I gave you a minute on yesterday from Monticello of the result of the proceedings of the Convention which I presume you have rec^d[received]:= every delegate was for Hull or some other old line Whig from Piatt:= no one else was talked of except by the aspirants themselves:= Dr Johns & Dr Ames of Macon2 Milligan of Piatt & Froman of Macon were aspirants to a certain extent but no one man was there to second their claims:= the DeWitt delegation were unanimously for some Piatt Co. [County]Whig & Weldons name was not mentioned by them directly or incidentally in connection with the office:= Weldon was their himself as an alternate and took a most active & cheerful part:= he had cheerfully given up his claims I have no doubt long befor the 23^d I don't think he expected any thing yesterday except that perhaps chance would throw the nomination on him & I think he is entirely satisfied:= Milligan & Weldon behaved very well although Milligan was not very prominently talked of:= I am satisfied that every candidate—except Froman—will support the ticket with a will & do all that he can for it; as to the McKinley defection our folks believe that he was making ostensibly for Weldon but re-

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ally for himself:= he "caved in" though when he got there & made a poor excuse for his previous actions & worked hard & enthusiastically the rest of the day with us:= he had 2 of his brothers there from DeWitt & one or two of his adherents from this Co. & ^I think^ really expected to get DeWitt to go for him & to attempt to coerce the rest to go for him but no one thought of him I am sure & he is all right now:= but to detail:= Oglesby Hull & my self were [arranging?] a little in the morning about the affair when I incidentally alluded to the locofoco story that he was ineligible when upon investigating we found that it was too true:= he was not here 3 years & the Constitution requires 3 years res.[residence] he had previously resided here but had lived in Ohio afterwards:= we were much disconcerted but Hull repaired the difficulty by naming Danl Stickel:= he was sent for & came at about 3 o'clock:= it was really with extreme difficulty that he was prevailed upon to run but finally he agreed to:= the convention was full of delegates & an immense concourse of spectators were there the enthusiasm was unbounded:= he was nominated by acclaimation & almost cheered to death Oglesby had a previous appointment to make his first speech of the campaign on that day:= he spoke for two hours forcibly and—to make a word—tellingly:= never was speech so enthusiastically

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rec^d:= more harmony & enthusiasm never prevailed at a Convention:=3 Hull who is said to be an oracle about politics in Piatt says that we will get 200 maj:[majority] in Piatt:= Oglesby says Macon is more for from 100 to 150, maj: delegates from Dewitt name 200 for that Co. & our people here think 200 to 300.= the two latter of which are probably overestimated but each County is sure for a maj: the election of Stickel is more than sure:= the Americans & Republicans are more than united all over the district:= I think clearly that you had better go to Piatt & DeWitt:= having so much to do I did not think to talk about it but there is much enthusiasm & good feeling now especially in Piatt that it needs your presence to maintain & keep increase:= you will have a greater procession than you had before:=4 if you have occasion to write them write to Hull & Milligan= they are the right hand men there and I want some notice taken of Milligan by you:= do go there by all means & give them plenty of notice of it. H. C. McComas a ^Buchanan^ lawyer at Monticello says there are 20 administration men in Piatt that won't go for Douglas no how he says that nearly ½ the Dewitt democrats are just so that they are going to nominate a candidate—the

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convention is already called—that won't be bought or scared off & run him though:= Oglesby bears down on the Administration too much:= I want you to talk to him about it5