Lawrence April 30, 1858.
Geo. L Stearns Esq
Dear Sir
Our State Convention closed yesterday, Every thing passed off
harmoniously,
except a little sparring between Robinson and Lane and even that resulted
in
good. Our mutual friend M F Conway received the nomination for
Representative
to Congress under the Leavenworth Constitution 51 to 37. Parrott will be
likely
to go the Senate. H. J. Adams the free State Mayor of Leavenworth
received
the nomination for Governor. I do not think the movement will amount to
much
if the Lecompton Constitution is rejected.
Ere this reaches you, you will have heard of the successful
resistance of
the U.S. troops at Fort Scott. Serious work
will grow out of it. They fled at the first fire of the free State
boys, leaving
their dead and wounded on the field returning for them with a flag of
truce.
The prestige is broken and unless the troops are withdrawn or keep
themselves
perfectly inactive they will be routed and driven out, and that too by an
irregular
force of Exasperated citizens. I am going to see Denver on a special
message
in the morning to request him to withdraw the troops entirely from the
neighborhood.
In regard to our financial misunderstanding I can only say that it is
most
unfortunate for me. The relief you purpose may be a help, rather to the
people
who are to receive the surplus than to me. As to collecting any thing at
present,
I believe it an impossibility. I shall of course be made whole in the
end,
of that I have had no fears but the present inconvenience is what bears
peculiarly
hard upon me. I have no objection to the vote of which you spoke, it may
serve
to relieve me of some
anxiety about repaying the Mass Com. in full.
I shall visit Chicago next week and after my accounts are adjusted
then I
will forward a balance sheet to your Committee.
In haste very truly yours
E B Whitman
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