The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1849-09-08
LETTER FROM MAJOR JACK
DOWNING.
Mason AND DIxON's SIDE OF SALT River,
AnGnat IL iQAO {

Juy Dear M. Ritche: You don't know how
glad | be TO see you have spanked up since ms
last letter to you. You are rally giving il 10
the corrupt and imbeciIe Administration ,
Peli nell. should think every sdoit' and
every : butcher and every Nero among 'em
must have a bubg'd eye by this time. You do
give 1t to lem right and left about right. I'm
Gle Joshua says you are the Tom Hyer of our
party and can whip any body the Feds can
bring into the ring. But now | begin 10 feel
uneasy for fear yOd'll OverdO yourself and
break down; and then we shan't have NOBODY
to take care OF US. Don't yor remember the
story "f the tame elephant that was used 10
help launch vessels? One time thoy put him
70 launch q vessel that was too heavy for him.
After he tried once or twice and couldn't s,ark
It, the keeper called out. " take away this lazy
beast and bring another.' At that the poor
elephant reused up and put his head to the
vessel again, and pushed and strained himself
50 hard that he Tell down and died. Now, |
don't want you to do SO. When / writ that
le'te4 TO you two or thFeS weeks ago to rouse
you up d little; | didn't mean to make YOU go
furious that you should run your head agin the
Administration so hard as to break your neck;
or strain yourself sd much de 10 fall down dead.
Nor didn't mean that you should kill of all
the Administration, smack, smooth; az dead as
herrings,; in two months. | meant to give you
two or three years to do it in. Any time be-
fore the next election would do. If you should
Kill 'ern all right off before we have time to
choose any body to take their places; YOU
would have all the Government on Your own
shoulders, and Pm afraid it would be too much
tot you. So think you had better try to cool
down a little; it ain't prudence to keep 30 hot
all the time. That is, | mean on your W
account for fear you should overdo yourself
and break down. And then again, there is
such a thing as drawing too long q bow to hit
the thing you shoot at. Major tShgbow used
TO be quite unlucky in that way. You can
make folks believe a middlin' sized fish story,
1t you tell it well; but if you try to back 1t up
with a tarnal great cock-and- bull-story, they'll
go right back again and swear they don't be
lieve the fish story. It's dangerous loadin'
guns too heavy, for then there's no knowing
which will get the worst of it, him that stands
before the lnuz2le or him that stands behind
the briich. So ] hope you'll try to cool down
q little for Pm satisfied, since my last letter,
you ore firing away your ammunition too fast.
And, besides, | don't know It's right for you at
your time of life to be fghtin' SO hard. Nor !
don't think it's necessary nuther; for things is
brighenin' up oil over the country. Our party
is oil coming together again, and going to car
ry oil afore ZEN. It's true the hocks and herds
of our party has been dreadfully broke up and
scattered about. The oxens didn't know their
owneIs, and the sheep had no shepards, and
the Taylor wolves has been prowlin' about the
country and carried off a great many Of 'em.
But from what ! hear all over the couhtty now;
| am satisfied they are all comm together again
and on a new platform; and that platform is
Mason and Diron's SIDE Of salt RiUer. Mr..
John Van Buren, is shoo-shooing all over
the Northern States, and drivin of 'em up and
headen Of Fem all as fas. as he can towards
Mason and Dixon's side Of Salt River. Mr., Cal |
houn in tile Southern States is whistlin round
his springy rattan, making the hair and skin
fly, and headen 'em all up towards Mason and
Dixon's side of Salt River. And Col. Benton
is cracking his long whip all over the great
Western country, and headen 'em all a%croSs
the prayries towards Mason and Dixon's side
of Salt River. And Gineral Cass stands, you
know; where he always has stood on Masons
and Dixon's side Of Salt River, with a handful
Of salt In one hand and a nub Of corn in
'tother, and lookiHAall round and calling Of
lem. So you see we have everything to en-
courage III. THingo look Bright ahead. Ii
won't be long before all the Scattered aocks
herds of our party will be got together
on this new platform on Mason and Dixon's
side of Salt Rive, and then we'll have things
our W way, and Gineral Taylor and the
Wilmot ProviSo may go to grass.