Letter from the Editor.
Dear Readers:—Happy to believe that you have given your full consent to my long absence from the editorial chair. I beg to return you my sincere thanks for the same, and to tender you the assurance that I shall soon again be at my chosen post, where, with the blessing of God, I shall speak to you weekly. It is especially gratifying to me that you have evinced so little impatience.—Not one, that I have known, has been so cruel as to send back the paper, because of the dearth of editorial matter. Please observe, however, that I do not regard your singular forbearance as the result of any want of interest in my learned editorials! For to suppose that you do not seriously feel the loss of my valuable contributions, would be wantonly to rob you of the high credit always due to generous self-sacrifice. I do not say what harm would be done me by so mischievous a supposition. You have generously given me leave to go into "the hedges and highways, and compel them to come in." It is a good work; and while voice and health endure, it is pleasant work. I have spoken during these forty days, to about eighty meetings, and except a slight hoarseness, I am quite unhurt. The old disease, which has for several years caught me by the throat so severely, has been kind enough to pass me by this Autumn, and to leave me free to perform the duties of the stump.
You will perceive that I am now at work in Gerrit Smith's district. Much hope is entertained of his election to Congress. I have regarded this as an unreasonable hope. It has seemed to me too much to expect. Mr. Smith is too far in advance of the age and of the people, to command the votes necessary to his election. It is, however, proper to say, that I find myself almost alone in my scepticism on this point. Many think his election highly probably; everybody thinks it possible, while a great many hereabouts think it certain. I work on borrowed hope.