In　this　and　the　accompanying　envelope　are　the　recommendations　of
  about　two　hundred　good　citizens　of　all　parts　of　Illinois；　that
  Benjamin　Bond　be　appointed　marshal　for　that　district。　　They
  include　the　names　of　nearly　all　our　Whigs　who　now　are；　or　have
  ever　been；　members　of　the　State　Legislature；　besides　forty…six　of
  the　Democratic　members　of　the　present　Legislature；　and　many　other
  good　citizens。　　I　add　that　from　personal　knowledge　I　consider　Mr。
  Bond　every　way　worthy　of　the　office；　and　qualified　to　fill　it。
  Holding　the　individual　opinion　that　the　appointment　of　a
  different　gentleman　would　be　better；　I　ask　especial　attention　and
  consideration　for　his　claims；　and　for　the　opinions　expressed　in
  his　favor　by　those　over　whom　I　can　claim　no　superiority。
  A。　LINCOLN。
  TO　THE　SECRETARY　OF　THE　INTERIOR
  SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　April　7；　1849
  HON。　　SECRETARY　OF　THE　HOME　DEPARTMENT。
  DEAR　SIR：I　recommend　that　Walter　Davis　be　appointed　receiver　of
  the　land…office　at　this　place；　whenever　there　shall　be　a　vacancy。
  I　cannot　say　that　Mr。　Herndon；　the　present　incumbent；　has　failed
  in　the　proper　discharge　of　any　of　the　duties　of　the　office。　　He
  is　a　very　warm　partisan；　and　openly　and　actively　opposed　to　the
  election　of　General　Taylor。　　I　also　understand　that　since　General
  Taylor's　election　he　has　received　a　reappointment　from　Mr。　Polk；
  his　old　commission　not　having　expired。　　Whether　this　is　true　the
  records　of　the　department　will　show。　　I　may　add　that　the　Whigs
  here　almost　universally　desire　his　removal。
  I　give　no　opinion　of　my　own；　but　state　the　facts；　and　express　the
  hope　that　the　department　will　act　in　this　as　in　all　other　cases
  on　some　proper　general　rule。
  Your　obedient　servant；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  P。　　S。The　land　district　to　which　this　office　belongs　is　very
  nearly　if　not　entirely　within　my　district；　so　that　Colonel　Baker；
  the　other　Whig　representative；　claims　no　voice　in　the
  appointment。
  A。　　L。
  TO　THE　SECRETARY　OF　THE　INTERIOR。
  SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　April　7；　1849。
  HON。　　SECRETARY　OF　THE　HOME　DEPARTMENT。
  DEAR　SIR：I　recommend　that　Turner　R。　　King；　now　of　Pekin；
  Illinois；　be　appointed　register　of　the　land…office　at　this　place
  whenever　there　shall　be　a　vacancy。
  I　do　not　know　that　Mr。　Barret；　the　present　incumbent；　has　failed
  in　the　proper　discharge　of　any　of　his　duties　in　the　office。　　He
  is　a　decided　partisan；　and　openly　and　actively　opposed　the
  election　of　General　Taylor。　　I　understand；　too；　that　since　the
  election　of　General　Taylor；　Mr。　Barret　has　received　a
  reappointment　from　Mr。　Polk；　his　old　commission　not　having
  expired。　　Whether　this　be　true；　the　records　of　the　department
  will　show。
  Whether　he　should　be　removed　I　give　no　opinion；　but　merely
  express　the　wish　that　the　department　may　act　upon　some　proper
  general　rule；　and　that　Mr。　Barret's　case　may　not　be　made　an
  exception　to　it。
  Your　obedient　servant；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  P。　　S。…The　land　district　to　which　this　office　belongs　is　very
  nearly　if　not　entirely　within　my　district；　so　that　Colonel　Baker；
  the　other　Whig　representative；　claims　no　voice　in　the
  appointment。
  A。　　L。
  TO　THE　POSTMASTER…GENERAL。
  SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　April　7；1849。
  HON。　　POSTMASTER…GENERAL。
  DEAR　Sir：I　recommend　that　Abner　Y。　　Ellis　be　appointed
  postmaster　at　this　place；　whenever　there　shall　be　a　vacancy。　　J。
  R。　　Diller；　the　present　incumbent；　I　cannot　say　has　failed　in　the
  proper　discharge　of　any　of　the　duties　of　the　office。　　He；
  however；　has　been　an　active　partisan　in　opposition　to　us。
  Located　at　the　seat　of　government　of　the　State；　he　has　been；　for
  part　if　not　the　whole　of　the　time　he　has　held　the　office；　a
  member　of　the　Democratic　State　Central　Committee；　signing　his
  name　to　their　addresses　and　manifestoes；　and　has　been；　as　I
  understand；　reappointed　by　Mr。　Polk　since　General　Taylor's
  election。　　These　are　the　facts　of　the　case　as　I　understand　them；
  and　I　give　no　opinion　of　mine　as　to　whether　he　should　or　should
  not　be　removed。　　My　wish　is　that　the　department　may　adopt　some
  proper　general　rule　for　such　cases；　and　that　Mr。　Diller　may　not
  be　made　an　exception　to　it；　one　way　or　the　other。
  Your　obedient　servant；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  P。　　S。This　office；　with　its　delivery；　is　entirely　within　my
  district；　so　that　Colonel　Baker；　the　other　Whig　representative；
  claims　no　voice　in　the　appointment。L。
  TO　THE　SECRETARY　OF　THE　INTERIOR。
  SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　April　7；　1849。
  HON。　　SECRETARY　OF　THE　HOME　DEPARTMENT。
  DEAR　SIR：I　recommend　that　William　Butler　be　appointed　pension
  agent　for　the　Illinois　agency；　when　the　place　shall　be　vacant。
  Mr。　Hurst；　the　present　incumbent；　I　believe　has　performed　the
  duties　very　well。　　He　is　a　decided　partisan；　and　I　believe
  expects　to　be　removed。　　Whether　he　shall；　I　submit　to　the
  department。　　This　office　is　not　confined　to　my　district；　but
  pertains　to　the　whole　State；　so　that　Colonel　Baker　has　an　equal
  right　with　myself　to　be　heard　concerning　it。　　However；　the　office
  is　located　here；　and　I　think　it　is　not　probable　that　any　one
  would　desire　to　remove　from　a　distance　to　take　it。
  Your　obedient　servant；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  TO　THOMPSON。
  SPRINGFIELD；　April　25；　1849。
  DEAR　THOMPSON：
  A　tirade　is　still　kept　up　against　me　here　for　recommending　T。　R。
  King。　　This　morning　it　is　openly　avowed　that　my　supposed
  influence　at　Washington　shall　be　broken　down　generally；　and
  King's　prospects　defeated　in　particular。　　Now；　what　I　have　done
  in　this　matter　I　have　done　at　the　request　of　you　and　some　other
  friends　in　Tazewell；　and　I　therefore　ask　you　to　either　admit　it
  is　wrong　or　come　forward　and　sustain　me。　　If　the　truth　will
  permit；　I　propose　that　you　sustain　me　in　the　following　manner：
  copy　the　inclosed　scrap　in　your　own　handwriting　and　get　everybody
  （not　three　or　four；　but　three　or　four　hundred）　to　sign　it；　and
  then　send　it　to　me。　　Also；　have　six；　eight　or　ten　of　our　best
  known　Whig　friends　there　write　to　me　individual　letters；　stating
  the　truth　in　this　matter　as　they　understand　it。　　Don't　neglect　or
  delay　in　the　matter。　　I　understand　information　of　an　indictment
  having　been　found　against　him　about　three　years　ago；　for　gaming
  or　keeping　a　gaming　house；　has　been　sent　to　the　department。　　I
  shall　try　to　take　care　of　it　at　the　department　till　your　action
  can　be　had　and　forwarded　on。
  Yours　as　ever；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  TO　THE　SECRETARY　OF　THE　INTERIOR。
  SPRINGFIELD　ILLINOIS。　　May　10；　1849。
  HON。　　SECRETARY　OF　THE　INTERIOR。
  DEAR　SIR：I　regret　troubling　you　so　often　in　relation　to　the
  land…offices　here；　but　I　hope　you　will　perceive　the　necessity　of
  it；　and　excuse　me。　　On　the　7th　of　April　I　wrote　you　recommending
  Turner　R。　　King　for　register；　and　Walter　Davis　for　receiver。
  Subsequently　I　wrote　you　that；　for　a　private　reason；　I　had
  concluded　to　transpose　them。　　That　private　reason　was　the　request
  of　an　old　personal　friend　who　himself　desired　to　be　receiver；　but
  whom　I　felt　it　my　duty　to　refuse　a　recommendation。　　He　said　if　I
  would　transpose　King　and　Davis　he　would　be　satisfied。　　I　thought
  it　a　whim；　but；　anxious　to　oblige　him；　I　consented。　　Immediately
  he　commenced　an　assault　upon　King's　character；　intending；　as　I
  suppose；　to　defeat　his　appointment；　and　thereby　secure　another
  chance　for　himself。　　This　double　offence　of　bad　faith　to　me　and
  slander　upon　a　good　man　is　so　totally　outrageous　that　I　now　ask
  to　have　King　and　Davis　placed　as　I　originally　recommended；that
  is；　King　for　register　and　Davis　for　receiver。
  An　effort　is　being　made　now　to　have　Mr。　Barret；　the　present
  register；　retained。　　I　have　already　said　he　has　done　the　duties
  of　the　office　well；　and　I　now　add　he　is　a　gentleman　in　the　true
  sense。　　Still；　he　submits　to　be　the　instrument　of　his　party　to
  injure　us。　　His　high　character　enables　him　to　do　it　more
  effectually。　　Last　year　he　presided　at　the　convention　which
  nominated　the　Democratic　candidate　for　Congress　in　this　district；
  and　afterward　ran　for　the　State　Senate　himself；　not　desiring　the
  seat；　but　avowedly　to　aid　and　strengthen　his　party。　　He　made
  speech　after　speech　with　a　degree　of　fierceness　and　coarseness
  against　General　Taylor　not　quite　consistent　with　his　habitually
  gentlemanly　deportment。　　At　least　one　（and　I　think　more）　of　those
  who　are　now　trying　to　have　him　retained　was　himself　an　applicant
  for　this　very　office；　and；　failing　to　get　my　recommendation；　now
  takes　this　turn。
  In　writing　you　a　third　time　in　relation　to　these　offices；　I
  stated　that　I　supposed　charges　had　been　forwarded　to　you　against
  King；　and　that　I　would　inquire　into　the　truth　of　them。　　I　now
  send　you　herewith　what　I　suppose　will　be　an　ample　defense　against
  any　such　charges。　　I　ask　attention　to　all　the　papers；　but
  particularly　to　the　letters　of　Mr。　David　Mack；　and　the　paper　with
  the　long　list　of　na