Athens, [ala.,] 23d Octr., 1848.
My Dear Sir:
What the diel have you been about? Why have you let the Whigs gain so in
Geo.? We have many accounts here as to the vote of Geo. The one now most relied
upon is that we have a majority of 264 in the popular vote, and that “aint
much no how?” But to
be serious, I am uneasy now for the first time. The news here is that we have Geo.
by 264 votes, the Whigs have Penna., by near 5,000, and Florida by something,
leaving Ohio doubtful in this election. Well, I think we will get Ohio and
probably your State. What do you think of it yourself? I suppose the difficulty
between Judge Cone and Stephens injured us some votes, probably a good many.
Not that I think Cone was in fault, for I don't know who is in fault; but for
the reason that Cone is a large man and Stephens a weakly man, and Cone used a
knife. I may be wrong, but these are my own suppositions, so I count upon the
votes of Geo. Florida I never claimed. I am greatly at a loss to account for
the vote of Penna. Our friends there assured me in the strongest terms that we
were certain of Penna., and continued to do so up to within a few days of the
election. I hope we have yet carried our Governor, but I judge not. I
yet claim the state for Cass and B., and without it we will find it very
difficult indeed to elect our men. I have always set Geo. down as doubtful; and
with Penna., I gave C. and Butler 153 votes, seven over an election. Take off
Penna. 26 and we have 127, lacking 19 of a majority. Geo. 10, (do you say so?)
and then we must get 9 more, and one chance to do it is in Maryland, Del., N.
J., Connt., Tennessee, La., and probably Florida. Give me your views fully. The
Whigs here are in some spirits lately, and offering to bet. I could get bets
here that Taylor will be elected. The Whigs will bet on Taylor. There is no
excitement at all in Ala. Our majority in this state will be from 7,000 to
10,000, we Demos. think.
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.
131-2
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