Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-10-14
Letter from Major Jack Downing.
DowEINGvILLE, STATE OF MAINE,
S,r,,,n,v So,tayohar 10 1910

Mr.. Gales d Seaf0n; NV dear old
friends, | wish had better news to write
TO you. I'm pesky afraid Gen. Scott is
coming in. And arier all, don't know
why should feel so much afraid of il,
especially on my own account, for don't
spose he's a very bad man. But | feel
bad for Uncle Joshua. HIS whole heart
is bound up in the post-oflice, and if he
should lose it, I'm afraid il would almost
be the death of him. He's had it now
more than twenty years, and he's more
fond of i, because il was given to him by
dear old Ginera Jackson. He loves i.
now like one Of his own family, and
think it would be the hardest one Of the
family for him to part with, unless tits
Aunt keziah. Ii he should lose airy one
of 'em that is Aunt Keziah or the post-of-
flee, know it would break his heart:--
And that's what makes me feel SO bad at
the turn things has took down this way in
favor Of Gneral Scott. If any way could
be con,rived to keep Uncle Joshua in the
post. Office, wouldn't care snap if Gin
eral Scott did come. And guess there's
a good deal of the same sort of feelin
amongst good many OF The Democra-
.c.v. I'll just give you a sample OF 1t.
There's Cousin Sargent Joel, he can't
live without hurrahing for somebody as
much as two or three times day. lie
got IN habit of it in old Hickory's time,
and he couldn't leave it off since. Two
or three weeks ago Uncle Joshua and |
was in the barn. planning little abou.
getting out the voters TO the election, when
all To once we heard somebody back of
The barn holler with all his might "Hur-
rah for Gineral Scott. We both started
and run round the corner of The barn as
fast as we could, and who should we see
there bu, Cousin Sargent Joel, standing
on stump, swinging his hat all alone,
hollering at the top of his voice, "Hur-
rah for Ginerai Scott" Uncle Joshua
looked as cross as thunder, and Cousin
Joel colored little as soon as he see us,
but he swung his hat again. and sung out
ouce more, Hurrah for Gineral Scott, and
don't care who hears it,
"What's lha. you say!" said Uncle
Joshua. ..a.-..s -.... ..... p.
IL say, hurrah for Gineral Scott, and |
don't care who hears it," says Cousin
Joel, putting on his hat and jumping off
the stump.
"Well, this is pretty piece of busi-
ness" said Uncle Joshua, ..setiing such
examples as this to the neighbors.-
There's many a word spoken in jeest
that's turned into arnest before it's done
with; and you ought to be careful how
you set such hurrahs agoin. Ifyou once
get em started there's no knowing whal'll
be the end ont"
81 don't much care whal'll be the end
ont" said Cousin Joel.
"Why, Joel, what do you meant" said
Uncle joshua; ''if you are going to turn
Whig say SO, and let US turn you out of
the synagogue at once, and be done with
it. | want plain right up and down
answer, are you going for Gineral Pierce
or mott" ~ &H
81 spose SHALL" said Cousin Joel.
"Then, why in the name of common
sense don't you hurrah for hirn?' said I'M
Gle Joshua, sand try and get up some en-
thusiamusy. You ough. to be ashamed
10 throw your hurrahs away on 'tother
side"
"Now uncle Joshua Ill tell you what
'.is," said Sergeant Joel, strai,ening him
self up jest as he used to at the head Of
the company in the Modification times,
says he. I'll tell you what it's Uncle Josh.
ua, I'm willing to vote for Gineral Pierce
to help you to keep the post office, and |
mean to, but you need't ask me to hurrah
for him, for cant stand such tomloolery
as that. I've tried il and it won't do no
how. Ii makes me feel so much like
digging small potatoes and few in hill.
But when ! get right hungry for hurrah,
| give tito Gineral Scott, and find there S
refreshment aud nourishment in that,
something like real meat; il makes me
feel as il used to when we gin the loud
esl hurrahs for Gineral Jackson"
Uncle Joshua turned away, looking
rather down in the mouth, and Saying,
"he didn't know what the world was
coming to. ses
As near as can find out, there's a
great many Democrats in this Slate, and
other places too, that's in the same fix as
Cousin Sergeant Joel Downing; they've
tried to hurrah for Gineral Pierce, and
can't. Over TO the raising of Squire
Jones's barn 'tother day, arter they all
got through, Squire Jones, who is a great
Democrat, called ont, .now let us give
three cheers for Gineral Pierce" As
quick as look they all swung their
hats, and about three. quarters of em sung
out as loud as they could holler. "hurrah
for Gineral Cass." Atthat Squire Jones
flew in rage, and told EN- they was
traitors to the party, and no true Demo
crat would hurrah for any body but Gin
neral Pierce. That touched the danGer
of the rest of EN-, and about twenty
swung their hats and cried out Justify,
"Hurrah for Glneral Scott" and asked
Squire Jones if he liked that any better.
These things has kept Uncle Joshua
very uneasy along back, and before our
State election, which come along last Mon.
Gay, he got quite nervous; and he aint nc
better yet. We've been in quite a state
Of confederation all the week, trying tc
1 find out how the election's zone bnt IT'S