Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-07-20
From hs National htelIgncr
Private Letter 10 Major Jack
DOwniny.
Poa Office, D9wningr;Ne, Sate IF Maine,

June 80, 1915
DEAR NrPHEw :-Dein our army is about
breakn up in Mexico and coming home I
thought the bes, chance to got letter 10 yOu
would be 20 get your old friends, Mr.. Gales
and Seaton. to send il on that way and may be
il might come across you somewhere on Tie
road if so you are still IN the land fihc living
Your aunt fcz'9h isir great wOrrmont about
YOU, and Is very much frightened for fear some
thin has happened, because We haven't heard
nOthn from you since your last letter try
TO pacity her, and tell her the fighting was all
over, and noihln to do but 10 finish up the court
martial the last time you writ, aud that there
isn't agOihg 10 be 10 more annexn' ull Mr.
Cass comes in President. and you Il soon be
along But all wont pacily her; she's "a un-
easy as a fish out o. water and says she lays
awake halt the night thinking Of Them gariI.as
for fear they've got hold Of YOU. So ] hope
YOU u write home as soon as possible, aud let
Us know weiher YOU are dead or alive, and set
your anut kezah heart 10 rest.
, For my part, | hope you viii hurry along
back as fast as you can Our politics is very
much mixed up IN bad way abou, the Prcsl-
dency. 1t would puzzle Philadelphy lawyer
TO tell how II S comm out. 1t was very an
lucky hit when President Polk sent out old
Xack Taylor down to Mexico. lie wasn't the
right man. Bat, then, 'spose Mr.. Polk had
no idea of what sor, OF a chap he had got hold
F Of II can I be helped now, but it's like to be
the ruin Of our party. The Democratic party
haint seen a well day since Taylor first begun
his Paly hlto battles and now we are all
shverln as bad as # we had the fever and agay.
/. don't know, after ali, but this annexin' Mex
ico will turn out 10 be an unlucky blow To the
party for shat Will II profit the Democratic
party If they gain the whole world and lose the
Presidency We sec the Wings have put up
'Tavor for President and II has completely
knocked us all into q cooked hat. There isn't
one half of us that knows where ". stan or
which way we are goln and there isn party
/ fence in the country that is high enoughto keep
/ our folks from jumping over. They are getting
/ kind of crazv aud seem to feel As If old Hickory
/ had got back again. aud they was all running
to vote for him The " higs laugh and poke
fun al US. ard say they haze got as good right
' 20 have IA Hickory as We Democrats have. We
put M Gncral Cass first. and thought we should
carry il al hollow; for he's strong man and
took good deal OF pains To make The party Ike
him all over the country. And At the Wings
had done as they ought to, and put up Clay,
or any one they had right to put up, We should
carried the day without any trouble. But the
conduct Of the Wigs has been shameful IN tins
business. Instead Oftak.rg man that belong
ed to 'eIn, tney have grabbed hold OF mar
that got all his popularity out OF our war, ana
was under the pay of our Administration, and
has been made and built up by our party, and
and the Whirs had no more Luisncss with hun
than they had with the man in the moon
But. for all that, the v hugs bad the mpudence
10 nominate him Well, that rlled our water
Ia up so We couldn't see bottom nowhere.
/ But we soon found there was a shiitn and
| whrlin of currents, and the wind and tide was
settin US on 10 the rocks, III spite OF us. We
soon see that old Rough and Ready. as they
call hlm was agoing To be too much for Cass -
But, as we was making up our minds that 1t
was gone goose with us, Mr.. John Van Burcn,
of York State he's n smart felier, son OF
President Van Buren,, and a chip of the old
block he sings out " Don't give up the ship
vet { one boss amt enough to dIaw the load
hi,rh on another" We'll, the idea seemed to
take and they stirred round aud got up another
Convention at Utica III York State, 10 see who
they should put up, aud they all pitched upon
President ' an Buren. MIR. Van Buren, paiied
them on the shoulder, and told EN- 10 have good
courage and 90 ahead, inr they was on me righl
track. but they must hitch on somebody else
besides him. ior Inc had made up sus mlnd four
wears ago not to take hold again. i}ut they
.
hm there WASH another man Ia Tic country
tina, could draw Ike Inn alongside Of Cass,
and if he still had any patriotism iur the parry
| .eit he mustn't say no. Aud they worked upon
his fcehn, so much that al last he dldn say no.
! So now we've got two candidates, tass and
Van Burcn. and good strong ones TOO, both oi
en- and FIVE cant whip Taylor thnk t'
q pity know as we'll as ! want 20 that We
shall give him a pc-ky hard tug. Some are
afraid we amt hardly strong enough yet, ava
they We called another Convention to meet Ia
Buffalo the OH of August, TO put on smother
'candiIatc But others arc 'alnt-hearcd a.ott
7. il and say It's all no KIND ut usu we may pat
up twenty candidates and Taylor will whp
the wholc lot 1t $ way he has he always
did iust 50 IN NcXco. Ii they brought twenty
to one auln him, It made NO odds hc Whpl
the whole ring, from PJily Alto TO Bona ista,
?. - YOU see what sort of pickle We re- ~,
and bow much We need your help jest nov.
Bu there IS one thing / have on my mind pet
~ strong You know tins appointment IN the
F. .DoNmngvlic Post Office, that YOU got Gmcr1i
Jackson To give ne, has always been great
comfort 10 ne. and II would be SAD bloW
to mo to lose II nov Ia my old age. ] wish
YOU would make It IN your way TO call andstc
GIncral Taylor rs you come along homc, and
try to find out how he feel, towards ne. because,
! If he is To be elected any now, can't see any
use there would be- in my biting my own nose
oil for the sake of opposing his election. And
. don't think that PATRIOTISM 10 the party re-
.quircs it and I'm sure prudence don't.
II When YOU get TO Washington. call aud sec
/ 'INr Ri,rhic and trv to comfort him N 'olo
the dear old gentleman is working TOO hard Tor
his struugih-out n nights in the ram, WIN
lantern IN his hand, heading the campaign
b. IIry to persuade him to be calm aud take good
care at himself And be- sure and ash hun how
the Fedcrals arc goln this slcction, ior "e can
find out anything about II down here. used
To know how to keep the ruu of the fcderals'
but now there is So many parties, the Doni"cia'si
and Wings. and llunkers,and Barnburners'and
! Addition folks, and Proyiso folks all crs-cros'
sin one another, that have my match To- keep
.,hs run OF EN-. hut your aunt kenah says the
clock has struck and must close the NAL
1 So remain your loving unclo,
, JOSHUA DOWNING, z. NJ
4
W johnson, Wig, President cf,he Sin'''
:, u,v Governor ~ Tsnnsvlv,nis