University of Virginia Library

LETTER LII.
In which Major Downing gives his opinion about Nullification,
and illustrates it with a lucid example.

My kind and dear old Friend, — The President's
Message to Congress makes cracking work here. Mr
Calhoun shows his teeth like a lion. Mr McDuffie is
cool as a cowcumber, though they say he's got a terrible
tempest inside of him, that he'll let out before long. For
my part I think the President's Message is about right.
I was setting with the President in the east room last
night, chatting about one thing and another, and the
President says he, Major Downing, have you read my
message that I sent to Congress to day. I told him I
had n't. Well, says he, I should like to have you read
it and give me your opinion upon it. So he handed it
to me and I sot down and read it through.

And when I got through, now says I Gineral I'll tell
you jest what I think of this ere business. When I was
a youngster some of us Downingville boys used to go
down to Sebago Pond every spring and hire out a month
or two rafting logs across the Pond. And one time I
and cousin Ephraim, and Joel, and Bill Johnson, and
two or three more of us had each a whapping great log
to carry across the Pond. It was rather a windy day
and the waves kept the logs bobbing up and down pretty
considerable bad, so we agreed to bring 'em along side
and side and lash 'em together and drive some thole-pins
in the outermost logs and row 'em over together. We
went along two or three miles pretty well. But by and

by Bill Johnson begun to complain. He was always an
uneasy harumscarum sort of a chap. Always thought
every body else had an easier time than he had, and
when he was a boy, always used to be complaining that
the other boys had more butter on their bread than he
had. Well, Bill was rowing on the leward side, and he
begun to fret and said his side went the hardest, and
he would n't give us any peace till one of us changed
sides with him.

Well Bill had n't rowed but a little ways on the windward
side before he began to fret again, and declared
that side went harder than 'tother, and he wouldn't
touch to row on that side any longer. We told him he
had his choice, and he should n't keep changing so. But
he only freted the more and begun to get mad. At last
he declared if we did n't change with him in five minutes,
he'd cut the lashings and take his log and paddle off
alone. And before we had hardly time to turn round,
he declared the five minutes were out, and up hatchet
and cut the lashings, and away went Bill on his own log,
bobbing and rolling about, and dancing like a monkey to
try to keep on the upper side. The rest of us scrabbled
to as well as we could, and fastened our logs together
again, though we had a tuff match for it, the wind blew
so hard. Bill had n't gone but a little ways before his
log begun to role more and more, and by and by in he
went splash, head and ears. He came up puffing and
blowing, and got hold of the log and tried to climb up on
to it, but the more he tried the more the log rolled; and
finding it would be gone goose with him pretty soon if
he staid there, he begun to sing out like a loon for us to
come and take him. We asked him which side he would
row if we would take his log into the raft again. O,
says Bill, I'll row on either side or both sides if you
want me to, if you'll only come and help me before I
sink.

But, said the President, I hope you did n't help the

foolish rascal out till he got a pretty good soaking. He
got soaked enough before we got to him, says I, for he
was jest ready to sink for the last time, and our logs
come pesky near getting scattered, and if they had, we
should all gone to the bottom together. And now Gineral,
this is jest what I think: if you let South Carolina
cut the lashings you'll see such a log-rolling in this
country as you never see yet. The old Gineral started
up and marched across the floor like a boy. Says he,
Major Downing, she sha'nt cut the lashings while my
name is Andrew Jackson. Tell Sargent Joel to have
his company sleep on their arms every night. I told
him they should be ready at a moment's warning.

I wish you would jest give cousin Ephraim up to Augusta
a jog to know why he dont write to me and let me
know how the Legislater is getting along.