Thomas Cadwalader letter to Nicholas Biddle, 26 December 1831

Washington 26. Dec 1831

My dear Sir

Your last letter is of Saturday night (23 d ins 1 ) ans d by me yesterday Nothing to day from you.

Mr Peter R. Livingston x (Brother of the Sec y : of State, in whose House he is living) came to see me last Eve. He is strongly of opinion that we ought to start an application now. He says his Brother McLane & Cass 2 w d prevent the veto tho they are all desirous of saving the Pres fc . from the necessity of acting one way or the other, before the Election they look to Penns a with great anxiety. M c . Lane calculated in his talks with me on half that delegation voting postponement, in conformity with the wishes of the administration phalanx. Now I do not think they can shake more than four of them, if so many & the more I see of the Senators D. & W. the more satisfied am I that the opinions lately expressed as to their votes are well founded. They are strongly inclined to aid the wishes of the Palace men in dissuading from moving the question this Session but whenever moved they must support it.

Mr . Livingston has been, as you know, an active & powerful worker in the politics of N York. He enters zealously into this B k question (probably from Party feeling a Member of the Clay Convention) besides the 14 favorable votes of his State on w h I have before counted, he says he can, & will, bring over some of those marked on my list as doubtful viz: Angel, Babcock, Cooke, Hogan, Lansing, Lent, Pierson, Reed & Soule. He is now engaged in that good work & is to report the result. When the subject comes up much warmth, say indeed violence, is to be expected & we may find some shaking, on whose firmness we now count. I am fully in the belief, however, that we shall gain more from those marked "uncertain" & now by me counted as adverse, than will make up any losses from my present list of yeas. . . .