Extract of a letter to Mr. Webster
London 16 Sept. 1842

My Dear Sir
The appointment of Mr. Riois, as my 
Secretary of Ligation, places me in a very 
embarrassing position toward Mr. Van Rensselaer. 
To the young gentleman himself I can have 
no objection. From what I hear of him, had 
I been uncommitted, no selection could 
please me better. But as it is, I am placed 
in a very mortifying position. I was led to 
think from usage, and from you having 
desired me to express my wishes to you as 
to a Secretary, that my recommendation, at least 
if the candidate named by me were above 
all exception, would be decisive with you. 
I therefore thought myself perfectly warranted 
in telling Mrs. Van Rensselaer in May last 
that I should write to you, requesting her son's 
appointment, as I did on the 2nd of June letting 
you know that I had spoken to her on the 
subject I stated, to Mrs. V. R. That (I thought) 
though I could but recommend, I felt confident