Letter from Jonathan Worth to Alfred G. Foster, June 10, 1856
Asheboro, June 10th, 1858.
Having decided to be a Candidate it becomes necessary for me to resign my office of Clerk and Master in Equity. There is no one here competent to discharge the duties of the office, and I know of no one who desires to fill it. It may suit me after serving a session in the Legislature or, by possibility, after being beaten, to resume the office. In 1840 my friend H. B. Elliott accepted the office, appointed me his deputy and resigned on my return from the Legislature. Will you oblige me in like manner? I still hear Dr. Lane will run, and rumor says that Geo. (not Billy) Patterson, of Alamance, is debating the question whether he shall not raise the Democratic flag. I hear of no man of much influence or intelligence of either party who is the open friend of Lane, but on the contrary that all such in both counties are zealously for me; but an anxiety prevails among my friends that he will out-electioneer and beat me among the non-freeholders. I can not see good grounds for these fears. I hear very cheering accounts from Alamance and believe I shall have little trouble if no Democrat comes into the field; and am by no means sure that the appearance of a democrat would not produce a rally of our party friends on me. I look upon a four weeks tour of electioneering with such a vile competitor as Lane with anything but pleasurable anticipations, but I am resolved to keep my temper and hope to beat him bad enough to keep him out of anybody's way in the future.
What are the prospects in your neighborhood? Will B. Craven be against me, and if so, how many can he carry?
LaGrange.
