LETTER LVI.
In which Major Downing tells how Mr Clay put a stop to
that fuss in South Carolina, besides hushing up some
other quarrels.
Washington City, March 10, 1833.
To the editor of the Portland Courier, in the Mariners' Church
building, 2nd story, eastern end, Fore street, away down east, in
the State of Maine, to be sent to Cousin Ephraim Downing, up in
Downingville, cause I spose he 's gone home before this time from
Augusta.
Dear Cousin Ephraim, — I got your letter this morning.
It was a shame for them are Legislater folks to
skulk off without paying you for your apples. But they are
the worst folks about standing to their word that I know
of. They've promised me an office more than twenty
times, but some how or other, come to the case in hand,
their votes always went for somebody else. But I dont
care a fig for 'em as long as I've got the President on
my side, for his offices are as fat again as the Legislater
offices are. The President's offices will support a man
pretty well if he does n't do any thing at all. As soon
as Mr Clay's Tariff Bill passed, the President called
me into his room, and says he, Major Downing, the nullification
jig is up. There'll be no fun for you in South
Carolina now, and I guess you may as well let Sargent Joel
march the company back to Downingville, and wait till
somebody kicks up another bobbery some where and
then I'll send for 'em, for they are the likeliest company
I've seen since I went with my Tennesse rangers to
New Orleans. And as for you Major Downing, you
shall still hold your commission and be under half pay,
holding yourself in readiness to march at a moment's
warning and to fight whenever called for.
So you see, Cousin Ephraim, I am pretty well to live
in the world, without any of your land speculations or
apple selling down east. I cant seem to see how 'tis
they all make money so fast in that land business down
there that you tell about. How could all our folks and
Bill Johnson and all of 'em there in Downingville make a
thousand dollars apiece, jest a trading round among
themselves, when there aint fifty dollars in money, put
it all together, in the whole town. It rather puzzles me
a little. As soon as I see 'em all get their thousand dollars
cash in hand, I guess I'll give up my commission
and come home and buy some land tu.
But at present I think I rather have a bird in the hand
than one in the bush. Our Congress folks here cleared
out about the same time that your Legislater folks did,
and I and the President have been rather lonesome a few
days. The old gentleman says I must n't leave him on
any account; but I guess I shall start Joel and the company
off for Downingville in a day or two. They 've got
their clothes pretty much mended up, and they look
quite tidy. I should'nt feel ashamed to see 'em marched
through any city in the United States.
It is n't likely I shall have any thing to do under my
commission very soon. For some say there 'll be no
more fighting in the country while Mr Clay lives, if it
should be a thousand years. He's got a master knack
of pacifying folks and hushing up quarrels as you ever
see. He's stopt all that fuss in South Carolina, that you
know was jest ready to blow the whole country sky high.
He stept up to 'em in Congress and told 'em what sort
of a Bill to pass, and they passed it without hardly any
jaw about it. And South Carolina has hauled in her
horns, and they say she'll be as calm as a clock now.
And that is n't the only quarrel Mr Clay has stopt. Two
of the Senators, Mr Webster and Mr Poindexter, got as
mad as March hairs at each other. They called each
other some pesky hard names, and looked cross enough
for a week to bite a board nail off. Well, after Mr
Clay got through with South Carolina, he took them in
hand. He jest talked to 'em about five minutes, and
they got up and went and shook hands with each other,
and looked as loving as two brothers.
Then Mr Holmes got up and went to Mr Clay, and
almost with tears in his eyes asked him if he would n't
be so kind as to settle a little difficulty there was between
him and his constituents, so they might elect him to
come to Congress again. And I believe some of the
other Senators asked for the same favor.
So as there is likely to be peace now all round the
house for some time to come, I'm in a kind of a quandary
what course to steer this summer. The President
talks of taking a journey down east this summer, and he
wants me to go with him, because I'm acquainted there,
and can show him all about it. He has a great desire
to go as fur as Downingville, and get acquainted with
Uncle Joshua, who has always stuck by him in all
weathers through thick and thin. The President thinks
uncle Joshua is one of the republican pillars of New-England,
and says he shall always have the post office
as long as he lives, and his children after him.
I rather guess on the whole I shall come on that way
this summer with the President. But wherever I go, I
shall remain your loving cousin,
