Excerpt from Application of Seth M. Whitten, of Indiana, for the Office of Sergeant-at-Arms, of the United States Senate: With Endorsements, Official and Private Letters and Papers Which Briefly Show His Civil and Military Services, the Origin, Character and Degree of His Physical Disabilities, and an Argument Showing the Political Preferment for Office of Rebels Over Union

"It is sometimes said that no man can have any 'claims' to office. This is to say, 'Republic are ungrateful.' It is not true. He who has devoted his life to the public service, and has rendered more and More Valuable public service than any other, and retains in full vigor of body and mind - mens sand in corpore sano - all the great qualities to make himself as useful, if not more so. as any other can as yet. be, has claims of the highest order to public favor. He who has been thus faithful over many things should be made ruler over a great nation."

The above quotation was clipped from the "Brief Sketch of the Life and Public Services of John Sherman." It is a book of 80 pages, was most ably edited by his friend Judge William Lawrence, and is an attempt to show that the claims of Mr Sherman for the nomination at Chicago are superior to those of all other candidates.

If the following pages of this phamplet do not prove that my claims for the office of Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate are far superior to those of Mr. William P. Canaday, and if they do not determine the matter favorably to me, it is because facts clearly established do not have any effect upon your minds, or do not outweigh the behest of politicians, or the demands or requests of a rebel soldier.

This work has been prepared under the most trying circumstances of physical and mental sufferings and financial distress, and as I have been too feeble to note all of the Typographical errors, you will no doubt find an occasional mistake in the orthograliy.

I have been the sole editor and compiler of it, and, while in process of printing, the manuscript and finished matter has at all times been in the close custody of a friend, or safely locked up and hid from view. It contains matter which I do not believe you will think it prudent to make public at this time, and as I have successfully kept it from all persons who would make it public, if you should let it fall into the hands of some Democratic newspaper correspondent, or some unfriendly hand, the responsibility would be with you and not with me.

I have not made this pamphlet as complete in details, of illustrations, and of the analysis of Congressional votes, as I should have done had I possessed the necessery means to print them, but if any Senator or Republican Committee desires to circulate it as a campaign document, I can easily and readily supply the additional details and illustrations in quantities to suit the demand for them.

I have in my possession subject to the order of any Senator, or of any Committee of Senators, all of the original papers from which the published copies of this pamphlet were printed, except a few affidavits on file at the Pension Office.

I have protected myself by copyright for the reason that I cannot afford to lose the result of my labor, you will please bear in mind the fact that within ten days from the date hereof I must, if I would avail myself of the benefits of the law, file two copies of this pamphlet with the Librarian of Congress. If your action in this matter is favorable to me before the expiration of the said ten days, I will not file them at all, but if it is otherwise, or extends beyond that time, my sore necessities will compell me to do it.

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