The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-10-16
letter FROM JACK DOWNING.


To gs Editors Qf he Men York Express, nc .a n'n
paper nv old friend, Mr.. Drrighf, printed 'psn
ago. ,o.,
Mr. Edito,s-I and Captain Tyler have been think
;ng and taking considerably about this currency
,,ssfoa and q Flscaiiiiss, and things OF thA' ma
mr. and this seems to be the notion that we come 'o
,h same mint, In the first place, Captain Tyler keeps
~ eve on the good old Constittion and the darker
~. NIGHT and the harder the wind blows and crooked
a. The Channel there you find him watching the ION
situ,ion just as close as Captain Tyler Of me "o
poIIiesn used 10 watch the Cumpus in the blnacie
/ was telling him tot her day that some folks Were
making terrible and shocking noise about ms Vstoss
and if we did look out sharp they would run us
ashore Well" says he, Major, ~ we 70 on
shore on the tack we are steering we snsl' go Ions
q that's putty much what Captain Jumper telid me
one stormy night of Cape Hattrass. The Two
Politics. was punging along, heading ABOUT y, T.,
close in the winds eye-and asked Captain jumper
il he could mt of leetile and let her go more nee
far the deck was plagy wet" Not pint says he,
q a. we 90 plump on the Cape" And then he took
another look at the Chart and cast his eye at the bin
acle. "Well," says !, Captain Jumper. suppose
that Chart and Cumpuss amt true, says l, " how
then "Why,n says he, " If accident comes il amt
underwriters 7; and he hung on that tack like dog at
, root As soon as leeJ this story TO Captain Ty-
Ter, WELL" says he, Major, did the Two Polles 60
on shore or not that time J" "No," SAYS l. she
went clear and slick as ribbon, and the next morn
ing that pesky Cape was away astarn Of US"
And now as TO Captain Tyler's notion about cur
rency matters" he says that National Currency"
and State Currency" ought to be OF that natur--
that will work togelher-just as National Lam and
STATE La,o works together-he don't want TO see
" National Currency" destroy good State Currency,
no more than he wants to see National Law destroy
rood State Law: but if any State Currency is not
good--then good National Currency ought to de.
81 roy il just bad State Law ought to be destroyed
by a good National Law. Law and Currency, he
says, are pretty much and the same thing in one
is we must have National Law for all
the States and State Lap for each particular State
Just as must have good National Currency for
the use Of Government and folks who trade and travel
over all the States and good State Currency in every
State for those who deal only in their own State, any
man using both either according TO their notions or
necessities s-but say that folks in any particular
State shall use National Currency and not their own
State Currency--or fixing National Currency as 10
necessarH lure good State Currency" il seems
10 me-" says he, that il would be about the same
hing as to so shape National Ldu as to prevent folks
from using their good State Lars. Now" says
he, my notion and desire is SO to shape this Nation
Al Currency matter as to make It work in harmony
with all good State Currency, and then all things will
70 smooth. The General Government must have a
safe bridge 10 90 all the streams in the Union
that is Constitutional and there is objection let
all the folks in all the States go over the same bridge If
thev so desire it-but to say that they must 90
our bridge, OF so fix our bridge to make il impos
sible for them to pass by any Of their own is
NOT constitutional neither is it constitutional for any
Of the States to say thct the General Government
shant build this bridge for its own safe crossing in
any of the States, because the General Government
which belongs TO all the people,) must have a safe
crossing place at any rate and as The General Gov
eminent can't regulate the building of State Bridges
nor their toll gates it must look to its safety and
build bridge of its own, and safe and strong enuf
for its crossing and all creation besides, if they
chuse to use il and don't njure it, And now" says
he f" if Congress can't fix this Currency matter on
this principle it amt my fau-that is the chart and
cumpus. Says he "Major, the Constitution points
out for my guide, and if we leave that tack may
perhaps have dryer deck for short SPELL and 90
with flowing sail, but shall fetch up on Cape
Hattrass before morning.
We'll" saysI, Captain Tyler, that is what
call considerable sound doctrine and tho the wind is
Just now blowing right in teeth the tack we
are Steering, hope all good and consderate folks
will look at ths chart we are steering by, and come to
the same notion have come TO- and that IL, that tho
hard wind is pIaguy hard thing, yet that breakers
and a rocky shore a COMPOUNDED deal harder
intended to say something in this Letter about the
real natur and duty Of the great Wig party as
see there is considerable Of great commolon--
the country through" (according to
the good old song) but must leave this matter for
the next Letter-only reminding good folks that the
wzzing noise they hear is only the escaping of extra
steam not the bursting of the biler and also
member that when pot bes over il is very apt to put
out the fire under -so the evil ITSELF and that's
all for the present from
Your friend and fellow-czen,
J. DOWNING, Major, &c, &c.