Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-02-06
MAJOR DOWNING's CORREsPON.
DENCE,
WAsIINGroN, 10Th Jan. 1884.

MAJOR DOWNING's CORREsPON-
DENCE.
WAsuINGToN, 10th Jan. 1884.
TO my old friend Mr.. Dwight, Of the New-York
Daily Advertiser.
You remember tell'd you spell ago,
that after we got the message done, we
was obliged To take it all to bits, and
mock out good many things about the
counts, and run the chance OF lettm Con-
gress skip 'em over; and | tclled you
too, that would to ghts git the Cine
RAILS specks, and give 'em twist round
to plain sight, and let him take a look
at things Jest as they be, without bit of
"Glory" about 'em. Well among them
accounts we had got in the message, was
the Post Office accounts. l didn't like
the look on 'em bit at the time, but as
every body said mony was plagy scarce
every where, the Gneral thought it was
natural enuf to find it pretty scarce in
the Post Office too. Now, says /, Gin
raj, my notion is that we best let Nj jor
Barry tell his own story about it; for as
he has done so much in reforming things,
and we have got now pretty good ma
jority in Congress, he may git out of the
scrape.
Well the GineraI thought that was a
bout the best way; and Major Barry
made his report, and tclPd pretty con-
siderable of cute story about his havin
found an error in the Post Office ac-
counts, that had been overlooked ever
since Gineral Washington's. time. l
began to think for spell that would
stump Congress, about as much as tho
there had been fire in the Post-Office,
pretty much like that one in the Treasu-
ry last Spring. But, some how or other,
some of the plagy Senators have been
smellin round, and got on track that
led 'em right up TO the fact, that the
Post Office is head and ears all over in
debt; and that it has been borrow in mony
for over two years now, and never said
a word on it to Congress. And l an
peskily afeard, that seein the Law say:
none Of our folks shall borrow money
without consent of Congress, (and which
upon the hull is a pretty safe law, fo
Congress couldn't tell Otherwise how tht
money was goin.) am, say, peskil,
afeard we cant get the Post Office folk
out of this scrape, without reformin som,
on 'em out of uffice. But as they are al
our best friends, and have done more lo
Glory ard Reform than most folks, w
shall let some on 'em resign, and then ap
pint 'em to some office abroad or git ZEN
into some place where they can git "a lv
i'm without wOrkin for 1t; for The Ginera
won't let any on 'em suffer no way.
When the Gineral come To- hear wha
the Senate was arter, says he, MAJOR
will them accounts of the Post Otfic
stand the racket, or not? Why, says
Gineral its hard teIlin; but as nigh as
can calklate, says |, | guess they won
in the way Congress settles accounts
things look plagy crooked, says |; an
the worst ont Is, them accounts hav
been so twisted, first one way, and the
ayin another wav, that | am feared no'
they won't stand twistin any more. Th
only way says /, is to straiten 'em, an
that's all can do about 'em. But, say
l, if they break to bits in straitenin o
'em, | can't help it. Well, says h'
Maio | wish you'd try it; for says tn
Gineral, if we can't keep Barry up, ther
il no tellin what will become on US, for
seems to me, ever since Mr.. Van Bure
got the Post Office Department into til
Cabinet, we have been able to do moi
in "rewardin our friends, and punish
our enemies" than 10 all the rest of III
Departments put together. Well, say
], Gineral III try it, says /; and so tt
Gineral went to bed; and got my slat
and | got all the Post Office accoun
from the time Judge Mclean left Il
Office and Major Barry came into it,
1t took me good spell to git 'em I
strung out in regular order; and Jest as
was beginin to sier up, the Gineral
riz up in bed, and says he, Major,
reckon l can help you along. We
says ] Gineral, l want all the help y
can give me. Pm thinkin, says he, y,
best say that its all OWN to Biddle;
he is crampin all the people he can, Al
that he maks money so scarce folks cal
pay postage; and that if we had not
ken the Deposites away from him, thin
would be twice as bad now. Well, sa
/, Gineral, that is good notion, and
see TO rights how it will work amo
figures. thought 'dJust tell you, NJ
ior, says the Gineral, afore | forgot
for the notion jest struck me as was 9
in to sleep; and so the Gineral laid dow
and l went silerin agin,