Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-01-09
MAJOR DowNINGs OFFICIAL PAPER.

Read to the Cabinet, and Majors, Auditors, ana
Under Secretaries, and Sub- Postmasters, and
the rest of the Government, on the 26th day o.
December, A. ID. 1S33-and printed for the use
of all the citizens, from DopniaguilIe to Nep-
Orleans, along the seo-coost, and up the Ms
sissippi and Missouri, and so down the Lakes,
and across By the Erie Canal to Albany, ana
along by the middle rout ocer Neao Jersey, rem
svtcaay. and Maryland, to TVashiagton-and
opav agin 10 all parts Of creation, and to erery
body
ClNERAL-and Gentlemen of the Cabinet and
the rest on you here compoSin the Government:
speak to you as a man standin right between
YOU and the people. What am goin SAY amt
calculated to make any on you change your opl-
MON so much as TO make you know mine. Y on
have pretty much all on you had your turn and
now comes my turn II any thing say has
sharp corners, and scrapes the skin little, 1t is
because haint had time to file the edges smooth
I'll give you my notions pretty much as you get
bread from the Bakers and leave you to slice or
chunk it as best suits you; and every man can
butter his own slice jest to please MS 1ancy-that
Amt nv business so much as it is his'n.
We are met here not only to fix on some plan
10 crit the country out of trouble, but TO see how
it got into trouble; and am goin to say a little
on both pnts When chmbly smokes at the
folks may content themselves with openin Win
dows and doors, to let the smoke out; but my
notion is, that the safest plan is to see into the
cause ont, and correct it-so that the chimbly
will only smoke at the right eend let the wind
blow any way.
Now there is a few things we must look into
little aud then we will know more about 'em
And am goin to eXamin-
What kind of crittur the Bank ofthe United
States rally is;
Whether its natur is to good or evil to the
country; and then wind up with
Matters and things in gineral.
Twenty years ago the country was in trouble,
and filrd up with all kinds ofbank paper-nigh
upon as bad as old Continental-and good deal
was little worse. Ifany body amt old enuf to
remember that time, and wants to see what kind
ofmoney mean, let him go to the Treasury,
and Mr.. fancy can show him nigh million and
Il half of dollars, not worth the cost OF the paper
and ink used every year in maxim report ont
but this is ony drop compar'd to what would
be now there Of the same kind OF stuff II 1t hadn't
been for the Bank of the United States. All our
wise folks of that day said we must have Bank
of the United States, and good big One-one
strong enufto do the work WELL and to clear out
all this trash And so this Bank was made; and
the first thing was, as there very little rale
money in the country, the Bank went and bot
good jag ont in Europe, and went to work
here clearin away, jest as we do our fields in
the Spring.
1t was a pretty dirty lob to do, so l tell you,
and the Bank didn't get through with it without
scratchn and smuttin its fingers pretty conSide-
rable; and that warn't the worst ont for the
. Bank The Government made the Bank agree
to pay fifteen hundred thousand dollars for the
privilege of doing this work. and made it agree
TO take care of the peoples money in all parts OF
the country, and to pay it here and there where
ever the Government told 'em to, and to pay al
the PENSIONS and to do every thing in the mo-
, ney way, without chargin any thing for it to
the Government This was pretty tuff bargn
orthe Bank; for all it got in return was to have
the keepin of the money, and when the Govern
oment didn't want it, the Bank might lend it out
1t took good many years afore the Bank col
things to work smooth 1t was like whappin
y bid wagon that wanted good many horses to
drag it; and as it had valable freight in it.
wanted none but the best kind of horseS-real
Conestogas-and it warn't every one who knew
how to drive such team. The owners of this
wagon found that out; for some of the first that
they got came play nigh overseeing it. So to
rights they got Squire Biddle. | suppose they
thought that, seem that the folks in Pensylvany
have the best and strongest horses and the big
gest wagons, they ought to know best how to
guide 'enl. We'll, they made pretty good guess
that time; for ever since they told the Squire to
take the lines they hain'tlOst Inch pin or broke
a strap; and there warn't no complaints made
agin him by the folks on the road, or the coun-
try. All the Otfler WdSonerS liked the Squire
amazingly; he was always ready to give 'em q
lhlt when he found them in the mud; and when
ever they got short of provender, the esquire
never refused to turn out some of his to keep
their horses from suffering. Every thing was
goin on better and better, and everybody said,
at home and abroad there warn't such a team
in all creation. Well, about four years ago, we
began to pick quarrel with the Squire, and its
been goin on every year pretty much after this
fashion. The first go off, some of our folks
wanted the Squire to change some ofhis leadin
horses-they said the breed warn't right-he
ought to put on the lead some Albany trotters-
that they We're the best horses on the lead he
could have. The Squire didn't like to changes
ne said the horses he had knew the road as well
as he did, and they wouldn't bolt nor kick up
and when they came to up hill work he could
depend upon em.
Then agn our folks wanted the Squire to
change the harness: they said they had new
agin with 'em as with The old fashiond collars I
Well the Squire didn't like that notion Mother
So to rights they told the Squire he must give
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