Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-04-12
MAJOR DoWNING's LETTER.
TO sy old friend Mr.. Dwight Of the Neac York
Daily .AdOertiser.
SENATE CHAMBER. WASHINGTON, }
JL4Nk u OilzkI1nrs1Sj ~ .
April 9Th, 1884.

April 5th, 1884. :
suppose you'll be all pretty considerable
struck up when you como to see wnere l now
be. and so Pll Jest tell you in as snort order as
possible, how it come about.
Ever since wrote you that last letter about
the Rakoon Story the Gineral telled me, and
the Old Hen story telled him, the folks about
the Ginera haint Civ me no time to eat or sleep,
and have had nigh upon the hull Government
10 beat off, but SO long as had the Gineral on
my side, didn't care nothin about it. But to-
: Their day the Gineral he began to shake IN the
wind leetle, and this was about the cause Ont.
He and me was sittin talkin over matters alone,
and frein red hot shot at the OppoSltion Iolks,
and especially at Squire Biddle, when telled
the Gneral, says Gineral it's well enuf Tor us
: to talk so among folks who come to see us; Tor
II is the natur of people TO give one credit Tor
honesty at least, though he is wrong, IL he ony
seems warm and determined, jest as you was
when YOU cut down that old mans Bee tree;
hut saws my slate don't tell me that the present
trouble all about the country is OWN to the Bank
crampin folks. And with that reached down
nv slate and showed the Gineral. Now says
L here we see that the Bank actually has been
lendin out more money since we took the de-
nosts away from it than il had lent afOre that
time. The Gineral he looked over the flgers,
and sure enuf there it was: why says he, MAJOR,
neope grumblin at2 All our folks tell me, says
the Ginerai, that Biddle is crampin the people
all over creation and here now you show, as
clear as daylight, that the Bank haint screwed
at all. And with that the Gineral he began to
count on his fingers and though he can some
times flyer out pretty considerable tuh sum
that way, this puzzled him amazingly. SO 10
rights. saws he, Major, what then is the cause
of all this troubled Well, says |, Gineral, sup
pose we shall know pritty soon. There is a
cog out somewhere, says |; and as the Senate
is overhawlin the mill, perhaps they'll find 1t,
and let us know And the words warnt more
than out of my mouth, when In come kindle
and Blair lookin as though they had jest ben
snaked through gimblet hole, and they telled
the fsineral that the Senate had jest past Gays
resolutions. IT won't do no good to tell what
followed but the Gneral was hoppin mad, and
it as4more than an hour afore he got threw
sattin things about. And as 1t was about the
time when folks would be comm to visit the Gil
neral, jest slept out to tell em they must call
aoin for the Gineral was hard at work IN Ca
binet Kounsel"
When I cot back found the Gineral with
pritty nigh all the steam bowed OF, and them
other two critters writing sOmethin to come out
lin the Globe next day. teled the Gineral right
off-now, says l. Gineral we better keep an
eve on what we say in print for we have trou-
bic enuf with what we say here to folks; but
says /, if we 90 to abusin the Senate and put it
in print too, the people may take stand agn
MS and puzzle us hereafter most pldgiy. And
with that the Gineral got his steam up IN a mi
nit: and he teld me if that was my notion bet
ter pack up and quit for the time had come now
for evry man to take his own side, and if
thought the Senate had more wisdom than he
had / must clear out. Well says | Gineral,
hadn't we best call the hull Cabinet together on
this business Cabinet! says the Gineral, what
more do | want2 and with that he turned and
pinted to Kindle and Blair, and Civ me a look
as black as.thunder. Well says | that's enuf;
and as had kept my bundle ready for a move
oil h.,.1 fn1 fr,Sf iolr
nv slate in it, and poke my axe handle threw the
unper knot, and slung the hull consarn over
nv shoulder and was back agn in the Cabinet
afore you could say Jack Robinson.
Now says Gineral, and you are going to
ouit-but afore 60 should like to tell you a
story-and the best ONT is it Amt long one,
saws l. And telld the Gineral that snake story
vou,ye hearn me tell afore. How was once
walkin in a field down there TO Downingvilie,
and hearn clatter, and seeing no one, but to
rights fndin that ii all come from a big black
snake more than half rod long, the tail quar-
lin with the head about takin the lead: and say
in the head had led long enuf and the tail ought
to try its turn spe-and so the head give up
and let the tail have his way-and FOLLOWED on
to see how things would work that way-and so
after gon agin the scales Spell and maxim
things GRIT considerable, the tail tried to go
threw stone fence, and gittin jam'd, riggled
and twisted and screwd and couldn't go on; and
the head of the snake wanted to know what was
the matter, and why it didn't go threw, and that
he had gone threw the same fence twenty times
the tail got little rathy, and a little asham'd
and ddt like To tell
When got so far in my story, the Gineral
= who had been all the while sittin and lookin
right at the fire, turn'd round and gin me pla-
gy inqulnn look, and stopp'd short of---well,
5 says he, what was the eend on't2 why, says l.,
Gineral halnt got time now TO tell you, but
saws l. the next time We meet I'll finish the sto-
nv, and with that made the Gineral a rale cabi-
> net bow, and walked strait out of the white
p house feelln pritty much, suppose, like good
many folks afore me who have had their say
there and then cleared out. was a leet!e
stump'd to know which way to steer-I had
some bread and cheese in my pack, but
wanted place to go to for the highland
there was SO many Committee folks in Wash
ington, every tavern was chuck full-but jst
then see the flag go up at the S capitol aH "a, and
,yent-but OWN TO my being stop'd SO oiten on
the way, by folks all wantn to know what at, had ssi
baupen'd, by the time reach'd the capitol, all
s.fac, ryoS q