I ought to have written to you before to thank you for your kind & instructive letters, but you can well conceive how it is here. The truth is I have hardly time to read, much less to answer my letters, & I am so connected with a question that works itself into every thing, that I am more than ever disinclined to letter writing in regard to which my habits have, I am ashamed to say it, always been bad. I assure you with perfect truth that down to the present moment I have never yet to my most intimate friends written a word upon the subject of Genl. Jacksons successor, & I do not believe that I will change my course at any time. I am perfectly content to leave that matter wholly to the people, & shall have no difficulty in reconciling myself to whatever disposition they may chose to make of it. To so much of your very interesting letter as touches upon <illegible> that point, & the course to be pursued by our friends upon points connected with it, I say nothing further than ^that^ I have been strongly impressed with the truth & justice of your observation, upon the causes which have for the moment thrown the course of Virginia, upon the subject of National politics, for the moment in doubt, if not discredit. In regard to the particular points you have referred to, I can at present only say, that if an opportunity presents itself in which I can oblige you in respect to them or in any other way it will give me sincere pleasure to do so.

You have a noble opportunity now to do your State service, & I am full of hope as to the result. If Virginia falters at this moment she will loose a moral height in the scale of the Union which she cannot regain in twenty years.

Excuse this hasty scrawl & believe me to be