Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-10-17
LETTER FROM MAJOR DOWNING.
To my old Friend M. DWight, Of The New York
Daily AdrertiSer
WAsHINGToN, Oct. 10, 1894,

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 1854
Seem that you haint hearn from me now for
a considerable long spell, suppose you begun
to think had gone to Araby, where the gneral
threatened to 90 once when the people began
To send petitions to him last winter-but my
good old friend ever since | rit to you my last
letter hant had time 10 do nothln IN that way;
and this is about the cause ONT. when wrote
10 YOU last | was busy gettin my boots looted
and greasd and all things mended aud slick'd
I'D, and intended to 60 to Saratogue and all
about them parts, to keep an eye on the "ne.ct
Gopernneni;n but comm TO look about me here,
| found all the folks of the Government and
"the Government itself all of, and not crit
ter left here 10 keep things agoin but me and
MIR. Forsyth, and seein that he was rather new
in the business. thought would stay and lend
him hand and wait here till either the present
Government or the neTt Government got back
agin. Well hadn't been long at il afore be-
gan to feel rather wamblechop'd; and one day
Mr.. Forsyth says to me, Major, says he, what's
the matter; well says |, Governor, don't know
exactly. but | begin to feel considerable streak
ed; we'll says he, | reckon | know what's the
matter, and he come out with a long word that
frightened me almost to pieces. | had hearn
good deal said about the old Torys of '76, and
the new Torys of '3i, and my father and
grandfather had batted agin the old ones,
didn't somehow fear much about the new ones;
and knew there was good many kind OF new
rvs and the merit government forys, and the
tape & Irvine TOrys, and the safety fund One
Dollar bill T'OryS; but here was another kind
of rOryS hadn't thought on before, and Co
vernon FORSYTH said there warn't a doubt they
then had hold on me, and them was the Pre-
moni- TOrgS. As soon as the word was out of
his mouth sprung round like all pOSseSt; says
l. Governor. do you think it is rally so? there is
no doubt ONT, says he; why says |, how you
tIkl for if that is 50 there is no time to lose,
avs l. for long as there is any allln about
Major Downing that has got any kind of Tory
,bout it, it is time for folks to look out. Well
,ays he, Major, if you like another name better,
says he, III give it to you, and so, says he,
you've got the kOaree DO tell says !, II that's
all rll soon fix that; and why didn't you say so
at FIRST instead of tellin body about that other
plagy an? and with that went to work right
off putin things to rights. The first go oil
took leetle less New England in my switchell;
but that didn't do much good; then again took
a double dose; but that ony made things worse:
it was like PORN warm warter down ones back
ON u cold, frosty mornin; it felt plagy good
whilst you was at it, but in Il mint arter, il was
worse and worse; at last | stop'd all kind of
hard Ticker, and arter little spell felt prtty
churck. stuck to this plan lew days, and
kept cool and good natur'd and eat nothin but
good sound food and drank nohn but clear
cold water, and above all kept up my pluck
and trusted to Providence for the rest: and in
less than one week there warnt mite of no
kind of premon-torys nor any kind of tory
about me, and | was as sound as grannt-
But | had a pritty tuff time ont tell you, for
accordin to the natur of all these kind Of ains
that has got any tory about EN-, if you don't
stop 'em they 90 on and 90 on, till folks 90 in
to what the Doctors call the colaps, and then
YOU turn as blue as an indigo bag, and then
Kamire and Lodnum and burnt Brandy and
Khan pepper and mustard and hard rubin amt
no kind of uSe-it's all over then.
and Mr. Forsyth us'd to have good many
long talks about it, and when was busy bat
ting agn them pla9y premonitoryS he used to
call and see me, and would talk over matters
with him. One day, says l. Governor, did you
ever have u notion that there is plagy strong
likeness between the natur of man and the ma
tur of nation? Well, says he Major don't
know exactly that there amt, and again think
there amt none at all. Very well, says |, don't
commit Yourself but Eve got notion says l.
that there is a plagy strong likeness. Now says
look at me. look at that are leg and that are
arm and this hand, and see this breast, says l.
land gave a whack on 1t with my hand like
sledgehammer on an anvii;) now says l. amt that
all together a pretty considerable pattern OF Il
man2 is there any kind of rot ABOUT that, says
IL nothin says he that | know on; except that
pagy premonitory: well says |, that amt moth
i'm vet, and scarcely feel il; yes says he but II
YOU don't put a stop to it, Major, it will reckon
true enuC Governor, and know as far as expert
ence goes many as stout and strong chap as
lam now, on Thursday amt been worth the
labor of berryin him Saturday. Now says
that's the natur Of man; and now let us look at
the natur of a nation, and instead of going all
about creation let us look at home-hcre is
pattern of a nation worth lookin at and there
amt nothin in any part of creation that can
hold hold candle To it. Twelve million OF
folks all strung together by constitution and
set of laws, made by themselves for their own
security and happiness-and every thing so
accurately balanced and checked, that nothing
but wilfulneSS can throw it out Of gearing
But says |, like me, it has got some ailin now
about it-there is premonitorys, says |, at work
upon il 10 Sartn;y, and there must be stop
put To EN-, or things will look blue enuf pref
" soon, and nothin will save it from colaps;
then all's over with u.s. and we shant be bit bet
ter off than some of the Portagees and Spanish
nations in South America.
There aint, says |, no man living, who thought
he would do so much good as the Gineral thought
he could atore he got to be the Government but