Letters of Major Jack Downing, of the Downingville MilitiaSmith, Seba
History
Letters of Major Jack Downing, of the Downingville Militia
Smith, Seba
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Caricatures and cartoons; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Humor
SURS:--Wal, ef I ain't been bizzy sence I writ you last, I wouldn't say
so. I got your letter about seein Blair on the questshin of sendin
THE CAWCASHIN in the mails, an I hadn't eny 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 called in the old Ginneral's
time, an I used to be very thick. He helped me sifer a good deal wen I
was postin the Ginneral up about Biddle's Bank matters. But I hadn't
seen the old man for a long time ontel I called on him tother day. He
was dredful glad to see me, an shuck my hand as ef he thought there
warn't no feelin in it. Ses he, "Majer, it's a long time sence we've
met, an I know you are a loyal man, for there ain't no follerer of
Ginneral Jackson that could be enything else." Ses I, "Ef there's a
loyal man in this country, I'm one. I go for puttin down every feller
that's opposed to the Constitushin, I don't keer who he is. I only wish
we had an Old Hickery to step in now an jest deal out jestiss all
around, without any parshality. I guess there's a good menny fellers
that don't expect it, who might get histed." "Wal," ses he, "Majer, I'm
of your idee exactly. The truth is, I'm thinkin that this
administrashin is played out. The Ultrys will ruin it." "Wal," ses I,
"Mister Blair, I've cum to see you about another matter. Your son
Montgummery, who used to be a little shaver in the old Ginneral's time,
has got the place of Amos Kindle, an he has been stoppin Dimmycratic
papers in the mails." "Oh no," ses he, "I guess not; only sum disloyal
sheets." "No," ses I, "I'll give you a hunderd dollars for every word
of disloyalty agin the Constitushin 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 couldn't find nothin to object to. Then I showed him the motto
at its head, taken from his own words about the freedom of the press,
an then I telled him I wanted him to go with me to Montgummery, an see
ef the thing couldn't be fixed. So we went over, an you never see a man
stare so as Montgummery did. Ses he, "Majer Downing, I'm tickled to see
you. I think you have slighted me sence you've been in Washington.
You've been to see nigh about all the members of the Cabynet except
me." "Wal," 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 newspapers to go in the mails?"
"Wal," ses he, "Majer, that's jest wat I'm goin to do. It was bad
bizness for us that we ever stopped these papers. It made more votes
for the Dimmycratic party than eny other cause. The truth is, it never
was my policy. I never did beleeve in it, and now they all see it must
be given up." Ses I, "Mister Blair, ef you didn't beleeve in it, you
orter have refused to do it. That ain't the way the old Ginneral acted,
an he's my model. Ef he thought enything was rong, there warn't a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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