14. LETTER XIV.
MR. DOWNING HINTS TO UNCLE JOSHUA THAT HE HAS A PROSPECT OF
BEING NOMINATED FOR GOVERNOR.
Portland, April 14, 1830.
To Uncle Joshua Downing, up in Downingville:
Uncle Joshua:—There's one thing, uncle, that seems to
wear pretty hard upon my mind, and plagues me a good deal;
I haven't slept but little this tu three nights about it. I wish
you wouldn't say anything about it up there amongst our
folks, for if it should all prove a fudge, they'd be laughing at
me. But I tell it to you, because I want your advice, as
you've always read the papers, and know considerable about
political matters; tho', to be honest, I don't s'pose any one
knows much more about politics by reading the papers, after
all.
But what I was goin to tell you is—now, uncle don't twist
your tobacco chaw over to t'other corner of your mouth, and
leer over your spectacles, and say, Jack's a fool—what I was
goin to tell you is this: I see by a paper printed down to Brunswick,
that they talk of nominating me for Governor to run down
Smith and Hunton. Think of that, uncle; your poor neffu,
Jack, that last summer was hoeing about among the potatoes,
and chopping wood, and making stone walls, like enough before
another summer comes about will be Governor of the
State. I shall have a better chance to flog Bill Johnson then,
than I should last winter, if we hadn't had no Governor nor
no laws; for I s'pose a Governor has a right to flog anybody
he's a mind to.
But that's nither here nor there, Uncle; I want your serious
advice. If they nominate me, had I better accept? Sometimes
I'm half afraid I shouldn't understand very well how to du the
business; for I never had a chance to see any Governor
business done, only what I see Elder Hall du in the Sinnet
chamber last winter. Poor man, that makes me think what
a time he had going home. I wrote to you before that he
went by water, and that the vessel got trig'd by an unconstitutional
wind the first day, and had to come back again. And
he must have found a good many hard trigs after that, for he
didn't get home till 2d day of April.
Where he was in that dreadful storm, the 26th of March, I
have not heard. But I should think, after standing the racket
he did last winter in the Legislater, and then this ere storm
at sea, he need never to fear anything on land or water again
in this world.
I wish you'd write me what you think about my being a
candidate for Governor, and whether you think I could get
along with the business. Considerable part of the business
I shouldn't be a mite afraid but what I could du; that is the
turning out and putting in. I know every crook and turn of that
business; for I don't believe there's a boy in our county,
though I say it myself, that's turned out and tied up more cattle
than I have. And they say a Governor has a good deal of this
sort of work to du.
No more at present from your loving neffu,
JACK DOWNING.
