Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-08-19
FROM rnr NATIONAL rsrrIlrerScEK.
RIpENTEM DrcERE vERuM aulD vErAT2
A LETTER FROM MAJOR DOWNING
On de road to the toar, August -, lS47.

4 On d'e road to the toar, August =, lS4T.
Ma. GALES 4 SEXTON.
M dear old friends | spose you'll be
amakinly disappointed 10 find Pm away off
here, pushin on TO the seat OF war. and didn't
call to see you when cum through Wash
ington. But YOU musn't blame me for il, for
| couldn't help il; the President wouldn't let
me call: he said was getting too thick with
you, writing letters 10 you and all that. And
when he spoke about the letters he looked
kind Of red and showed considerable spunk.
Says he, Major Downing, | have put
good deal of confidence in you as friend Of
my administration; and if you are friend to
il, you must let Gales and Seaton alone keep
out Of their way and have nothing TO do with
them they are dangerous, mischief-making
felers, eternay peckin al my administration,
all weathers. Lei me try to keep things ever
so snug, and lay my plans ever so deep, they
are sure to dig them all up, lug them into the
Intelligencer, and blaze 'em all over the coun-
TRY. Coniound their piclurs, they are the
most troublesome customers an adminislra-
ton ever had; they've come pretty near
swapping me two or three times. So, if you
are my friend. | warn you not TO be SO thick
with Gales and Seaton.
Well, says ]. Colonel, you know am a
fiiend toyou and your administration. as much
as ever was TO the old Gineral and his admin
islration; and shall stand by you and dc every
thing can to help you out ofthisscrape you've
} got into about the war. But Idon'tknow as that
need TO make me break with Gales and Sea-
ton. We've been old friends SO long, it would
be kind of hard for me TO give 'em up now !;
and don't hardly think they are quite SO bad
as YOU think for. They may not mean TO do
you so much hurt when they put these things
into their paper, and only put them in because
the folks want 10 know what's goin on. Mr.
Richie sometimes puts things into his paper
tina, folks think don't do you no good.
The President gave two or three hard chaws
upon his cud Of tabacco, and says he, Yes,
Major, that's TOO true, it must be confessed !;
and it annoys me beyond all patience. But
then have TO forgive it and overlook it. be-
cause Mr.. Richie don't mean it. The old
gentleman is always sorry for it, and always
willing to take it back. And then he's such
uH old teller to fight the federalists, cam,
have heart to scold at him about his mistakes
and blunders.
Well. says I, Colonel, being you've named
federasts, want TO know If any of the anu
mails is really supposed TO be alive anywhere
:
accounts about them in the Union paper all
the time, inquired all the way along through
, New England, where they used TO be the
thickest, and couldn't get track OF one; and
when asked the folks if there was any leder.
alsis any where in them quarters. they all sta
red at the and said they didn't know what sort
Of critters they was. When got TO Down
ngville asked uncle Joshua about it, He
said, in his younger days there used TO be con-
siderable many of 'em about, but they wasa't
thought 10 be dangerous, for they never was
much given TO fighting But he said he CUES
sed they'd all died Out long ago. for he hadn't
come across one this twenty years. So now
Colonel, says |, how is it they are so thick in
Mr. RICHES paper all the time?
Al that he give me very knowing kind of
a look, and lowered his voice down almost to
a whisper; and says he, Major, I'll tell yot
how that is. When Mr.. Richie was Young
man he used TO fight good deal with the fed
eralists, and took good deal OK pride in it
and now the fancles and scenes of his youth
all seem 10 come back fresh TO his mind and
he can't think or talk about any thing else
\ GU know that's oitenumes the way with old
people. As he plways used TO have the name
ofa smart tighter, give him the command of
the newspaper battery here to defend nv adj
minlstrahon. But twas as great mistake as
twas when sent Taylorinto Mexico; didn't
know my man. No matter what forces was
gathering 10 overthrow my administration,
Richie some how didn't seem TO see 'em; no
matter how hard they fired at me- he did'nt
seem TO hear it; and when | called to him to
! fire back he would rouse up and touch off
few squbs with about as good aim as the boys
take when then fire crackers on the 4th of Ju-
| ly. and did about as much execution. AT
least found out a way that could make the
old veteran fight like Turk and hold on like !
a bulldog 1t was by giving him notion at
any time that he was fighting with federaists. /
Since made that discovery he's been more
help TO me. Whenever see the enemy en-
trenching himself around me. and bringing up |
his batteries to fire into my administration, all /
have to do is TO whisper in Mr. Richie's ear \
and say, "Mr. Richie, The air smells OF feder i
alism; you may depend upon il there is fed |
erasts abroad somewhere" In minute,
you've no idea with what fury the old gentle
man flies round and mounts his heaviest guns,
and SETS his paper battery in roar. His
shots fly right and left, and sometimes knock
down friends as well as foes. To be sure they
don't make very great impression upon the
enemy but then there's this advantage in il
If he don't xiii or beat of the enemy, he keeps
the administration so perfectly covered up
with smoke that the enemy can't see half the
time where TO fire at US. On the whole, Mr..
Richie is valuable man to my admnistra.
ton, notwithstanding all his mistakes and
blunders.
Just then the door opened, and who should
come in but Mr.. Richie himself As he open
ed the door he ketched the sound Of the last two
words the President was saving.
"Mistakes and blundersn says Mr.. Richie;
says he; what, have you got something more
of Scott and Taylor's blundering in Mexico
Nothing more today, says the President
was only telling Major Downing how
their blunders there have come pretty near
running the country, and how il is ALSO
Lutte necessary 10 get the staff out OF their
hands, somehow or other before they quite fin
ish the job. Pm going now to Try one more
plan, Mr.. Richie but be careful that you don't
say any thing about il in the Union, and blow
II all up. tried once 10 send Col. Benton on
for the same purpose. and Congress bowed
that up. Then sent Trst on for the same
purpose, and Scott has bowed him up.
Now Pm going to send Major Downing,
not as regular Chaplain. but as as a sort Of
watch upon them, you know, to work round
and do the business up before any body knows
it, He isn't 10 go 10 Scott nor Taylor. nor ,
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