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of the <personName>Jackson</personName> Administration there seems to be some indelicacy in removing men whom he has appointed & particularly those he has lately appointed & whom he wishes to be continued. And yet the Office hunters are coming down like a mighty avalanche or rather like a tremendous Army of starved barbarians armed with every kind of weapon & yelling a terrible war whoop.

My friends have given some trouble by a very strong demand to have me placed in the Cabinet. Here however there is now but one vacancy, the War Department, which all admit must be filled with a Southern man. If I insist upon having the Secretary of the Navy turned out I can have that – but I will not do so, I said I would not & that having no anxiety on the subject, indeed not being able to make up my mind – fully to accept even it should be tendered, I would waive my claim for the present at least – it being understood that there would be no imediate change in the Cabinet & no other ^ <add>Pennsylvanian</add> appointed if it was not first tendered to me. <personName>Mr V B</personName> then said the Mission to <placeName>Russia</placeName> was vacant if I would accept, that was at my service & it would give him pleasure if I would accept, that I was the first one to whom it had been tendered. I

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