Letter from Senator Jefferson Davis to Eli Whitney; December 21, 1860

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Letter from Senator Jefferson Davis to Eli Whitney; December 21, 1860

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People

Sykes, Walter L. Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889 Whitney, Eli, 1820-1895

Places

Washington (D.C.) Whitneyville (Conn.) Connecticut

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[seal]

Washington 21 Dec 1860

Dr. Sir

at the close of our protracted conversation in which I thought I had made all the concessions you required—admitting your extension of time for reasons which certainly could not ap-ply to the first lot of arms which should have been delivered by the 15^th Oct or "sooner if possible" I had hoped that to the extent of our agreement at least there could be no further question about the fulfilment of your contract to the State of Miss—

Therefore I was disappointed by the receipt of your two notes both written from this place on Dec 19^th The first proposed an additional stipulation for payment of the small number of arms which have been delivered & which you had previously asked should be regarded as part of the first lot of three hundred & in your second note you insist upon new conditions in relation to pay^t. of arms to be hereafter delivered. The exhibition of suspicion, your acquaintance with the world must have informed you, creates, if it does not justify distrust of the person who seems prone to mani-fest it. [gap] Your Contract with adj^t Gen^l Sykes exhibits an unusual degree of Confidence on his part, both in the ab-sence of provision for minute inspection & of a bond with Security for the enforcement of the Contract. The desire expressed by you to get rid of the contract & your announcement that other parties had of-

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fered to take the arms you had agreed to furnish to Mississippi show the value of the check which the Gov^r has in his possession of the fractional part of the first lot to exact of you the delivery of theremainder of that lot at least.

I am
Respectfully
&c
signd J. Davis

To Eli Whitney E

Whitneyville
Conn.