Record Data
Henry Fitzhugh to Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter, March 26, 1860, in Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1916, Vol. II, Correspondences of Robert M. T. Hunter 1826-1876, ed. Charles Henry Ambler (Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1918), 307-308.
Transcription
KANAWHA C[OURT] H[OUSE], VA., March 26, 1860.
MY DEAR SIR: By way of experiment, I have been circulating many copies of your late speech among some very intelligent acquaintances I have in Ohio, some of whom are Republicans. From one of these gentlemen, prominent in his state and the country by his efforts for Mr. Fremont, I received the following acknowledgement for your speech: “While on this subject let me say that I read with the greatest pleasure Mr. Hunter’s great speech upon the slavery question; and I return you my thanks for sending me a copy. It has given me some new ideas: and I frankly confess that upon the platform laid down by him, I would not greatly object to his election. Indeed, under some circumstances likely to occur, I could cheerfully vote for him. Another matter may interest you. I have for the last ten days been in various parts of this State (Ohio), part of the time attending the Legislature at Columbus, and I find many influential democrats and others, are looking to your friend as the best man for the Charleston nomination.”
I hope very much that the Charleston Convention may nominate you; and present to the gentleman from whose letter I quote, and others in like predicament, a choice of which they may avail themselves. I shall be at Charleston, acting cordially with your friends, not to cast a vote for you and feel discharged from the duty, but with a sincere desire to secure your nomination.
