Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

David Davis to Abraham Lincoln, 21 February 1849
Bloomington Ill^s
Febry. 21^st 1849My Dear Lincoln
Your letter of Feb[February] 12 is just rec^d[received]— What you state shows the infirmity of human nature—all the men who are writing to you are thinking about themselves—and they suppose that you have no need of their aid—

If I was in My advice is worth nothing, still were I in your place could I get it I would take the land office—

If a It is a mistake that you would necessarily leave ^finally surrender^ the law— Sh^d[Should] a change of administration take place, I know you well enough to know that you could readily go back to the law, and get on the Circuit & in the Supreme Court as good a practice as you want—

The practice of law in Illinois at present promises you but poor remuneration for the labor—

Except in the very commercial places in the state, the practice will always be poor—or rather, as long as you & I take any active interest in affairs—
In haste Y^r[your] friendD Davis

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P S[Post Script]—

Duncan is going to California and it is said has resigned his Post office—

The almost universal sentiment of the town is in favor of the appointment to the Post office of M^r Hazo Parsons, a worthy man who is honest, lame, poor old capable, & has a large & helpless family—

I believe there were some papers got up for him and sent to you while I was in Springfield

If Duncan resigns, you had better have him ^Parsons^ appointed ^before you leave^— The town You universally wants him——

You would oblige your friends here, by going, to the Post office Department, after the new Post Master General is in office, & having this appointment made at once—1 The town has been cursed with Duncan long enough— They dont want him any longer than they can help— I am just advised that a large petition for Parsons, has been sent to you—& Wentworth—2
Y^r friendD Davis

1Zachary Taylor, elected to the presidency in the election of 1848, appointed Jacob Collmer as his postmaster general.
Elbert B. Smith, The Presidencies of Zachary Taylor & Millard Fillmore (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1988), 54.

2Hazo Parsons received the appointment and held the office until at least 1853.
Register of all Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1847 (Washington, DC: J. & G. S. Gideon, 1847), 406; Register of all Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1849 (Washington, DC: Gideon, 1849), 468; Edward Tremayne, Tremayne’s Table of the Post Offices in the United States (New York: W. F. Burgess, 1850), 38; Table of Post Offices in the United States on the First Day of January, 1851 (Washington, DC: W. & J. C. Greer, 1851), 24; Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1853 (Washington, DC: Robert Armstrong, 1853), 497.