Since it is a fixed fact that Old Zack has comethe Whigs in this part of the Country are desirous that our old friend Cyrus Edwards should be remembered by him in the bestowal of such patronage as he will necessarily be obliged to give to his friends and as will fall to the shore of Illinois We desire to recommend M^r Edwards as a suitable person to fill the office of Commissioner of the General Land office which it is conceded belongs now to Illinois We think him not only capable but honest in the highest degree and eminently deserving on the score of his faithful and unwavering devotion to true Whig principles and the best interests of the Country [We can?] say too that M^r Edwards although a devoted friend of M^r Clay was one of the first of those in this State who advocated the selection of Gen Taylor as our candidate We would not however urge his appointment upon that ground as we believe his claims rest upon infinitely higher

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considerations. We rely upon his sterling integrity his undoubted capacity his unfaltering devotion to whatever is calculated to promote the honor and the interest of the whole Country without regard to party or section and we cordially agree with Gen Taylor that no man ought to be selected to a post of honor on account of his belonging to this party or that but only on account of his extensive fitness for the station We have unshaken confidence in the fact that should M^r Edwards be selected to fill the office above spoken of he will give entire satisfaction to the whole country and reflect honor upon the Gov^t as well as himself We are well aware that M^r Edwards private and public character is as well known to you as to ourselves but we cannot forbear when speaking of him even to you to mention our high appreciation of his worth and merits as a citizen and as a man We wish to mention one fact which will show his standing among the People of Illinois and that is that when he ran for Governor he was beaten but about 800 votes in the State Another that on several occasions he has received the unanimous votes of his party friends in the Legislature for US Senator You of course know these things

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as well as we do but we merely recall them to ^your^ recollection I find that we in southern Ill^s are not dealt justly by in regard to the last Presidential election We are charged with having been too supine and indiferent by some of the editors but we think we can say that we have operated much more effectually and energetically than persons abroad are aware of We did not it is true make much parade and we did not believe it advisable to do so and we think the result verifies the correctness of our views Ill^s we believe will be with us at the next general election

We rely upon you alone in accomplishing what we desire and we would not ask the favour at your hands of recommending M^r E to Gen Taylor did we not confidently believe that M^r E deserves the place and that the administration of Gen Taylor be but seconding the wishes of the People of this State and acting according to the line of duty in conferring it upon him