Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-09-23
tSrOm the National fntsiiigenSsr.
Letter from Major Jack Downing.
DowNINGyILLE, STATE OF MAINE,
Saturday, September l8, 1862

L
Mr.. GALES & SEAToN: My dear old friends,
| wish had better news to write to you. I'm
pesky afraid Gineral Scott is coming in And
arter all, don't know why should feel so much
afraid oft, 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 office, and il he should lose it, I'm
afraid it would almost be the death of him. He's
had it now more than twenty years, and he's more
fond of it because it was give to him by dear old
Gineral Jackson. He loves II now like one Of his
own family, and think it would be about the
hardest one of the family for him to part with,
unless It's Aunt Keziah If he should lose airy
one Of 'em, that is Aunt Keziah or the Office,
l know it would break his heart. And that's
what makes me feel 30 bad at the turn things has
took down this way in favor of Gineral Scott If
any way could be contrivsd to keep Uncle Joshua
in the post office, wouldn't care snap if Gin
eral Scott did come in. And | guess there's q
good deal of the same sort OF feelin amongst a
good many of the Democracy I'll just give you
a sample of it.
There's Cousin Sargent Joel, he can't live with
out hurrahing for somebody as much us two or
three times day He got in q habit of it in
old Hickory's time, and he couldn't never leave
it off since. Two or three weeks ago Uncle
Joshua and was in the barn, planning little
about getting out the voters to the election when
all to once we heard somebody back Of the barn
boiler with all his might /" Hurrah for Gineral
Scott" We both started and run round the cor
ner of the barn as fast as we could, and who
should we see there but Cousin Sargent Joel,
standing on q stump, swinging his hat all alone,
and holleriDg at the very top Of his voice, Hur-
rah for Gineral 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 once more, "Hurrah for Gineral
Scott, and l don't care who hears it.
"What's that you say?" said Uncle Joshua.
81 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 a pretty piece OF business" said
Uncle Joshua, "setting such examples as this to
the neighbors There's many word spoke in
jeest that's turned into arrest before its done
with and you ought to be careful how you set
there's no knowing what'ell be the end ont"
81 don't much care whatll be the end ont,
said Cousin Joel.
"Why, Joel, what do you mean 7" said Uncle
Joshua eff you are going to turn Wing say so,
and let US put 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 not?
st spose SHALL" said Cousin Joel.
"Then, why in the name of common sense
don't you hurrah for him 2" said Uncle Joshua,
" and try and get up some enthusiamusy. You
ought to be ashamed to throw your hurrahs away
on 'tother side"
"Now, Uncle Joshua, I'll tell you what It's"
said Sargent Joel, Strengthening himself up jest
as he used to at the head Of the company in Null
LITIGATION times, says he, "Tll tell you what It's,
Uncle Joshua, Pm willing to vote for Gineral
Pierce to help you keep the post Office, and |
mean to but you needn't ask me to hurrah for
him, for l can't stand no such tom-foolery as that
I've tried it, and it won't go no how 1t makes
me feel SO much like digging small potatoes and
few in hill But when get right hungry for
hurrah, / give it to Gineral Scott, and find
there's refreshment and nourishment in that,
something like real meat; it makes me feel as 1t
used to when we gin the loudest hurrahs for Gin
eral Jackson"
Uncle Joshua turned away, looking rather
down in the mouth, and saying she didn't know
what the world was coming to-"
As near as | can find out there's great many
Democrats in this State and other places too,
that's in the same fix as Cousin Sargent Joel
Downing they've tried to hurrah for Gineral
Pierce, and can't. Over to the raisin of Squire
Jones's barn 'tother day, arter they all got
through, Squire Jones, who is a great Democrat,
called out "now let US give three cheers for
Gineral Pierce" As quick as look they all
swung their hats, and about three-quarters Of
EN- sung out as loud as they could holler, "hur-
rah for Gineral Cass." At that Squire Jones few
in O rage, and told EN- they was traitors to the
party, and no true Democrat would hurrah for
anybody but Gineral Pierce. That touched the
dander Of the rest of EN-, and about twenty swung
their hats and cried out Justify, "hurrah for Gin
eral 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 Monday, he got quite
narvous; and he amt no better yet. We've been
in quite q state of confederation all the week,
trying to find out how the elections gone, but it's
| a hard sum to work out. Invent over this morn
ing to help Uncle Joshua figure up. lie was
setting to the table with his spectacles on, and
the papers spread oil round him, and pen in his
hand, and dark scowl on his brow. He was
| thinking 80 hard he didn't seem to know when
come in. Says Aunt Keziah, says she, I'm
dreadful glad you've come in, Major your Uncle
will make himself sick working over them
| figures"
Says /, "well, Uncle Joshua, how are We
coming out?"
| "Pm afraid we are coming out at the little enc
Of the horn, Major" said uncle Joshua, and hi
looked up over his spectacles so pale and melan
choly it made me feel bad. Says he, :" dom
like the looks Of it bit; the State is on thu
back track again towards Whiggery, jesta twas
when Harrison came in"
"Oh, guess not" says l, for / wanted t.
cheer him up as much as i could. The liquor
law has played the mischief with this election al
round, and got things badly mixed up; but j
we sift EN- out carefully we shall find the Demo
Gratis as strong as ever" Uncle Joshua SHOOT
his head. Says /, "Let US see the figures
Here's the returns from three hundred towns, al
the State except some of the outskirts. Mr.. Hub
bard and Mr.. Chandler, the two Democratic can
didates for governor, has together more thar
ifty-eight thousand votes, and Mr.. Crosby, tn
Wing candidate has little more than twenty
seven thousand. The Democratic vote is NOR
than double the Wing vote. This don't look