Many prominent citizens of Missouri and Illinois recently addressed a petition to President Abraham Lincoln, requesting that he appoint Colonel [Friedrich] Hecker, Brigadier General. As soon as he received word of the petition, Hecker, who is confined to his bed in Philadelphia by sickness, wrote to Senator Trumbull, who had been asked to deliver the petition to the President. The following is an excerpt from the letter:

"I most earnestly beg you not to hand the petition to the President. I do not want any promotion unless I have proved by my military activities that I have earned it, and I certainly will not accept an advancement that is acquired through political favoritism. I most heartily despise anyone who accepts any higher office that he does not merit".

That is just like Hecker. His attitude is all the more noble since the most competent judges have testified that he possesses in a high degree every requisite of an able general, and that his is the best trained and disciplined regiment in the Potomac Army and that, under Hecker's leadership, it fought well for the cause of the Republic.

We take pleasure in announcing that according to the latest reports Colonel Hecker is well on the way to recovery from his illness, and it is very probable that he will return to his Regiment in a few days.