The Oregon union. (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1863, 1863-02-28
letter from Major yack Downing.
NUMBER TwENTY-THREE.
WASHINGTON, Dec 20, /

NUMBER TWENTY-THREE.
WASHINGTON, Dec %, 1862
The Editers Of TIE ceeecasAi' IN
SURs Wal eff [ amt been bizzy sence
I writ you last, [ wouldn't say SO. got
your letter about seein Blair on the quest
shin Of sendin The CAWCAsHIN IN the
mails, an I hadn't any doubt but he would
do it as soon as I put the subjec to him in
the rite light. Blair's father, "Parson
Blair" as he used to be calPd in the old
Ginnerals time, an I, used to be very thick.
He helped me sifer good deal when l
was postin the Ginneral up about Biddle's
Bank matters But I hadn't seen the old
man for long time ontel called on him
tother day. He was dredful glad to see.
me, an shuck my hand as if he thought
there warn't no feelin in it. Ses he, "Ma4
| jer, it's q long time since we've met, an
know you are loyal man, for there amt
no follerer of Ginneral jackson that could
be anything else" Ses I, ''Ef there's a
loyal man in this country, I'm one. I go
for putin down every fellerss that's opposed
to the Constitushin, [ don't keer who he
is. I only wish we had an Old Hickory
to step in now an just deal out jestiss all
around, without any parshality. l guess,
there's good menny fellers that don't ex-
pect it, who might get h1Sted-" OVAL"
ses he, ''Majer, I'm of your idee exactly.
The truth is, I'm thinkin that the admin
istrashin is played out. The Ultrys will
ruin it." Oval" ses I, "Mister Blair,
I've cum to see you about another matter.
Your son Montgummery, who used to be
little shaver in the old GinneraPs time,
has got the place of Amos Kindle, an he
has been stoppin Dimmycratic papers in
the mails" ssOh no." ses he, "I guess
not; only sum disloyal Sheets "No,"
ses I, "I'll give you hundred dollars for
every word of disloyalty agin the Consti>
tushin you'll find in that paper" Here I
took a Cawcashin out of my pocket, an
handed it to him. He looked it over an
couidn' fad netl1in to OBJ -. sslsssaen z
showed HIM the motto at its head, R9ens
from his own words about the freedom of
the press, and then I telled bin I wanted
him to 90 with me to Montgummery, an
see eff the thing couldn't be fixed So we
went over, an you never see man stero
so as Montgummery did. Ses he, "Majer
Downing, I'm tickled to see you. l think
you have sighted me sence you've been
/ in Washington. You've been to see nigh
about all the members of the Cabynet ex-
cept me-" oval" ses I, "I don't go
around much, except on bizness for the
Kernel but now" ses I, 'I've cum on
another arrand; I've cum to see why you
don't allow all the Dimmycratic newspa-
pers to 90 in the mails p "Wal," ses he,
'Majer, that's jest what I'm goin to do.
It was bad bizness for US that we ever
stopped these papers. Itmade more votes for
the Dimmycratic party than any other
cause. The truth is, it never was my
policy. never did believe in it, and
now they all see it must be given up"
Ses I, "Mister Blair, if you didn't believe
in it, you orter have refused to do it.
That amt the way the old Ginneral acted,
an he's my model Eff he thought eny-
thing was rong, there warn't mortal man,
high or low, that could have got him to do
it. He would have died afore he would
do wat his conscience told him warn't right,
an it's them kind of men that are great
men, and will save our country, eff it ever
is saved" oval" ses he, "Majer, you're
about right, an [ don't think shall stay
in this bote much longer. Things are go>
in from bad to wus" eyes" ses !, "they
are like old Sol Hopkins's dyin COW, get
tin no better very fast ''But," ses he,
"Maier, you can rest easy on the papers.
We are going back to the Free Press Prln-
cipul, and let the people have their own
way" oval" ses I "Pm glad to hear
it. It's about time there was change"
So [ bid him good by, an went back to
see the Kernel, who found in peck Of
trubbil. Ses I, "what's the matter now q
for I saw at glance sumthin was up.
Ses I, "is Burnside whipped agin or is
Stonewall jackson in our rear p "No,'
ses he, "Maier, nothin Of that sort, but
sumthin Jest about as bad. There has jest
been a committy here from the SENT who
demand that I shall change my Cabbynet
They say we don't have eny success, an
the peopul demand change Ses 1
"did YOU kick EN- down stairs 2" "No,'
ses he, "I didn't" OVAL" ses I, "you
orter. They might jest as well ask you tc
resign" Ses I, ''don't your Cabbynet
agree in your policy? Don't they do as
YOU Q desire ?" eyes" says he, "they do. :
, "Wal," ses I, "then what's the use o.
: changin? If you intend to change your
| policy, then it is reasonable to ask you te
change your Cabbynet, but otherways
not" oval" ses he, "Major, that's my
idee exactly, but didn't tell EN- SO,
.. thought [ would wait an see what yor
thought of it" oval" ses Il see the
hull cause of the rumpus. The defeat O
,, Burnside has made EN- SO wrathy that they
didn't know what to do, an they thought
they must find fault about sumthin.
Ses [, "fghten the rebels is jest for all the
world like bar huntin. A good menny
wears ago. when it was common up II
A.: Ii n ho,,t al the nahnrs Waulc