Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-07-24
NATIONAL MTELLlGENCER
DOwNINGvILLE RATIFICATION, AT LAST.
Dopniagviue, State Of Maine, July 20, 1852.

MY DEAR OLD FRIENDS: We've made out to
ratfy at last, but it was about as hard Job as it
was for the BALTIMORE Convention to nominate And
I'm afraid the worst ont amt over yet for Uncle
Joshua shakes his head ana Gays to me- in low tone,
50 the rest shant hear, betwesn YOU and me- Major
the lection will be harder job sill" put great
faith in Uncle Joshua's feelins. He's regular po-
litical weather-glass and can always tel her we
are going to have it fair OF foul I good ~ ahead.
So when he shakes his sieed natter look ont for
taff spell q weather Wh6a xstz b home from
Baltimore. SAYS T. Well Uncle Josss, yo. gos my
letter il the fntelIigencer, didn't youy And says
be, Yes"
aWell, didn'twe do that business up we'll 7" says
l. "I don't know about that, /" said Uncle Joshua;
q I have my doubts about it"
"Why, don't you think" says |, "the nomina-
ton Of Gnera Pierce will put the Democratic party
on its legs again, and give it fine start =
Uncle Joshua looked up to me kind of quizzical,
and says he, g 1t has gin the party pretty con-
siderable Of start already it come so unexpected
And then he sot as much as two minutes drumming
his finger on the table, and didn't say nothin.
And then he looked up again, and says he, Ma
jor, pho IS Gineral Pierce? 1t amt ,jfctious
name is it?"
"Why, Uncle Joshua says |, chow you talk !
1t is Gineral Franklin Pierce, of New Hampshire" !"
"Gineral Franklin Pierce, of New Hampshire, is
IS such person, or did somebody play hoax on
the Baltimore Convention 7"
eyes" says |, "Uncle, I'm as sure of it as | am
that there is such person as Uncle Joshua Down
ing To make all sure of it, and no mistake, come
through New Hampshire, and went to Concord
where they said he lived, and inquired all about it.
The neighbors there aH knew him perfectly WE'LL and
showed me the house he lives in. He wasn't at
home, or | should seen him myself, and should
got his promise to keep the Downingville post Office
for you. But you needn't be afraid but what you'll
have it, for | sent telegraph to him from Balti-
more, as soon as he was nominated, to keep it for
you"
Here see by the looks of Uncle Joshua's eyes
that he begun to get hold of some new ideas
Says he, "Well, Major, it is fact then is it, that
he was nominated in real earnest, and 'twasn't no
joke Z"
"Upon my word and honor" says !, i" there isn't
particle of joke about it it all done in real
arrest"
"Wel then, if you've really got candidate"
says Uncle Joshua, ~ should like to know some
class or Young America claa "
III guess about half and half, says I, and ne II
be all the stronger for that, because he can draw
votes on both sides"
"After all, says he "Pm afraid it's bad nomi-
nation Them old pillars of the Democratic party,
Gineral Cass, and Mr.. Buchanan, and Governor
Marcy, and Ginera Houston, and the rest will feel
so insulted and mortified at being pushed aside for
strangers to take the lead that they'll all be agn the
nomination, and their friends too, and thatn upset
the whole kettle of fish,"
"Don't you never fear that, Uncle Joshua" says
L "them old pillars that you speak Of are all very
much tickled with the nomination Ye see, it broke
the nose Of Young America, and they was delighted
with it. As soon as the nomination was out of the
mould, before il had time to cool, they all tele-
graphed right back to Baltimore that nothin in the
world could have happened to suit 'em better; it
was most excellent nomination, and they felt under
everlasting obligations to the Baltimore Convention.
You needn't have fears that they'll feel any cold
ness towards the nomination. They'll all turn to
and work for it like beavers"
"Well, how is it." said Uncle Joshua, about
that boy-candidae for the Presidency that they call
Young America? If his nose is knocked out Of
joint he'll of course oppose the nomination, tooth
and nail"
"There's where you are mistaken again, Uncle
Joshua" says l. "On the contrary, he goes for it
hotter than any Of 'em and he telegraphed back to
Baltimore as quick as lightning could carry it that
the nomination was jest the thing it couldn't be no
better Ye see, he looks upon it in the light that it
chokes off all the Old Fogies and leaves the field
clear for him next time He thinks so highly Of
tne nOmlnat0n ana reels 80 patrlOuc ABOUT lt tney
say he is going TO stump it through all the States,
and make speeches in favor Of Gineral Perces cleo
tion You may depend upon it, Uncle Joshua
we've got very strong nomination, one thatl
carry all afore it; every body is delighted with it,
and every bodys going to 90 for it. didn't expect
you to hold back moment thought you would
have things all cut and dried for rousin ratification
meeting by the time / got home"
"Well, you know, Major" said Uncle Joshua,
always follow Col Crockett's rule, and never go
ahead till know Pm right How foolish we should
look to call ratification meeting here in Downing
vile, and be voted right plump down. You know
the freesoilers are very strong among u.s. they are
very strong in all the Northern States And you
know she Baltimore Convention fixed up platform
to stand on that's all in favor of the compromise and
the fugitive law, and is dead-set agin the Free
soilers. Now, Major, you must have more under
standing than to think the Freesoilers will ever
swallow that platform, and if they don't we are
dished"
"You are all wrong again, Uncle Joshua" says I,
"for the biggest Freesoiler in all America swal-
lowed it right down, and didn't make wry face
about It,"
"Who do you mean 7" says he
nI mean Mr.. John Van Buren, SAYS I.
But you don't mean" says Uncle oshua, that