Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-09-04
vOL.V
Pidenfens Deere Teratm
Quid Vetat2
Another Letter from MaJOr
Downing.
ON THE ROAD TO THE WAR;
August, 1877.

Mr.. GALES & SEAToN:-
M Dear Old Friends:-l spose
You'll be amazinly disapintcd to lind
I'm away off here. pushin on to the
seat Of war, and didn't call to see you
when came through Washington
But YOU mustn't blame me for it. for |
couldn't help it the President wouldn't
let .ne call; he said was getting quite
too thick with you, writing letters to
YOU and all that. And when he spoke
about the letters, he looked kind OF red
and showed considerable spunk.
SAYS he, 1Maj. Downing, | have put
good deal of confidence in you as
friend of my administration; & if you
are friend to it. you must let Gales &
Ssaton alone; keep out of their way
have nothing to do with them; they are
dangerous and mischief making fellers.
eternally pcckin at my administration,
all weathers. Let me try to keep
ever so snug. and lay my plans ever so
deep, they are sure to dig 'em all up,
lug them into the Intelligencer, and
blaze 'em all over the country. Con-
found their picturs, they are the most
troublesome customers any adminstra-
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 Sea-
ton.
Well, says ], Colonel, you know |
am friend to you and your andminis
tration. as much as ever was to the
old General and his administration;
and shall stand by you and do every
thing | can to help you out Of this
scrapc you've got into about the war.
But don't know as that need to make
me brake with Gales & Seaton.-
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 be-
cause they think folks want to know
what's goin on. Mr. Richie some
times puts things into his paper that
folks think don't do you no good.
The President give two or three
hard chaws upon his cud of tobacco,
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 willing to take
il back. And then he's such tuff old
teller to fight the federaists, ] can't
have heart to scold at him much a.
bout his mis- axes and blunders.
Well. says |, Colonel, being you've
named fedcralists, want to know if
any Of them animals is really supposed
to be alive any where in the country
nowadays. Seeing SIGH awful ac-
accounts about 'en in the Union pa
per all the time, | inquired all the way
along through New England, where
they used 10 be the thickest. and ]
couldn't get track of one; and when |
asked the folks if there was any feder-
allsts any where in the quarters. they
all started at me and said they didn't
know what sort of critters they was
When ] got to Downingville asked
uncle Joshua about it. He said. in his
younger days there used to be consid-
cradle many of EN- about, but they
wasn't thought to be dangerous, for
they never was given much to fighting.
Bot he said he guessed they'd all died
out long ago, for he hadn't come across
one this twenty years. 5, now Col
onel. says |, how is il they are so thick
in Mr.. Riches paper all the time.
At that he give me a very knowing
kind Of look, and lowered his voice
almost to whisper: and says he Ma
Jor, I'll tell you how that is. When
Mr.. Richie was young man he used
to fight good deal with the federal
lists, and took good deal Of pride in
it;and now the fancies and sceneso of his
Youth all seem to come back fresh to
-smind, and he can't think or talk
about any thing else. You know that's
oitcntimes the way with old people.
As ne always used 70 have the name Of
smart fighter, give him the CON-
mand of newspaper battery here to
defend my administration. But twas
as great mistake as twas when sent