Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-11-20

DowNINGvnLE,
Down LAST IN TIE STATE OF MAINE,
November 10, 1851.
Mr.. GtLEs q SEAToN: Ny dear old
friends. if you are yet in the land of the
llvin, long to have little talk with you
about the affairs Of the nation. And ifyou
aint in the land ol the lisin but have drop
ped of since I've been away to the gold
diggins Of Calitorny, if yon'ii con'.ive to
let me know il I'll 90 to one of the "sperrit
rappcrs' (cuusiu Nabty knows one of 'em)
and try to have chat with YOU that way.
And nay old friend Mr.. Richie too, | want
TO have chat along with han. But don't
know where to find him, for Uncle Joshua
tells me he isn't in the Washington u nion
paper now, and they We carried han back
10 Oh iirginny." Now that's very bad;
can The country get along through Pre-
sdcnial campaign without Mr.. Ritchicl
They never have done it, and it cant be
done; its impossible. don't know who
they We got IN his place IN the Union, nor
| don't care; bat | know they never will
like Mr. Ritchic. How many times he's
saved the country from bcin eat up by
Federalists; and what's very remarkable
he could fight agin en- for years and years
after HEY was all dead, Just well as he
could when they was alive. There's to
be.a great battle for the next President
and we cant get along Without Mr.. Ritch
10. He ought not toa gone off 50; he owed
his services to the country, and he ought
To he kctched and brought back to Wash
lngton under the "lngi!ve slave law
That law is carried out every where here
to the North. and we expect it TO be car
ried out TO the South. What is sass for
goose is sass for gander. Ifthe South wants
to keep the North in the Union, she must
give some good strong proof that she is
wiling TO fulfil and carry ont the fugitive
slave law. And She couldn't do it any
better than to lIetch Mr.. Ritchie and carry
him back to Washington, and shct him up
in the Gnjoapa Office, and tie him down
in the editorial CHR, and put a ream ofpa-
per before him and pen in his hand and
set him to writing about the next Presi-
dency. Then the dark fog that row hangs
over tie whole country would begin to be
bowed away, and parties could begin to
see where they are again; and the knots
and the snarls politics would begin to be
unraveled, so that we could all tell where
to take hold and pull with fair chance
of doing some good Them we mi ght
stand good chanceto get President next
year. But as things now go the chance
looks slim enough.
Times isn't now as they used to be,
when we hadn't only two parties, and eve
ry body could tell who he was 6ghlin aginst
Then single blast from Major Beu Rus
soil in the 0 i Boston Ceniinel wouio call
out all lhe Federahsis il the country, and
make EN- draw up in straight hne; and
then another blast from Mr.. Richie in the
Richmond Enquirer would call out all the
Republicans into another linc-and when
these two parties were called out there
wasn't nobody left but women and chill
dren-and then tie two parties had clear
field before -'em, and marched up face to
face and had fair fight, and they always
knew which got whipt. But things isn't
SO nova days. There's more parties now
than you can shake a stick at And they
face in al manner Of ways, so that when
you are fgbtin for one party it would puz-
zlc PhIladelphy lawyer to tell what par
ties you are iightn aginst, or to tell who is
whipt when the battles over. didn't
know things was in quite so bad snarl
till got home 'tother day from Californy.
and sot down and had long talk with I'm
Gle Joshua, who told me all about it.
Uncle Joshua is getting old, but he holds
bis age remarkably well; | think full equal
to Mr.. Richie: and don't see bat he keeps
the run otpoliiics as well as he used to.
ssays |, ~Uncle Joshua, what's the pros
Peet about the Plesidencyl"
We'll says he. Major."-he always
calls me Major-says he, Major, there
amt no prospect at all"
How so,7 says |; ;'how can you make
that ouil' ~ -
How so" says l; chow can you make
that outl'' ,..---..r frt.I =
"Weh," SAYS he. there's so many par
ties now, and they are all so mixed up,
higg!edy Piggledy, that you cant see
through 'em with the longest spy-glass that
ever was made. That's why there amt no
prospect at ALL
"Well, now, uncle Joshua" says I,'jest
name over all these parties, SO | can begin
to have some idea of them" f....i,
"Well." says he. "we'll begin first south,
side of Mason and Dixon's line. There's
the old Wing party. aud the old Demo
cratic party, and the pasty Of Union Wings
aud the party of Secession Wings, and
the party Of Union Democrats, and the
party of Secession Democrats, and the
party of absolute, unqualified secessionists
and the party Of Co operation Secession
lists. And then if we come to the north
side Of Mason and Dixon's line, we find