The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-08-24

M dear old friends: spose you'll
be amazingly disapinted to find I'm away
of here, pushin on TO the seat of war,
and didn't call 10 see Won when come
through Washington. But you mustn't
blame me for it, for / couldn't help il; the
President wouldn't let me CALL he said
was getting quite too thick with you,
writing letters to you and all that. And
whenhe spoke about the letters, he looked
kind Of red and showed considerable
spunk.
Says he, Major Downing. | have put
good deal of cnnfdenee 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 dam
gercus, misunderstanding fellers. eternally
peckin at my administration, all weathers.
Let 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
Inteligencer, and blaze 'em all over the
country. Confound their picturs, they
are the most troublesome customers an
administration ever had; they've come
pretty near swamping 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
friend to you and your administration,
as much as | ever was TO the old Gineral
and his administration; and shall stand
by you and do every thing ! can to help
you out of this scrape you've got into a.
bout the war. But don't know as that
need TO make me break with Gales and
Seoton. We've been old friends so long,
1t would be kind of hard for me to give
7em 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, aud only put them in because
they think folks want to know what's
going on. Mr.. Richie sometimes 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 ii
and overlook ii, because Mr.. Richie dom t
mean it. The old gentleman is always
sorry for it, and always willing to take it
back. And then he's such tuf'old feller
TO fight the federalists, can't have
heart to scold him much abouthis mistakes
and blunders.
Well, says !, Colonel, being you've
named iederalists, want to know if any
of them animals is really supposed to be
alive any where in the country now-a-
days. Seeing sieh awful accounts about
'em in the Union paper all the time, in
CURED all the way 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 federal
lists any where in them quarters, they all
stared at me and said they didn't know
what sort of critters ihev was. When |
got to Downingville | asked uncle Joshua
about 1t. He said, in his younger days
there used TO be considerable many of 'em
about, but they wasn't thought to be dan
gerous, for they never was much given
10 fighting. But he said he guessed 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?
AT thai he gave me very knowing
kind of look, and lowered his voice
down almost to whisper; and saws he,
Major, III tell you how that is. When
Mr.. Richie was young. man he used to
fight good deal with the federalists, and
took good deal of pride in it; and now
the ianeies and scenes of his youth all
seem to come back fresh to his mind. and
nc can't think or talk about anv thing else.
You know that's oftentimes the wav with
old people. As he always used 10 have
the name of smart fighter, give him
The command of the newspaper battery
here to defend my administration. But
twas as great mistake as twas when
sent Taylor into Mexico; didn't know
my man. No matter what forces was
gathering TO overthrow my administration
Mr.. Richie somehow didn't seem TO see
sem; no matter how hard they fred at me
he didn't seem TO hear it; and when L
called TO him 10 fire back, he would rouse
up and touch off few squibs with about
as good aim as the boys take when they
fire crackers on The 4th OF july, and did
about as much execution. Al last found
out way that could make the old vet
Gran fight ike Turk and hold on like
bulldog. 1t was by giving him notion
az any time that he was fighting with fed
erallsis. Since / made that discovery
he's been more help TO me. Whenever
see the enemy entrenching himself a.
round me, and bringing up his batteries
70 IRE into nv administration, all have
TO do is TO whisper in Mr.. Richie's ear
and say, "Mr. Richie, the air smells of
isqeralisln' you may depend upon it there