The only speaker we have had here since the canvass commenced, from outside, is Mr Oliver, who, between you and I, is no great shakes. The excitement is strong & Secesh is working desperately. I think we are getting on fairly but we must do better than that. The Central Committee ought to know a great deal better than I and it would be impertinent for me with my very limited knowledge of the rest of the State to offer it advice, but I must say to you that this county might be carried for Lincoln and Secesh demoralized for the next election thereby, if a sufficiently strong push was made for it. And it seems to me that we are spending our fire altogether too much in the northern part of the State. You gave me reason to believe that you would manage to get Edgerton here before election. Pray do try & see if you can’t arrange it at once. Give me a week’s notice and I pledge you my word I will show you a larger audience than you ever saw in Mariposa, to meet him.

If Edgerton is out of the Question bring Pixley, and if you can’t get him, come yourself at any rate. But I am sure that we ought to have Edgerton here.

What we want is downright strong talk, making the line as clean as possible between Union men & Secesh and brushing away all Mc-Clellan’s flimsy under-pinning of pretended desire to maintain the Union. Jones & Deering make capital reading speeches, capital two hour logic, [268] & Oliver & Wilcox rant bravely, but I think we want another sort of thing & Edgerton’s printed speech is exactly that sort.