The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-02-19
Letter from MAier Jack Downing
WASHINGTON, Jan. 80, 1876

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 1864.
To Tic editor Of tie Dag Booh.
SuRs: | spose your readers think I'm dead,
OF lnebby they think I've run away with pile
Of gresnbacks, as That is kinder fashionabul
now-a-days, but snt in neither fix. The ra.e
truth is that after l wit you my last ctiur I
got completely aisgusted and cum mi!ey nig.,
goln back ilain to Downngviie, aud vowin /
would never return to this sink of sin again.
hut shc Keriicl got at me and begged wouldn't
tllink of it, teled him coulln't stay in the
White ilouscover New Years aud SEQ the knaves
and fools that Tosid be there then. So Jest
before Gnnsunas, as good lae happened, old
hat.iur Biair axei me Ia 20 down to his place
at slivar Spring and STAY over the holidays
l tel, yen | .sas rsle glad fur the old man has
got i iife place, and 1 coaM have Il 30 quiet
and cezy thoks aftur my hald work ovnr the
massage. Nhsa got There was tuck down
with ihc ruhaaiis aud had 10 keep my room for
more than two weeks, Eowevur, the Kernel
sent me some prime old rye, AM tirat, together
with some opsrdiid,clS that O.i Aunt Kcziai
Wie22ietcn sent to laa by my ne.i Zalc put rae
ON NY pas agin. Old Father Blair and sad
long talks about Gin. Jackson and She Kcraal,
the war, ilsEefs the next presidency, and SO on.
NY old trend Dlar was a crate man in Gin
Jackson's tine, but The t.ubbel with him now
Is that he don't move along with he world He
accsuely thinks .ha. he Is yet filth Calhoun. M
havin got IL ta bote with ihe Ahoiishcrnists,
he don't know hoT to git out. Las. week I
cum back TO see the Kernel and have been Look
ing around tos few days 10 see how The land
lay. tind that TIE principc idee in every
nudys 8 hed IS whose to be tie mex. President
Bat tell you when look at the conaislun of
the country it makes me sic,, 90 talk about a
President. What is the use Of a President when
there's q sian!in army2 What is the use of a
Fresidsnt when the bailoi- box aint Of half 30
much accountv.s IS the cartridge box The frat day
got back ..e V..its liouss there was n lot of
Loyi! Lsagers anil shoidy contractors cum to
tell the Kernel that thcy had nominated him
Tor Prcsi'lenf. After they went out Liakin ses
10 me scs he. '.Majer, wbatJlo you think Of them
fallows." "NYal," SOS I. ".hcy look to me mean
enoug 10 steal .igyess" The I<erne: did mob say
anything bat locked kinder cross-eyed at raa.
Tho Kernel and then had 4 long talk about
matters and tilins, anI after taking good swig
o. o!d rye, went TO bed. Tia. mite l lad a
wonderful dream. The next rnornin, when 1
''iajer, you look uncommon serious this morn
In; what's the iAatter" ''Wal,' ses /, II had
q awoadertul Dream last nteraH eenapost FRIGHT
enoa nc TO detli" "Wal,' scs be, .'wha. on
Garth was it2' ''Wal," sez I, ''if / tell you tho
hull OF it jest as it appeared TO me you mustn't
get mad" ''Oh," ses the Kernel, 81 don't seer
notlin about drcans. for alters interpret them
by contTar;es," ''WaI," ses / ''you kin cypher
gu; the meanin OF it yourself to suit yourself, |
but I'll te. i. tn yon Jest as it appeared to me,
and il seemed as plain rs il twas broad day i
light" "Wai," scs l, 81 tho't / was in !
grave yagd, and there was great big grave dug,
large enough to hold four or five coffius, and
while was -standin t!icr, wondersn what on |
earth the grave was for saw n big BLACK hearSs I
comin and Stantin was tirivin it. 1ha. kinder
start!ed; raa but i looked agin, and see it was
bein drawn by them War Dimmycrais, Dickin-
sem B.tier, Meagher, Cochrane, and the heagss |
iteet was marked War Dimmycracy.' When
s:ansin drav up to tbs grave ses ho, My jack
asses had g heavy load, but they pulled it thra
bravely,' for the poor War Di.amycrats had
heads OF men On the bodies OF mGles. I won
delied what on airih could be in the hcarse, for
it seemed TO be heavily loaded. Right behind
the hearse walhin along were you and Sumner,
and Greeley, and Chase, and Boccher, and old
Grandfather Welles. Pretty soon you all went
to work-sakin out tho collins AID gc..in ready
10 put them in the grave. Tho first one TUX
ort was marked Aabeas cmpns,' the sec9nd one
trial by jury then 'the Union and then Con
,tisuiion.' When they were al ont on the
sround some dispute riz as to which should be
buried first, but Grcely cut i short by sayin pat
he Constitution under, and all clso foows,'--
50 Greely got the rope under one end OF The
;offin and Summer uEder the other, aui begun
. let it Down. While it was goin down you
ooked-kinier anxious at Chase and scs you
Chase, think it vii. stay down And old Grccn-
packs ses he my God, Kernel, it tmast stay down
'r we will oil go ap' Greedy was tckled CEN
lmost to death, and ses he, we shall bury it
low SO that it will never bs heerd of agin.'--
Did Grandfather Weles, however, seemed half
to dcth, and trembled like sick dog,
Ind ses, ooh that twas all over.' Summer was
yrathy at this, and scs he, Shut up, you old
DOL, wait until it is all under Aud there, too
TODD Beecher with nigger baby in his arms,
ookipg up to heaven and prayin all the while,
IS follows: 'Oh! Lord, not thy will but mine
,e done.' Finally, all tho eotHns were put in
he grave and covered up. Iwondered where
Seward could be all this time, and looking up,
here he was iyiu through the air with wings, /
md tails, and horns, lookin for all the world
ike an evil spirit, and ses he If 'twere done,
vhon ]. is done, just as il he was afraid that q
lay of resurrection was comm. tell you, it I
nado me feel sorrowful and sad, when saw the
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