Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1851-11-26
DowNINGvILLE. Down EAST }


him more frequently Editors Nat. Intel
DowNINGvILLE. DowN EAST
In THE STATE OF MAINE, Nov 10, 1851.
Mr.. GALES & SEAToN:-My dear old friends
if you yet in the land of the livin, long to
have little talk with you about the affairs Of
the nation. And if you ainf in the land Of the
Twin. but have dropped off since I've been away
to the gold diggins Of Californy, if you'll CON
trve to let me know j, I'll go to one Of the
"spirrit rappers" (cousin Nabby knows one Of
'em) and try to have chat with you ,ha, way.
And my old friend Mr.. R,che too. | want to
have chat along with him. But | don't no
where TO find him. for Uncle Joshua tells me
he isn't in the Washington Union paper now,
and they've "carried him back TO Oll Virgin
NY" Now that's very bad; it's treason again
the Government How the country get
along through a Presidential campaign without
Mr.. Ritchie! They never have done it. and it
cannot be done; it's impossible. don't know
who they've got in his place in the Union, nor
don't care; but know they never find one
that can fight again the Federalists like Mr.
Ritchie. How many times he's saved the coun-
try from bein eat up by Federalsts; and, what's
very remarkable. he could fight agin 'em for
years and years after they was all dead, Jest as
well as he could when they was alive. There's
TO be grea: battle for the next President, and
ought not to gone off so; he owed his services
to the country, and ought to be ketched and
brought back to Washington under the "fugi-
tive slave law" That law is carried out every
where here to the North, and expect it to be
carried out to the South. What is sass for
the goose is sass for the gander. If the South
wants to keep the North in the Union. she must
give some good strong proof that she is willing
TO fulfill and carry out the fugitive slave law
And she couldn't do it any better than to ketch
Mr.. Ritchie and carry him back to Washing
ton and shet him up in the Union paper office,
and tie him down in the editorial chair and put
a ream Of paper before him and a pen in his
hand, and setting him to writing abou, the next
Presidency. Then the dark fog that now hangs
over the whole country would begin to be blow
ed away. and parties could begin to see where
they are again and the knots and the snarls OF
politics would beg in TO be unraveed so that we
could all tell where to take hold and pull with
fair chance of doing some good Then we
nigh: stand good chance to get a President
next year. But as thing. now 90 the chance
looks slim enough
Times isn't now they used to be. when we
hanh only two parties. and every body could
tell who he was fighting aginst Then sfng!fi
blast from Major Ben Russell i'm the old Boston
Sentinel would call out all the Foder aiists in the
country. and make 'em draw up ina straight
lne and then another b,ast from Mr.. Ritchic III
the Richmond Enquirer would call out all the
Republicans into another line-and when these
two parties were called out there wasn't nobody
left but women and children-and then the two
parties had clear field before 'em, and march
ed up face to face and had fair fight. and they
always knew which got whipt. But things is mt
SO nowadays. There's more parties
than you shake stick at And they face
in all manner Of ways, that when YOU are
tightn for one party it would puzzle Philadel
ply lawer to tell who is whipt when the battles
over. didn't know things was in quite SO bad
a snarl till got home 'tother day from Caforny.
and sot down and had long talk with Uncle
Joshua, who told me all about it. Uncle Joshua
is gettin old. but he holds his age remark ably
we'll; think full equal to Mr.. Ritche; and
don't but he keeps the run Of politics as well
as he used to-
Says ], 'Uncle Joshua, what's the prospect
about the Presidency!"
"Well," says he, Major.''-he always calls
me Major. there aint prospect at all.''
"llow So" says !; '.how can you make that
OUT"
.Wel." says he, 'there's so manv parties
now. and they are al mixed up. higcledv-
piggledy. that you cant see through 'em with the
longest spy-g ass that ever made. That's
why there amt no prospect al all.
"WeH, now. uncle joshua saws |. "iest
name over all these parties, so l can begin to
have some idea of them
w ell says ne. 1--WE ii beGIn first south side
of Mason and Dixon's line. There's the Whic
party. and the old Democratic party. and the
party Of Union Wings. and the party Of Sc
cession Wings. and the party Of Union Demo-
Gratis, and the party Secession Democrats and
the party of absolute. unqualified Secessionsts
and the party OF Cooperation Secessionsrs.
And then if we come TO the north side of Ma
son and Dixon's line, we find the regular Wing
party. and the regular Democratic party. and
the Union Wings, and the Abolition Wings and
the Union Democrats. and the Abolition Demo.
Gratis. and the Silver-gr Wings. and the
W olley-head Wings. and the Hunker. Demo
Gratis. and the Barn-burner Democrats, and the
Seward party. and the Union Safety Com
mittee party. and the regular Free-Soil party.
and the regular Vote -yourselt-a a. Farm party''
Here | ncle Joshua paused little. and Aunt
kezah laid down her nitfen- work. and looked
over her spectacles, and saws she to me. our
uncle Joshua has wonderful memory TO keep
all them hard words in his head: for nv part,
| don't see how he does it, Then cousin Nab
by she clapped her hands and laughed. and
says she, Nov cousin Jack, which party do
you belong to!''
Says |. Ill he hangd if know. If the Old
Ginera was alive-I mean old lIckorv-I'd go
with his party let it be which .twould: for then I
should know was going for the country The
Old Glneral was always ready TO fight for the
country against Bank monsters, and Nullifica-
ton monsters. and all sorts of monsters"
"Well. now" says Uncle Joshua show do
YOU suppose we are going TO work to make a
President. with all these parties in the field
fighting cress handed. and cattv v-corners, and
every which way!''