New York, March 5, 1860.
Friend Pike:
Your grammar is perfect. The bet is all right — $20 to $20 on Douglas's
nomination. Now if you want to go $20 more on Seward against the field for our
nomination, I take that. I can spare the money, for I don't want to go to
Chicago, and mean to keep away if possible.
If Douglas shall be nominated, I think Bates will have to
be, unless we mean to rush on certain destruction. However, we shall see what
we shall see.
“Capital States” and “Labor States” is foolish. Slave States
and Free States tells the story, and no one can misunderstand it.
Why don't you go in hard for awarding the printing to the
lowest bidder? I should be perfectly willing that Mrs. B. should have it all
under that rule, if you can get it. Under the present system, I object. And a “National
Printing Office” would be worse than this. Do try to help along some practical
reform. I've written Sherman to send me a table of the mileage. Then we'll see
who votes and how when that question comes up, and what they make or lose by
it.
Yours,
Horace Greeley.
J. S. Pike, Esq.,
Washington, D. C.
SOURCE: James Shepherd Pike, First Blows of the
Civil War: The Ten Years of Preliminary Conflict in the United States from 1850
to 1860, p. 501
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