Nothing but my unwillingness to trespass on your valuable time, has prevented has prevented my earlier reply to your esteemed favor of June 19^th as I wished to give some reliable account of our prospects in these two counties White & Wabash, which I am truly happy to state are now most chearing–2 Wabash (by courtesy) is entitled to the nomination of the Candidate for next Legislature, but though they can easily carry their County with one of their own men— their desire is for us to nominate a Filmore man reliable to support you for the US senate, & fully authrized me to put our friend Ferree on the track, when we found he was ineligible not having resided in this State for three years—3 our strongest man from the first is undoubtedly John E Whiting, our late Member, but he declined the nomination

When we found we could not have Ferree we used all our exertions to prevail on John to make the run & yesterday at the request of our Wabash friends I attended the circuit court in Carmi to try & make some definite arrangements, in which I am sorry to say we only

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partially succeeded, though eight or ten of us all good men & true from different districts in White cornered John so close, he had to take untill Wabash Court the 20^th ins^t to give his final answer, which we think will be an acceptance4

Undoubtedly his sacrifices are considerable, as many ^say all^ of our old tried Virginia Whig friends the Webbs &c[etc.] in Carmi, are down on the Republicans, & as I find myself look very coolly on us.

They insist on identifying us with the Abolitionists in all their fanaticism, & this point should be largely dwelt on by yourself or "any other hand you may send to enlighten us, as in Egypt there is little sympathy for the nigger, though a powerful hate to Democracy, still I can assure existing, more than I had an idea of & White was once pretty equally divided–Whiting says he would require 200 majority in Wabash, which I fully considered myself from the best information I can obtain authorized to promise I have no doubt but they will when they see W. convince him of the correctness of my estimate, though I believe he will not require more than 100 or 150 the number they gave him last election–5

They ^Democracy^ have had three conventions to nominate their candidate, & at their last convention on 1^st ins^t in this place, the White Co[County] delegates still, after a most stormy meeting, persisted in

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their man J Powell, (present Sheriff & a strong man in White) the Wabash party swearing they would rather vote for the blackest Republican in Ill^s6 The Lord keep & preserve them in their good intentions– They are split too all to splinters in their nomination for Sheriff & we if we go about it right will elect one.7 I am aware that D^r M Brown of Carmi has written to M^r Medill requiring material aid to carry on the campaign. I had doubts as to its his reliability i e whether he was not open to the highest bidder, but on confidential enquiry of an old friend M^r Lamb of Carmi he assured me the Douglass party could not buy him & that his services in the canvass would be most valuable–8 This is for the consideration of the C.[Central] Committee, there are some warm Republicans here but in the way of the sinews of war we can do little–

I am truly sorry to say my esteemed friend Ferree is so esteemed involved in his circumstances it is out of his power to give us the expected aid in the present canvass we all so much desired— but being a very popular Methodist Preacher though unsuccessful farmer I fear instead of fighting the Devil ^Democracy one & the same^ on the Stump in Ill^s[Illinois] he will have to fight the Devil in Ind^a A loss to our society I shall very much deplore–

It is our wish that if Douglass as expected should visit this District, that you should

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meet ^him,^ if possible, or should he not come we think you could help us most, by addressing the public in White Wabash Wayne & Edwards (all hopeful as in the two last the Democracy are split) just prior to the election not publishing it openly but giving a few friends notice of the time & we would take care that you should have an audience who I think would appreciate you especially as I see Lovejoy did not receive a bushel of eggs in Cairo— but we ^(the Republicans)^ must be careful to make no display & go more on the old issues in Egypt9

I am sorry to say our old friend E B Webb has been long dangerously sick with little probability of his recovery at present–10 His democracy sits very uneasy on him & is partly one of his ailments– My near neighbour Sam Martin said publicly when Douglass first opposed Lecompton— he did it to gain Republican votes, but would miss it they would support Abe Lincoln he was ^a^ smart man & was honest–11 One time our Sam told the truth, though it would take Douglass or the Devil himself to out lie him politically, vid: when he repeatedly said he would vote for you rather than Douglass— but they have got him over though he can now ^do^ but little. When convenient I shall be happy to hear from you particularly if you can point out anything I can do to assist the cause12