provided Van Buren or some other person

to please them, should he [be] nominated by the

Baltimore convention which I think not

probable. I was told by a member of the

House a few days since that Benton now

claims to have obtained a wonderful tri-

umph over the President & Cabinet by

(as he says) forcing them into his views of

the question — he alluded to McDuffie's resolu-

tions. It is therefore generally believed that

he will vote for those resolutions. I am

sure he is allarmed [sic] at his position & wishes

to come to the support of the measure of

annexation provided he can find some

excuse for doing so & provided also he can

support it in a way that will disconnect

Mr. Calhoun with it, and have his favorite

nominated for the Presidency. I fear however

Mr. B. cannot be accommodated in all of

these considerations & that he will vote against

the resolutions. I had a conversation with

him on yesterday which did not alter in

any degree my apprehensions in this

regard. The Baltimore convention has