 1842, had been better received than I had anticipated. The press of both political parties had treated it not only with liberal indulgence, but with kindness; and I had, perhaps wisely, certainly prudently, determined not to hazard, by another appearance before the public, the forfeiture of the favorable opinion which had been expressed. Within two or three of the last years, friends residing in various parts of the state, belonging to different parties, have urged me to continue my narrative of political parties, but I have uniformly replied, that the difficulty of describing with accuracy and truth the conduct of men now acting a prominent part on the political theatre, without partiality to personal friends, (I am not aware that I have any enemies,) was so great, that I had not the temerity to engage in the enterprise. But immediately after the sudden and unexpected death of the late Governor Wright, several gentlemen, whose opinions were entitled to my highest confidence and regard, requested me to compile the biography of that distinguished statesman. Although I had reason to doubt, and in truth did doubt, my ability to do justice to the memory of that great and good man, and to the reading public, I confess that I felt a desire to make the effort. In considering the course to be pursued in writing the Life of Mr. Wright, it immediately occurred to me, that for the last six or seven years he had been so connected with the political parties in this state, and his actions and fortunes had been so much influenced by the