Congressman Howell Cobb to Mary Ann Lamar Cobb, April 3, 1846

Washington City, 3rd April, 1846.

My Dear Wife, . . . On the day that you left, Genl. Cass made a great speech on Oregon. Up to 54.40 was his position, and the general opinion is expressed that it is the ablest and most effective effort that has been made on the subject. It will add greatly to the number of 54.40 men with the masses, whose honest impulses will teach them to sympathise with the views he has put forth. On the next day Col. Benton made a regular attack upon Cass, which has led to the most exciting and animating debate that I have ever witnessed in Congress. You will see it reported in the papers and [it] will afford you a faithful picture of the grappling of great intellects. Upon the whole, Cass seems to be victor in the fight, and the effort of Benton to paralyze the effort of Cass's speech will be foiled . . .

SOURCE: Ulrich Bonnell Phillips, Editor, The Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1911, Volume 2: The Correspondence of Robert Toombs, Alexander H. Stephens, and Howell Cobb, p. 75