University of Virginia Library

LETTER XXXIV.

Dear Uncle Josh, — I've got here at last, to this
great city where they make offices, and I'm determined
not to leave it till I get one. It is n't sich a great city
after all as New York, though they do a great deal more
business here than they do at New York. I dont mean
vessel business and trade, for there's no end to that in
New York, but in making offices and sich like; and they
say its the most profitable business in the country. If a
man can get hold of a pretty good office, he can get
rich enough by it in three or four years, and not have to
work very hard neither. I tell you what, uncle, if I

make out to my mind here, I shall come back again one
of these days in a rather guess way than what I come
on. I dont have to foot it again I'll warrant you, and
guess poor cousin Sally wont have to set up all night to
mend my coat and darn my stockings. You'll see me
coming dressed up like a lawyer, with a fine carriage
and three or four hosses. And then them are chaps in
Portland that used to laugh at me so about being Governor,
may sneeze at me if they dare to, and if they
dont keep out of my way I'll ride right over 'em. I had
a pretty tuff time coming on here. Its a long tiresome
road through the Jarseys. I had to stop twice to get
my shoes tapt, and once to get an old lady to sow up a
rip in my coat while I chopped wood for her at the door
to pay for it. But I shant mind all the hard work I've
had of it, if I can make out to come home rich.

I got a pretty good boost in Boston, as I writ you in
my last, by the editors giving me recommendations. But
it was nothing at all hardly to what I got in New York,
for they gave me a public dinner there. I cant think
what's the matter that it hasn't been published yet. Major
Noah promised me he'd have it all put into the New
York Courier and Enquirer the very next day after I
left New York, so that it should get to Washington as
soon as I did; and now I've been here about a week
and it hasn't come yet. If it does'nt come soon, I shall
write an account of the dinner myself, and send it home
and get it put in the Portland Courier. It was a most
capital dinner, uncle; I dont know as I ever eat hartier
in my life, for being pretty short of money I had pinched
rather close a day or two, and to tell the truth I was
as hungry as a bear. We had toasts and speeches and a
great many good things. I dont mean sich toast as they
put butter on to eat, but toast to drink. — And they dont
exactly drink 'em neither; but they drink the punch
and speak the toasts.

I cant think Major Noah meant to deceive me about

publishing the proceedings of the dinner, for the appeared
to be a very clever man, though he was the funniest
chap that ever I see. There wasn't a man in New York
that befriended me more than he did; and he talked to
me very candidly, and advised me all about how to get
an office. In the first place, says he, Mr Downing, you
cant get any kind of an office at Washington, unless you
are a true blue genuine democratic republican. I told
him I had recommendations coming to prove that I was
all that. They are very strict, says he, in regard to that
at Washington. If James Madison should apply for an
office at Washington, says he, he couldn't get it. What,
says I, him that was President! for it kind of startled
me a little if such an old republican as he was couldn't
get an office. It's true, says he, if James Madison should
apply for an office he couldn't get it. — Why not, says I?
Because, says he, he has turned federalist. It's melancholy
to think, says he, how many good old republicans
at the south are turning federalists lately. He said he
was afraid there wasn't more than one true genuine old
democratic republican left in Virginny, and that was
old Mr Ritchie of the Richmond Enquirer; and even
he seemed to be a little wavering since Mr Calhoun and
some others had gone over.

Well there's Mr Clay, says I, of Kentucky, I dont
think he'll ever flinch from the republican cause. Henry
Clay, says he, turning up his nose, why he's been a
federalist this six years. No, no, Mr Downing, if you
think of going that gate, you may as well turn about and
go home again before you go any further. What gate,
says I? Why to join the Clay party, says he. I told
him I never had sich a thought in my life; I always belonged
to the republican party, and always meant to.
He looked rather good natured again when he heard
that; and says he, do you know what the true republican
doctrine is? I told him I had always had some
kind of an idea of it, but I didn't know as I could explain

it exactly. Well, says he, I'll tell you; it is to
support General Jackson for re-election, through thick
and thin. That is the only thing that will save the country
from ruin. And if general Jackson should be unwell
or any thing jest before election, so he could not
be a candidate, the true republican doctrine is to support
Mr Van Buren. I told him, very well, he might
depend upon my sticking to the republican party, all
weathers. Upon that he set down and wrote me a recommendation
to the President for an office, and it almost
made me blush to see what a master substantial
genuine republican he made me. I had a number more
capital recommendations at New York, but I havn't time
to tell you about 'em in this letter. Some were to Mr
Clay, and some to Mr Van Buren, and some to Mr Calhoun.
I took 'em all, for I thought it was kind of uncertain
whose hands I might fall into hereafter, and it
might be well enough to have two or three strings to
my bow.

I havn't called on the President yet, though I've been
here about a week. My clothes had got so shabby, I
thought I better hire out a few days and get slicked up
a little. Three of the offices that I come after are gone
slick enough, and the other one's been given away to
a Mr White, but he wouldn't take it; so I'm in hopes
I shall be able to get it. And if I dont get that, there's
some chance for me to get in to be Vice President, for
they had a great Jackson meeting here 'tother day, and
they kicked Mr Calhoun right out doors, and said they
wouldn't have him for Vice President no longer. Now
some say they think I shall get it, and some think Mr
Van Buren 'll get it.

Howsomever, I feel pretty safe, for Maj. Noah told
me if I couldn't get any thing else, the President could
easily make a foreign mission for me. I shall call on
the good old Gineral in two or three days and find out
what my luck is, and then I shall let you know. Give

my ove to ant and cousin Nabby, and all of 'em. It
makes me feel kind of bad when I think how fur I've
got from home.