HON. B. C. COOK.

MY DEAR SIR:--I have a letter from a very true friend, and intelligent
man, writing that there is a plan on foot in La Salle and Bureau, to run
Douglas Republican for Congress and for the Legislature in those
counties, if they can only get the encouragement of our folks nominating
pretty extreme abolitionists. It is thought they will do nothing if our
folks nominate men who are not very [undecipherable word looks like
"obnoxious"] to the charge of abolitionism. Please have your eye upon
this. Signs are looking pretty fair.

Yours very truly,

A. LINCOLN.




TO DR. WILLIAM FITHIAN, DANVILLE, ILL.

BLOOMINGTON, Sept. 3, 1858

DEAR DOCTOR:--Yours of the 1st was received this morning, as also one
from Mr. Harmon, and one from Hiram Beckwith on the same subject. You
will see by the Journal that I have been appointed to speak at Danville
on the 22d of Sept.,--the day after Douglas speaks there. My recent
experience shows that speaking at the same place the next day after D. is
the very thing,--it is, in fact, a concluding speech on him. Please show
this to Messrs. Harmon and Beckwith; and tell them they must excuse me