Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-12-02
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
LETTER FROM MAJOR DOWNING.
Letter Of Instructions to President Pierce and
Cabinet.
OAsTEND, OCTOBER %, 1854.

Cabinet
OAsTEND, OCTOBER 28, 1854
DEAR GINERAL: We are all prowlin round here,
and DUNG the best we can, though we haint made
out to fetch matters to head yet but 1 guess we
are in pretty fair way for it. Our teams got grit
enough, and, by jingo, they'll haul the load they
hitch on to, or else sometime got to give way Mr.
Buchanan and DIR. Mason isn't quite spry enough !;
they are little on the old fogy fashion, and not
always ready to come up to the scratch; but
with Mr.. Sickles spurin up on one side, and Mr..
Sanders spurrin on tother side, and Mr.. Souley
drivin up behind, we make out to get pretty good
pull out of them sometimes We've got things so
far ahead here that Mr.. Sickles and Mr. Sanders
thinks better write despatch to you and the
Cabinet to home and give you some instructions
how to 90 on.
I'll tell you what tits, Gineral, (when call you
Gneral sometimes eenamost feel as if was writin
to Gineral Jacksonagain say, Ginera I'll tell you
what tbs, them three SIS (Sickles, Sanders, and
Souley) are the three smartest chaps that ever
growed in North America. They make Europe
stan round, and no mistake. Mr.. Souley holds old
Spain between his thumb and finger, and whisks her
about Jest as he's mind to, Queen and all Mr.
Sanders lays down the Democratic law to France,
and stans pretty fair chance to be chose President
of the new French Republic after Napoleon goes
out; and as for old John Bull, I'll be licked
if | think the crtter dares to stir an inch while
Sickles holds him by the horns
/ suppose you've seen them letters-how Mr.
Sickles snubbed Peabody, the great merchant
banker, about the 4th of July dinner Capital,
wasn't it? Ye see Mr.. Peabody gin 4th of Ju-
ly dinner. He's always doing sich things, or Civ
ing money away for somethin or other; for they
say he's got money enough to buy kingdom
WALL he invited Mr.. Sickles to come and jine the
49,, ,,,1 I.x, - 4 a
Mr.. Peabody didn't know how much patriotism and
real Democratic grit there was slowed away in Mr..
Sickless breast; he had no idea ont; and that was
the rock he split on. You'll hardly believe me,
Gineral, when say it, but it's a fact, Mr. Peabody
had Englishmen there to help eat that dinner It's
melancholy'fact, but it's true. If he had had half
table full of cannibas we could all stood it and
fit our way through; but Mr. Sickes couldn't stand
Englishmen. He had too much Democratic blood
in him for that. To mix up Democrats and Eng
lishmen at the same table was awful. But that
wasn't the worst of it, When Mr.. Sickles got there
he couldn't hardly believe his own eyes; for there
was portrait Of the Queen hung right up in the
same room with Gineral Washington Wasn't
that o stumper? No wonder lIr. Sickes's, Demo-
cratic blood billed over. But that wasn't the worst
of it. When they come to give the toasts, they
toasted the Queen! The rest Of the folks stood up
to drink the toast but Mr.. Sickles grit his teeth
and sot down as hard as thousand Of brick and
he felt SO disgusted he couldn't eat another mouth
full And when the music, to increase the insult,
struck up "God save the Queen" Mr. sickles took
his hat and marched out. There was spunk that
Young America ought to be proud Of That Mr..
Buchanan didn't take his hat and march out too
only shows that he's an old fogy.
We've held our Congress- and got things in a
middling good train, though, as said before, we
haint brought matters quite to head yet. We
managed better than your Congress does We
didn't stop to make SO many long-winded speeches,
but talked right to the pint, and got through in
few days. The members chose me President of the
Congress the first thing; for they said was near
est akin to Gineral jackson of any Of 'em and the
honor belonged to me ; so had to take the cheer.
returned thanks for the honor Of course, and then
proceeded to business. begnned by calm for the
reports of the committees that had the business in
hand afore we met.
called for the report on England first, out
Of respect to her being our venerable old mo-
ther. Mr.. Sickles, who was the head of that COM
mittee, reported that John Bull was an obstinate
old fogy, and he had found it very hard to make
any impression upon him. The people all seemed
to be tied to the Queens apron strings, and did mt
appear to care no more about Democracy than a
horse does about his grandfather Still he had
faith to believe that they could be made to take
it, and when the time comes he was ready to off
coat and roll up his sleeves and whip it into em.
[Chcers
Upon the question Of accepting Mr.. Sickles's re-
port, Mr.. Buchanan rose and said he objected to
the term old fogy he never did like the term, and
he thought it would do more hurt than good in the
report and he moved that it be struck out Mr..
Sanders said no; that was the very cream of the
report, and he objected to its being struck out.
It was then put to vote, and Mr. Buchanan and
Mr. Mason voted to strike it out and the rest voted
to keep it in; 50 old fogy stands in the report by
strong majority.
] then called for the report on France.
Mr.. Sanders made a long report; but the sub
stance was that the Democratic crop in France
wasn't quite ripe enough toharvest. Napoleon had
filled the peoples heads so full of the Eastern war
and glory that they couldn't think of nothin else
But, said Mr.. Sanders, there's good time comm,
boys; wait little longer" [Cheers.1
Mr. Sanderss report was unanimously accepted,
with provso that, while we had to wait little
longer, shouldn't stop working, but keep stirrin
round and trying to get up muss somehow as soon
as possible.
| then called for the report on Spain.
Mr. Souley rose, with fire in his eye and honey
and thunder on his tongue. He reported that if
there was any sich thing getting sunbeams out of
q cowcumber he could do it and he had come
pesky near kindlin the flame of Democracy from
one end of Spain to tother. He had churned the
cream of Spanish Democracy, and churned it well,
aud tho hutt ~ apdc fba toY,