My dear Sir July 25. 1858.
Your doleful letter of the 18th. was received on my return from Chicago last night. I do hope you are worse scared than hurt, though you ought to know best. We must not lose that district. We must make a job of it, and save it. Lay hold of the proper agencies and secure all the Americans you can, at once. I do hope, on closer inspection, you will find they are not half gone. Make a little test. Run down one of the poll-books of the Edwardsville precinct, and take the first hundred known American names. Then quietly ascertain how many of them are actually going for Douglas. I think you will find less than fifty. But even if you find find [sic] fifty, make sure of the other fifty---that is, make sure of all you can at all events. We will set other agencies to work, which shall compensate for the loss of a good many Americans. Dont fail to check the stampede at once. Trumbull, I think will be with you before long. There is much he can not do, and some he can. I have reason to hope there will be other help of an appropriate kind. Write me again. Yours as ever A. LINCOLN---