The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1852-06-29
From the National Intelligencer.
Major Jack Downing's Account Of the Democrati
~Il ltl National Convention

DALiimOhE, 'SoetiNey NA%o-~', -, -
To JOSHUA DOWNING, ESQ. ei,ess q! as,ii
Post Master, Do,oningvilie Stdte Of Maine
DEAR UNCLE JOSHUA: .,,a-i.i.
The job is done, and it's been about the
toughest weeks work that ever did. I've
sweat like a tiger all the week, and am as hun
pry as bear; not but what there's been vittles
enough, plenty of it and good, too, and plenty
of liquor too, and more than the Maine liquor
law could set up and spill in six months; but
the troubles we had so much to do we couldn't
ret time to eat. Iguess I've made out to catch
a lunch of few mouthfus about twice day,
and got a chance to sleep upon an average a
bout two hours a night.
After I've writ this letter to turn in and sleep
over till Monday, and then streak 1t home ana
help get up the mass meeting to ratify the nom
ination-to ratify the nomination-the ratifi-
cation of Downingville must be roarer. You
better be getting things ready for it till come.
wish could giveyou some idea OF the weeks
work wc have had here I've worked IN tne
logging swamp, and know what tbs to handle
logs. and pile 'em on the bank, and roll EN- IN
to the river; and I've worked on burnt neids IN
clearing up, and chopped and piled rom
Monday morning to Saturday night; but de-
clare to man this has been the tuffest week of
log-rollinQ I ever see. But / don't begrudge
the work a'bit we've made such nice job of it
and saved the country We've put life into the
Democratic party again, that we thought last
fall was as dead as door-nail. We've killed
| off Abolition, we've choked to death Secession,
and gin Free Soil the fits; and l expect we've
thundersiruck Whiggery so that 1t never IL get
over II. We've got the Democratic party fair.
| ly on its legs agin, standing on the good old
platform that Giueral jackson left it on; that
Is. apin the Bank, agin the Taft, and agip In
tcrnal Improvements; and now we've nothing
to do but 60 ahead.
But must tell you something about the du-
ins. couldn't get in as one of the regular
delegates from Maine, because the PRESIDENT
said nv name wasn't on the list. But as soon
rs I told him was the Delegate from Down
ingyillo. he took me by the hand, and says he,
.Al right, Major Downing, I'm very glad to
see YOU here; YOU can come in as suparnumar-
ary. and YOU can do great deal more good
than if YOU was a regular delegate, for you can
90 round quietly among all the delegates ana
helm 10 make 'em harm0nize; there's great
deal of that work to be done before we can get
along. and don't know of anybody that car
do more in that line than you can. In fact
Major, if you hadn't been sent as delegate
from Downingville, you would readily be ad
mtted to take part in the proceedings OF the
Convention out of respect for the great servi-
ces that you rendered Gineral Jackson in the
} times that tried the souls Of Democrats 30
went right in took hold. and went to work.
There was an awful jam it seemed most im
possible to do anything. But off coat, anc
elbowcd nv way right through 'em from one
. end of the hall TO tother; pretty soon got the
swing of il. so that could tell wher, to pul
and where to push, and where to put under th'
hands and lift And when the member
} got up to make speeches, and got to talkin!
100 much, or talking the wrong way, knew
Just when to take hold of their coat tails anc
+ pull IN down on their seats. And sometimes
: l had to GO into the gallery, too, to keep tn
people straight up there, and in spite OF all
c could do, they would sometimes hoorah ant
: hiss in the wrong place. So you may judg
4 nv hands full for the week. But was deter
d mined tn have n nomination. if worked m
: hands off up to my elbows. 1t was very hare
to ge: a nomination this time, and it had n
a been here. though say it myself, don't be
Il they would got one at all.
: The first real hard piece of shedding W
come across was the platform business; that
tn saw the question whether we should go I
t work and make platform first, or take rigf
IS hold and to nominate first. 1t was Knott
S question, and seemed TO bother some OF U
d members good deal. Mr.. Nabers ana Nj
IS Wise. and some others, insisted upon IL th'
n we should begin at the foundation, and make
h platform first for the Democratic party to stan
, on, and then make candidate to ut IL. n
J. work would ever stand well unless you begin
t the bottom and Law a good foundation first
e Here's dozen parties here, every one hghtr
S. for their particular candidate, and each Oh
hoping to get the nomination.
~ AS long as that hope lists il will hold EN-
W together, and we can make 'em oil work 10 ne
A. build platform. But the moment one ge
~ the nomination, the rest will all fly OH In
ul tangent: there will be no more working on
IS, platform. and your candidate will be left stal
le ding upon nothing. But Mr. Soule. OF Lou
10 lana. and Gov. Floyd, Of Virginia, rowed je
le as hard tother way. They declared we new
could make platform first. If we underto,
to 90 to work upon it now, every one OF q
q, as dozen parties would be pulling ana hauiing
III gin each other, and each one hewlng ana car
's ing to make the platform to SUIT ms own Ca
didate. In that way we never couid make
ng nlatform if we should work from the first
VI June to the end of time.
g The fact is the platform must be made
the country; that is. for the Democratic par
and no, for candidate. As soon as the ca
a ddate is ketched and battered and tied to
w. stump. we car all sit down calmly and work
oether. and make platform to suit the wh'
Democracy The dispute went on pretty M
!, nearly all day, and was got over at last by
IN n sort of compromise to have the platform "a a
na the nomination both going on together. 3
81, committee of ono from each State was appoi
aa au ed to 90 to work building the platform, VIII
ne the Convention went on to nominate; then,
es soon as the candidate was nominated, the pI
ne nmu form could be oil ready TO set him right
- to il. ,,... ..l e1t
nk Then come the nominating, and that was
an up hill business for about three days Q
AN two or three nights. 1t was found on the II
rs pul that the Old Fogies was good deal
he strong for Young America. and If there had
cb- been so manv Old Fogies in the field we sho 9,
tbo got candidate the first haul. Gineral =
the and Mr.. Buchanan each started with q "
ith smart team Mr. Cass was . n',o ,,,s
um he kept the lead lot ABOUT .wc"t P
, in we thought by sticking to him like wax