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to his country in this great contest. You know him as well as I do and there is no doubt that he possesses in an eminent degree the moral & physical qualifications suggested in the circular.

Mr. Hoskins has ever [word crossed out] been a whole souled patriot of the old style, ever since I have known him, and his motto has ever been, "do right tho' the heavens fall".

Today he is fired up with the strongest zeal for our success in this cause -- He wants to do [underlined] something to help it along.

When, some six or eight years ago, in a conversation with you, you informed me that the design was "to form a great Northern Party out of all the elements of opposition to the domineering spirit of the Southern Leaders, I informed Mr. Hoskins of what you said, he