Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1849-09-26
Letter from Maj. Jack Downing.
MASON AND DIXoS's SIDE OF SALT RIVER,
August II, 1919.

August II, 1919. s
My dear Mr.. Richie: You don't know how
clad | be to see how you have spanked up
since my last letter to you. You are rally riv-
ing it to the ~''corrupt and imbecilc administrp-
ton p~cllmell. should think every 'dolt' and
every "butchcr,' and every 'Nero" among EN-
must have 4 bunged eye by this time. You do
give it to 'em right and left about right. Uncle
Joshua says you are the Tom Hyer of our par
ty, and can whip anybody the feds can bring
into the ring. But now | begin to feel uneasy
for fear you'll overdo yourself and break down,
and then we slan't have nobody to take care
of us. Don't you remember the story of the
tame elephant that was used to help launch
vessels! One time they put him to launch a YES
sci that was too heavy for him. After he tried
once or twice and couldn't start it, the keeper
called out, stake away this lazy beast and bring
another" At that the poor elephant reused M
and put his head to the vessel again, and strain
ed himself SO hard that he fell down and died.
Now don't want you to do so. When | writ
that letter to you two or three weeks ago to
rouse you upa little, | didn't mean to make you
so furious that you should run your head agin
the administration SO hard as to break your
neck, or strain yourself so much as to fall down
dead. Nor didn't mean that you should Kill
of all the administration, smack, smooth, AS
dead as behring's, in two months. | meant to
give you two or three years to do it in. Any
time before the next election would do. If you
should kill 'em all right off before we have any
body to take their places, you would have all
the Government on your own shoulders, and
I'm afraid it would be too much for you. So |
think you had better try to cool down a little;
it amt prudence to keep so hot all the time
That IS, l mean on your W account, for fear
you should overdo yourself and break down.
And then again there is such i thing as draw
ing too long a bow to hit the thing you shoot
at. Major Longbow used to be quite unlucky
in that way. You can make folks believe Il
middlin sized fish story, if you tell it well, butif
you try to back it up with tarnel great cock
and-bull story, they'll go right back again and
swear they don't believe 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 muzzle or him that
stands behind the britch. So | hope you wAl
try to cool down a little, for I'm satisfied, since
my last letter, you are firing way your anu
milton too fast. And, besides, | don't think it's
right for you at your time of life to be fightin'
so hard. Nor l don't think it's necessary nu-
ther; for things is brightnin' up all over the
country. Our party is allcoming together again,
dilu Solu W CiIIy I'LL dlOIC GIL. lS LTuC, VIC
flocks and herds of our party has been dread
fully broke up and scattered about. The oxens
didn't know their owners, and the sheep hadn't
no shepherds, and all the Taylor wolves has
been prowlin' about the country and carried off
a great many of EN-. But from what | hear all
over the country now, | am satisfied they are all
comm together again and on a new platform:
and that platform is Mason and Diron's side #
Salt Riuer. Mr.. John Van Buren, is shoo-shooin
all over the Northern States, and drivin' of'em
up and headin' of 'em all as fast as he can to-
wards Mason and Dixon's side of Salt River
Mr. Calhoun, in the Southern States is whistlin
round his springy rattan, maxim the hair and
skin fly, and headin' 'em all up towards Mason
and Dixson' side of Salt River. And Col. Ben
ton is cracking his long whip all over the great
Western country, and headin' 'em all across the
prayrics towards Mason and Dixon's side of Salt
River. And Gineral Cass stands, you know,
where he always has stood, on Mason and Dix
on's side of Salt River, with a handful of salt in
one hand and a nub ofcornin 'tother, and looking
all round and calling Of 'em to come to him and
he'll feed 'em. So you see we have everything
to encourage us. Things look bright ahead.
1t wont be long before all the scattered fiocks
and herds of our party will be got together on
this new platform on Mason and Dixon's side
of Salt River: and then Wen have things all our
own way, and Gineral Taylor and the Wilmot
proyiso may go to grass.
MAJOR JACK DOWNING.