Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-04-11
Downingvillc Militia, Cd Brigade
From the New York Express
MAJOR DOWNING TO MIR BIDDLE.

From the New York Express.
MAJOR DOWNING TO MIR BIDDLE.
WAsnIxGroy, ed April, a. ID. 1889.
To SaUIRE BIDDLE-
got your letter tcllin Inc you had
quit the Bank, and intended if You
could possibly so manage matters, to
go To farming. know this has always
been your notion, and that you would
do so as soon as you see all things
clear ahead and man who has been
cvphcring so hard as you have for over
twenty years for the public, now think
has some right to go and dig his own
potatoes and hoe his own corn, aud
take little comfort in his own way
But somehow | feel, Squire, leetlc
wamblecrop'd, Just as | did when the
General lcit and went home to the
Hermitage and tho you have lcf. in
your place as good man to manage
the Bank rs the General has to manage
the Government, | hope you will keep
an eye on matters and things, and give
as much of your advice in matters you
understand to Mr.. Dunlap and his Cabi-
? net, as tho General does to Mr.. Van
Buren, and his Cabinet.
The fact is, you and the Gincral |
always thought was made of pretty
much the same kind Of grit, and both
ON you considerably overwork d your
selves, tho the Gincral got the best
pay. used to tell the Gincral-says
General you arc too good naturcd
by half, YOU not only do Government
work but you dip into pretty much all
kind of work that no other President
ever thought on" and the fact is, the
Gincral did carry matters SO far, or
let other folks carry him so far that
there was few things going he was not
mixed up with-till it got so at last that
ai..ost every old Lady about the coun-
try wouldn't set hen, without writing
or calling on the Gineral to know which
was the most lucky number of eggs to
put in the noest, eggs or l3 eggs
and il almost wore him to skin and bone.
| believe you was the only man that
was able to outwork the Gincrnl, and
il il hadn't been that you was lcctle
younger than he was, he'd made q
toolh-pick on you as he did of pretty
much all the rest Of creation. But as ]
said afore, am considerable wamble- /
cropt at your leaving public lilc-for
now that the Gincral has gone TO home l
and you tool feel somewhat cut out. 4
Mr.. Van Buren don't seem to want my
services no how, and | don't complain
of that did expect to git chance
"Down East" hut he selected GENE
RAJ SCorT-a man that outrank'd me
all hollow, as he does pretty much eve
~ man now adays. However, Gincr0i
Scott didn't forget me, and said if there
was any fighting to be done among the
Loggcrs, he knew who he could count
on, and look'd me straight in the face;
and sat down and writ n letter mark d
"conftcni;af' to the sgd Brigade, .
and told 'em to stand firm and obey no
orders bat Gincral Scott 's-that it was
a National matter and he was a .Naiion-
al officer; and when he said, "Shouldcr
hoo, then to march and follow him to
UJItOn or Hulitnr, or any other place
beginning with H-if he chose to lead
and in that way they would not only
have Fairfield, but would be sure Of
a WmoGeid," and that was more im-
porant. 4
In this matter of fighting, there is
one thing | always keep my eye on;
and found Gincral Scott in the same
way of thinking; and that is, to depend
less on folks who say that they are
"ready to shed the LAST DROP of their
blood, than on folks who are ready to
shed the first drop. Give a man Eight
Dollars a day to make speeches in Con-
grcss, with the right Of free postage,
and you hear enuf Of "Iasi drop" mat
ters; but when it comes to camp duty,
and raw beef and stale bread, and bag
net work, then the "Grst drop" folks
have TO stand tho racket at 8 dollars a
month. tell'd Gineral Scott-soys |,
General, | suppose you about as leave
fight as cat, for that is your natur; but
for my part, seeing as how things are
gittn on remarkable smart now all over
the country, and the Spring of tho year
too. and the new improvements every
dav, aud the green leaves and grass
and the little children all sprouting, and
the canals and railroads, about half
made, and the cotton crops Jest about
bagging, and the banks oil jest getting
into specie payments, and every thing
looking about slick-to say nothing
about the steamboats, crossing the Ocean
every wcck-it does seem to me that
war wont help matters no how" 81
know that. says he, "Major-war is
great calamity, and there aint only one
hing worse, says he. "What isthati"I
says |. National dishonor," saws he.
strNteuing up pretty nigh like AN Aroos-
took pine. eco ahead, you crittur, 81
says ], "and IL there is any chopping To
be done Down East. let mc know -
Well, you sec what hc has done and
all I've got to say about il thus far, il,
that when you come 10 think that man
nigh upon seven foot high, aud stroight