Lawrence Feby 18. 1858
My dear Friend
I have just recd a letter from Alfred under date of Jany 31, in which he says that you have not yet received any reply to your several letters. Time flies so fast with me that I dare not attempt to recall dates from memory but very soon after the reception of your Committee Letter I sent you a voluminous communication upon all sorts of topics to the amt. of nine cents postage. When I saw that you had not yet received it I should at once attempt to replace it but to save labor I will wait until I hear from you. On the reception of this you will be good enough to drop me a line informing me if you have received the document alluded to – If not I will immediately replace it with another.

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In the meantime I will just say that matters are looking well here. Men and parties & policy are changing but are mean the right shall keep uppermost & on sat night last we had a very important Convention. I had reason to suspect Robinson’s fidelity to the Topeka movement and I knew it to be the purpose of the officers elect F. S. under the Lecompton Swindle to take the machine and run it as we say “run the wagon”. The thing was to get an open avowal of it in [xxx] for the people to utter their rebuke. This I affected by the introduction of the following resolution.
Resolved, That in case the Lecompton Constitution is adopted by Congress before the Constitutional Convention shall have time to complete its work then our bill will fall back upon the Topeka government and stand or fall by it”. This brought out a very interesting discussion in the course of which Robinson [actually?] abandoned the movement and the offices Elect were forced to declare

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their purposes under the Lecompton Constitution. The rebuke from the people was prompt and it will be reechoed through the Country. On Monday morn the Topeka Legislature, abandoned by their Governor adjourned Sine die – This ended that movement, killed by its professed friends. The other party were alarmed and have sought to make peace – The result was a union banquet on Monday night, a fusion of Committees and a hearty cooperation to go into the election of delegates for a Constitutional Convention
In the canvass however we intend to secure the election of good republicans if labor will do it. This winter has been an eventful one to us and the next three or four months are fraught with the most intense interest I remained here this winter to be at the closing scene and shall hardly get away until the convention has done its work.
I find it the hardest thing in the world to write a letter on Kansas politics for when I undertake it the thoughts rush in

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crowds for expression that the tardy pen is left far behind and so I grow discouraged and give it up.
Do let me hear from you on the reception of this.
As ever most truly your friend
E B Whitman