, 1864-10-21
A Visit to Old Abe.
NAYsHANAL HOTEL, WASHINGTON,
q

NAYsHANAL HOTEL, WASHINGTON,
June 20, 1864.
Senst my last 1 hav proved my warm divo-
shun to the President at the resk of loosin his
personal steam hev spoken to him wot he
seldom hears from foreyn sickofants-the trooth
Eff used strong terms it was bekase the inter
ests of my kentry, no less than hisn demanded
sperited remOnstrances. As the enemee of alb
solute Monarky ses in the play, ''it warnt that
luv'd Siezer less, but Rum more"
l called at the White House yesterday, and
desired wun of the pages in watin to inform his
Eggsellency that l wished to hev his private ear
for half hour, to which he returned for anser
that Seward he'd it at present, and he dident
know how long he would want, but would shake
him off as soon as possibul. Arter dancin at
tendance for about twenty minutes l was ush-
cred inter the Sanktum, and sor at wunst from
his aspect, that my Eggsecative Friend was a
good deal wurried. felt sorry for him, but I
he'd dooty to perform, and dooty afore deleki-
say hes alters been my motto.
''Mr, Lincoln, " ses /, "air you awar that you're
loosin ground all over the North?'
"Never mind" he replied with assumed
cheerfulness. "Grant's gaining ground in the
South thatss sum comfort"
Abraham, remarkt, payin no attenshun to
his attempt at jokhilarity ''yodre in a desput
way, and you'll be used up politically if you
continue your present coarse of useupashin."
"Wots the rowP ses he, 'swun would spose
from that solemn visdge of yourn, that the
world had stopt goin round"
''The World still moves - | responded "and
so does the Jernil of Commerce, and it would
hev been better for you, eff you hedent meddled
with either EN-. They go bettur now then
they did afore you wound EN- up. The people
are beginning to say that your proceedings are
revolushionary."
"And what do you say ?' he inkwired SUM
wot narvously.
"Ill tell you like faithful friend as l allus
hev BEEN" sez l, ''youve yiated the Freedom of
the Press garanteed by the Constitooshin-youve
substtooded your own ipsy di1ie for the lor of
the land-youye carried the Palladium of our
Liberties at the Pint of the baynet, and you've
dun all this in consekense of a forgery commit
ted by wun of your own pollytickle friends, for
wich the consarn that you shet up by an eggser-
size of arbitrary power warnt in no way respon-
sbul.
"That's pretty tall tork, ses he. "You per-
SOON cOnsidabul on my effeckshnit regard"
Eff it warnt for the brutherly feelins l enter
tain for you," | ansered, 81 shudnt speak so
plain. But when | remember that Loose Flip
was eggspelt from power, for attemptin to choke
down the press by lorless force, how ken do
less, as troo friend, than utter words of warn
in. You knows we'll as l do, that the polly
tickle Yews of the papers as printed the bogus
proclamashin is as opposite to mine as the
North Pole is to the South, but right is right
and as brave old Harry Clay sed, II rayther be
right than President"
"Is the lecter OVER" sed he. "Seems to me
you've sed enuff.n
mo I hevent," retorted.
"a purity pass we air cum too" l continued
"Onley the other day we made an apollygee to
France for resolushin past by the Representa-
tives Of the People in Congress assembled. 1t
seems as eff we wanted to be hand and gluv with
desputism everywhere, and its no wunder under
the sekemstances that furrin nashins proffersy
the speedy downfall of Republicanism in this
kentry But"
"Jack, my candid friend and counsellor, " in
terrupted his eggsellency, "don't allow yourself
to be carried away by your feelins. Seward
may have been rash, and perhaps rough, but
you know me. I'm true as steal to Republican
principles. Shoorly you don't doubt me-"
oval, no, upon the hull not" I replied, ''but
you're anserabul for the acts of your constitOO-
shinal advisers, and if you don't put curb on
the leader of the cabynet team, you'll be sorry
for it when it's too late"
We parted notwithstandin my plane knowl-
edge the best of terms, and l think my wurds
sank deep inter his hart.
Hopin that they may perdouce the desired eff
feck, and prevent any further ofishal outrages
upon the legil and constitoochinal privileges of
American citizens; and hopin also that the Seek
atary of State will never agin be insane enuff to
set aside the Right of Asylum, 1 remain, with
intense hatred for all userpashun and oppresh-
UNI Yours, allus,
JACK DOWNING