Petersboro

                                           Sept 7 '60

L Spooner

     My d Sir

          How you love labor! & how well you perform it! I find on my return home the few sheets of your new pamphlet. I have not yet read a single page of them. But my knowledge of your past writings inspires me with faith in these. I rejoice to see this new Breakwater[?] against the flood of the Republican Party.

     I have been ______ & seen Sedgwick this _____. They acquiesce fully in your arguments against trying a publisher. Nine of the publishers will be tried, provided they ____ themselves & do not endeavor to ______ the Committee. But they are afraid to ______ the whole Committee in a single suit. They are afraid of lacking testimony. They wish to ___ Sherman first –for they have proof enough against him. But both Barlow & Sherman have succeeded in getting such an extension of time for putting in their answer, that we cannot try them at the next Circuit in this County - ___ the last of this month. So the trials will have to go ___ to next March.

     Sedgwick says ____ the lawyer in _____ ____ be employed to hunt up testimony has met with his little _____.

                                  Your friend

                                  Gerrit Smith

P.S. ______ - going to work in 2 or 3 days at to about 2 weeks.