Franklin County: William Leiburg to Simon Cameron,
August 10, 1858
Summary:
Leiburg write confidentially to support Cameron for the 1860 presidency and
comment on local politics.
Aug 10/58
Chambersburg
Honorable
Simon Cameron
Dear Sir
I see by the papers, your name is being used as a candidate for the Presidency for the campaign in 1860--I sincerely hope you may receive the nomination & then be elected,-I was the first to move in this county in favor of Harrison--and again for General Taylor and intend to do something for you in our paper before long-
Never will I forget your friend G.W. Brewer who, by and by, is one of the
cleverest of men I know. A short time after the Democratic Convention
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met in Harrisburg at which you were- and using efforts there, to get the Democratic party to bring forward General Taylor,
Brewer met me, and observed, Seibut, do you know the Democratic Party are going
to nominate General Taylor for President and Simon
Cameron for Vice President- Can you go it-I observed,
I did not know it, he said it was a fact- I told him, I would go wherever General Taylor went- yes, said Brewer, and they will be
elected easy- and you and I will go to Washington & have glorious pickings- In conversation with Brewer, a short time
back, I reminded him of it and told him if you were nominated he must go it and [deleted: now] then
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we could go to Washington at your Inauguration & &c
that I intended to write to you, and would mention the occurrence I have
related, but he did not want me to do it- but it is truth- and a good Joke on
Brewer. for he did not vote for Taylor--because the
party to which he adheres, did not nominate Taylor-
My object in writing is simply to let you know I am your friend--and you can command my slender ability in your service.
If there is one thing on earth--fires my soul, more than another, it is to reap
honors on the Self Made Man--I have been sounding a [unclear: Workline]
the principle Editor of the Repository
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& Transcript-in regard
to his advocating your claim to the nomination-he said he had took so prominent
a part in opposing your election as Senator that he was afraid the Valley Spirit
would come down on him- I could plainly see he regrets his former course and I
think, all will be right yet,
He is under some-(at least he says so) obligations to me, as a contributor to his paper--& will not deny me space to favor your claims- after this is done-I will try and have [unclear: extracts] from other papers inserted- and if I can get the Repository once committed to your cause it will work well.
Please acknowledge receipt of this and then destroy-
Yours truly
William Leiburg
