Cleveland, Dec 11, 1852

Dear Spooner:

     My treatment of yourself, letter-wise, reminds me of what you said to “Noggs” once observed to you in regard to my treatment of him: “We always treat our best friends worst.” I certainly should take shame enough myself for having written you so seldom, if I could believe you would have fared any the less badly had I written you more letters. It may be that, out of gross ____, I may soon take to writing you often; for, within a few days, I expect to be on my own again – after working some twelve hours a day from nearly a year and a half, without having left my port for over an hour. I yesterday arranged to go out of the True Democrat with the present month, or before this shall have expired, if “the papers” can be fixed prior to the coming month. I do this because I dare not remain in the concern on account of its pecuniary condition, which is horribly precarious as a consequence chivalrous looseness with which its fiscal affairs have been, & continue to be, managed. ___ is one of your downright “partner” in one of out love-fisted Yankees. Now I am disposed to believe exists in all the South Continuous, where at home or abroad. The T. D., in their hands might be made to pay. But perhaps, when may partners shall have had a chance to find they can do nothing with it, the establishment may get into other hands, & my own be among these. But that is only a perhaps. In those partners, the public have no faith, either as business men or as politicians, and should have none. It is possible I may try to organize another paper. I do not want to quit Cleveland, anyhow. But all this, you are not to blab, just yet, though of course, if you can use it to my advantage, I shall be glad of that. I may add, that, if my freedom of utterance has been sustained in the T.D., it has been done in a direction which I had originally not at all anticipated. For illustration: One of my articles, in reply to a Pro-Slavery argument of ____, was excluded, after it was in type, because Vaughn had just before been stopping at ____’s house! I told V. your story of the man who voted against D! Wolf with the latter’s “pig in has ally.”

     Your “Essay on the Trial bu Jury” came tome, together with a welcome note from you, duly. But I have not yet gone into it, chiefly because you interdicted me from publishing anything about it, for the present. Nor have I yet offered to let Wade read it, not having found a chance to do so, though I shall find out soon. I expect to rise from its perusal with the ____, that it is a grand performance, though it may not increase the profound respect I have so long entertained of the author’s ability & legal information. In truth, I am not sure but any increase of that sort would be at the cost of stark man-worship. You must have “worked like a Trojan” to get much work out, long as you were about it. And I do wish, & so does Francis, that your labors may not pass unrewarded. We were both so glad to hear you may gain hopes, dollar-wise being frightening! Where is an other human being where we both believe to be so well entitled to entertain such hopes – the present writer, so far as I am concerned, was exceptional!

     My Boston friends, or acquaintances, I hear very well of – Somebody told me that Wright was getting of the ___ mails of four or five thousand a year by employing his mother ___ shall for some insurance office, or office ___ of it. – don’t know who is at the head of the Commonwealth. Why did Carter quit it? OI rec[?] farmer[?] is ashamed for not stomping it in the late campaign. But I marvel he should excuse himself at all on the ground of Webster’s death. – Do you continue at^B

B: at ___’s? I was told e had gone sick & had Nintualism[?] – We were glad to hear you mention [illegible]. Your friendly interest in her always pleased ___. as apart from your _____ of heart. I was glad to hear a word of Dr. Hoyt, his wife, & that dear daughter of theirs.

     Were you not surprised at the election of Gerrit Smith? Are you sorry at the prospect, that your Constitutional views will likely to get into Congress through hi> I am glad to think your name will be mentioned with honor even by one whom you do not like.

     Cassius M ____ has passed his [over to ___]

Yourselfs ___ as Eligun[?] & your friend, probably could not get hold of it, and more than they could move the globe without a fulcrum for their lever, supposing them in possession of such a think as the latter.

     I was very sorry to hear so sad an account of ___ health. I wish he may have got over his vocation with me, for my remarks on Wright’s withdrawal in _____ from the Commonwealth.

     Tell Dr. Hoyt & his father I am right glad to learn of the Ductin’s[?] property, which you abounded to me in your last (that of April 23^rd).

     Sha’n’t  & away you, next week! ____ my wife will ___ be at Hildreth’s; probably not until the last of the week, tho. – I am almost dying, myself, to smell the soft water. Since a boy, I was never so long outsight of “the booming brine,” before.

                                  Most truly yours,

                                  Geo. Bradburn

[first page along margin]

philanthropy to ____. I am told he may have made a hundred thousand in the ___ ___ ___ the last year. Killing ___ is a more honest calling, than that of giving “the Mexicans hell[?].” But ___ didn’t do much of the latter, after all.

                                      Truly Yours,

                                      Geo. Bradburn.