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Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. III

O'Callaghan, E.B., ed. The Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. III. Albany: Weed, Parsons and Co., 1850. 298 words

For how can things be pushed ahead by a Board that does not act in concert, especially when having to deal with so perverse a people ; when every tiling tliat the one proposes is suspected of partiahty ; when meetings are avoided as much as possible so as not to be obliged to take part in the aftairs to be discussed there -- when the President of the court who, in view of the public interest, ought to be the least in the Board on account of his private interests, makes no scruple of despising and treating with indignity a colleague who, with a good intention, confers a pleasure on the people, which tlie other does not find to his advantage -- when others renounce every employment and conceive no other object than that of ridding themselves of the superintendance of the people-- Wlien all this, I say, is experienced among the members of a Court, what good can be expected therefrom ?

Formerly when Mr Levingston and I were alone, I acted with him with great circumspection, and we always agreed ; I did not remark any desire for superiority in him ; every tiling Vol. III. 43

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passed in harmony. I always combatted Ms foibles as well as I was able. But since the reconstruction of our Board, I have found that his design has ever been to obtain the management of all the suppUes for the People, and had I not had the foresight to demand a declaration from the general commission he would have seized it altogetlier and had made Mr Meyer his clerk whom he would have got to do what lie could not get me to do -- that is, everything that may content his cupidity