University of Virginia Library

APPENDIX.

Note by the Editor. The following paragraph from
Mr Walsh's National Gazette, published some two or
three months ago, comes in so pat upon the present occasion,
that we cannot refrain from copying it.

`It has been the fate of all successful authors, to have
counterfeits who deal with their originals as Hamlet
says that some players imitate nature. The Rabelais,
the Swifts, the Voltaires suffered in their day by the
productions of interlopers of the sort; — mere bunglers
attempted to personate them, and confounded the less
discriminating or critical part of the reading public.
Major Jack Downing has paid in like manner, the penalty
of genius and popularity; and he has complained
of the hardship and injustice, in a characteristic vein.
We humbly advise him to write over the whole story of
President Jackson's late expedition. It might confidently
be predicted that a full narrative from his pen, duly
authenticated, would obtain as much vogue in these
United States, as did Peter Plymley's Letters in Great
Britain.'

Major Downing's letters were commenced in the Portland
Courier, in January 1830, and have been continued

in that paper regularly up to the present time, Nov. 1833.
The real Major has never sent any letter to any other
paper. Though counterfeit or imitation letters occasionally
appeared in other papers, it was not till President
Jackson's tour to New England, that they were
published in any considerable numbers. At that time
the counterfeiters took a new start. Roused by the Major's
account of their `coming on full chisel,' and of his
shaking hands for the President at Philadelphia, every
body betook themselves to writing Jack Downing, till
their letters almost overshadowed the land. The great
mass of them were about as much like the original letters,
as a hawk is like a hand-saw. Most of them had
nothing to recommend them but extreme bad spelling,
without point, wit, or moral. Others, which were written
with some ability, were often deformed by low black-guardism,
indelicacy, or profanity, qualities which it is
believed are not to be found in the writings of the genuine
Major. A few of the best specimens of the imitations
are copied in the following pages. We cannot but
remark however, in passing, that it appears to us to be
an unjustifiable invasion of the Major's rights, for others
to assume his name. It is really as much a forgery in
point of honour and equity, as it would be for them to
affix to their letters the name of Andrew Jackson. If
they choose to attempt to write in the Major's style, they
are at liberty to do it, as they would be to attempt the
style of any other author; but we believe all honourable
men will say, they have no moral right to assume his name.

1. No. I.

[Note. — The following letter, we believe, was sent originally in
the New York Commercial Advertiser, though we are not sure but
it was a Baltimore paper. We regard it as the best picture, `drawd
off from nater,' that we have seen among the numerous imitations
of the true letters of the Downing family. One thing is certain
about it, whether the Major has an uncle in the western States or
not, this letter bears indubitable evidence of having been written by
a person eighty-three years old.]

To my Nefew John Downing: — I am got to be
amost eighty three Yere old, and I'm in my eighty third
Year now, and its so long since I have took any Pen in
my hand to write any thing nor a Letter to any Boddy
living for now going on a very long Time. And what
makes it particular bad for me is that my Fingers is got
stiff with Rhunratiz and cold, and is all Thums, as much
as tho they was froze in the Winter. — Your Aunt is sick
abed; she ketch'd cold some Time in Aperil, and I
don't know when she will ever git over it; she is in her
eighty second Year most as old as I be, we are both
very old and prety much done with this World, so to
speake. I did not ever expect to write any more Letters
to my Friends because I'm in my eighty third Year
and am too old most to write Letters. But you writ a
Letter to me from the Citty of Washington and it was
throw'd out of the Stage Wensday as it drove by. And
when I redd about your goin to take the President of
These United States to Downingvil then I said to your
Aunt my dear I must try and write an Answer to Jonny's
Letter.

I was jeest about as old as you be John when the
Great Washington died, 14 day of December, and was
with him and spoke with him seventeen year before,
when he left the Army and wisht I might live many
yeares, and what you writ to me makes me think a good
deal of that time. I shant forget it to my dyin day —
but I hope you wont have Ardint Sperrits in your Town
on the Occasion. I dont drink any more Flip nor Tody
sence 17 August A. D. 1831 and am better fort, and
hope Brother Joshua has stopped. Two of my Cows
was lost last year by Destemper and one of Mr Doolittles
who lives oposite, is a hard worken Man. Some
Destemper was here this yere but I follerd what was
said in the Temperance Almanick and they was cured
in time to git over it. I desire that my Brother Joshua
woud write a Letter to me to let me know whether he is
going to make out as well with his Ternips as he did 3
year ago, he wrote to your Aunt about it. I tryde that
Plan here, but it dont do in this Soil, it is to dry most of
it. Your Aunt tells me she dont think Brother Joshua
can be so strong of his Age as I be, seeing he hant writ
any of us since that Account of his Garding Sauce turnin
out so remarkable good that year.

It is thirty-two years ago next month since I was in
Downingville, how is Deacon Wiloby and his family and
his daughter Sooky was uncommon humersome, but
your aunt always used to say she thot Sooky was a little
too fond of seeing peeple perlite and that she was to
espirin for Downingvil when she was young and a comely
child. I thank you John for some newspapers you
sent to me last when so much was writ about the President
and the Vice President, one spell I was afeard that
the poor salvages in Georgia State was agoin to suffer
till the great Proclamation to the Nuliphiers as they are
called which you sent to me, but I hope they are not
now, they are a sufferin Peeple certin. If you do take
the President east I hope there is no boddy but what

will treat him respect. You know John I dont know
much about politix, but I know something of my bible,
and I hope I shall alwais read in it while I continue to
live, and it says in the 2nd Book of Samuel, about Absalom's
setting by the gate and shakin hands and kissin
every boddy that passed by, and whisperin in their ears
what he would do if he was king, and you know mor
about the Vice President, and I ask you if that man aint
adoin so too, and if it is not some boddys duty to speak
to the President about it. But my hand shakes some,
writin so much, and give my love and aunts to all our
relations and to the neighbours of yours that I used to
know. I am your loving Uncle,

2. No. II.
BANK REPORT.

To the Editor of the N. Y. Daily Advertiser.

Major Downing's Official Report on the United States Bank. Published
by `authority.'

Dear Sir, — I have jest got here after examinin the
Bank; and it was the toughest job, ever I had in my
life. The Gineral was so bent on my doing it, that I
had to `go ahead,' or I'd sneak'd out the first day. I
was nigh upon a week about it, figerin and siferin all
the while. Mr Biddle see quick enuf it was no fool's
journey I come on; and I made some of his folks scratch
their heads, I tell you. I gin 'em no notice of my comin,
and I jump'd right in the thickest on 'em there one
day, when they were tumblin in and shellin out the munny

like corn. `Now,' says I, `my boys, I advise all on
ye to brush up your multiplication tables, for I am down
upon you with aligation, and the rule of three, and vulgar
fractions; and if I find a penny out of place, the
Gineral shall know it. I'm no green horn, nor member
of Congress, nor Judge Clayton, nor Mr Cambreleng,
neither,' says I. As soon as Mr Biddle read the letter
the Gineral sent by me, says he, `Major, I'm glad the
Gineral has sent some one at last that knows something,
and can give a strait account;' and with that he called
all the Bank folks, and tell'd 'em to bring their books
together. `Now,' says he, `Major, which eend shall we
begin at first.' `It makes no odds which,' says I, `all
I care about is to see if both eends meet; and if they
don't, Mr Biddle,' says I, `i'ts all over with you and the
bank — you'll all go, hook and line,' — and then we off
coats and went at it. I found some of them are fellers
there plagy sharp at siferin. They'd do a sum by a
kinder short Dilworth quick as a flash. I always use a
slate — it comes kinder natural to me; and I chalk'd
her off there the first day and figur'd out nigh upon 100
pretty considerable tuf sums. There was more than
three cart load of books about us, and every one on 'em
bigger than the Deacon's family Bible. And sich an
etarnal batch of figerin I never see, and there wasn't a
blot or scratch in the whole on 'em.

I put a good many questions to Mr Biddle, for the
Gineral gin me a long string on 'em; and I thought
some would stagger him, but he answered them all jest
as glib as our boys in Downingville do the catakize,
from the chief `eend of man,' clean through the petitions
— and he did it all in a mighty civil way too, ther
was only one he kinder tried to git round, and that was
— how he come to have so few of the Gineral's folks
among the Directors until very lately? `Why,' says he,
`Major, and Major,' says he (and then he got up and
took a pinch of snuff and offered me one) says he, `Major,

the Bank knows no party; and in the first go off,
you know, the Gineral's friends were all above matters
of so little importance as Banks and Banking. If we
had put a branch in Downingville,' says he, `the Gineral
would not have had occasion to ask such a question,' and
with that he made me a bow; and I went home and took
dinner with him. It is plagy curious to hear him talk
about millions and thousands; and I got as glib too at
it as he is; and how on earth I shall git back agin to
ninepences and four-pence-happenies, I can't tell.

Arter I had been figerin away there nigh upon a week,
and used up four or five slate pencils, and spit my mouth
as dry as a cob, rubbin out the sums as fast as I did
them, I writ to the Gineral, and tell'd him it was no
use; I could find no mistake; but so long as the Bank
was at work, it was pretty much like counting a flock
of sheep in a fall day when they are jest let into a new
stubble, for it was all the while crossing and mixing, and
the only way was, to lock up all the Banks, and as fast
as you can count 'em black their noses.

`Now,' says I one day to Squire Biddle, `I'll jest take
a look at your money bags, for they tell the Gineral you
han't got stuff enuf in the Bank to make him a pair of
spectacles; none of your rags,' says I, `but the real
grit;' and with that he call'd two or three chaps in
Quaker coats, and they opened a large place about as
big as the `east room' and sich a sight I never see —
boxes, bags and kags, all full, and should say nigh upon
a hundred cord. Says I, `Squire Biddle, what on earth
is all this? for I am stumped.' `O,' says he, `Major,
that's our Safety Fund.' `How you talk!' says I.
`Now,' says I, `is that all genwine?' `Every dollar of
it,' says he. `Will you count it, Major?' says he. `Not
to-day,' says I; `but as the Gineral wants me to be particular,
I'll jest hussle some of 'em;' and at it I went,
hammer and file. It raly did me good, for I did not
think there was so much real chink in all creation. So

when I got tired, I set down on a pile, and took out my
wallet, and begun to count over some of the `safety
fund' notes I got shaved with on the grand tower. `Here,'
says I, `Squire Biddle, I have a small trifle I should like
to barter with you; it's all “safety fund,”' says I; `and
Mr Van Buren's head is on most all on 'em.' But as
soon as he put his eye on 'em, he shook his head. I see
he had his eye teeth cut. `Well,' says I, `it's no matter;'
but it lifted my dander considerable.

`Now,' says I, `Mr Biddle, I've got one more question
to put to you, and then I'm through. You say your
bills are better than the hard dollars; this puzzles me,
and the Gineral too. Now, how is this?' `Well,' says
he, `Major, I'll tell you: Suppose you had a bushel of
potatoes in Downingville, and you wanted to send them
to Washington, how much would it cost to get them
there?' `Well,' says I, `about two shillins lawful —
for I sent a barrel there to the Gineral, last fall, and
that cost me a dollar freight.' `Well,' says he, `suppose
I've got potatoes in Washington jest as good as
yours, and I take your potatoes in Downingville, and
give you an order to receive a bushel of potatoes in
Washington, wouldn't you save two shillins lawful by
that? We sometimes charge,' says he, `a trifle for
drafts, when the places are distant, but never as much as
it would cost to carry the dollars;' and with that we looked
into the accounts agin, and there it was. Says I,
`Squire Biddle, I see it now as clear as a whistle.'

When I got back to Washington, I found the Gineral off
to the `Rip Raps,' and so I arter him. One feller there
tell'd me I could'nt go to the Rip Raps — that the Gineral
was there to keep off business; but as soon as I told
him who I was, he ordered a boat and I paddled off.

The Gineral and I have talked over all the Bank
business; he says it is not best to publish my report, as
he wants it for the message; and it would only set them
Stock fish nibblin again in Wall Street. I made him

stare when I tell'd him about the dollars I saw there;
and once and awhile he would rinkle his face up like
a ball of ravilins; and when I tell'd him Biddle would
n't give me any of his `Safety Fund' for any of Mr Van
Buren's that I had with me, the Gineral took out his
wallet, and slung it more than five rods into the brakers.

We are now pretty busy, fitting and jointing the beams
and rafters of the message; and if Mr Van Buren dont
get back before we begin to shingle it, I guess that his
Safety Fund will stand but a poor chance.

The Gineral don't care much about having his head
for a sign board, but says he, `Major, when they put
my head on one eend of a Bank Bill, and Mr Van Buren's
on tother eend, and “promise to pay Andrew
Jackson,” and then blow up, it's too bad — I won't allow
it — it shant be.' The Gineral says, if he allows
Amos Kendle to make his report about the State Banks,
it is but fair to let me publish mine about Square Biddle's
Bank. So I am getting mine ready.

We have a fine cool time here, and ain't bothered
with Office seekers; we can see 'em in droves all along
shore, waitin for a chance. One fellow swam off last
night to get appointed to some office — the Gineral
thinks of making him minister to the King of the Sandwich
Islands, on account of their being all good swimmers
there.

3. No. III.
Giving some account of Peleg Bissel's Churn.

My Good Friend. — “The Government” will leave
here on Saturday, so you must tell all our friends to stop
sending any more letters here. We go strait to Washington,
to put things to rights there for winter.

I and the Gineral have got things now pretty considerable
snug; and it is raly curious to see how much more
easy and simple all the public affairs go on than they
did a spell ago, when Mr Adams was President. If it
warnt for Congress meetin we cou'd jest go about pretty
much where we pleased, and keep things strait too; and
I begin to think now with the Gineral, that ater all,
there is no great shakes in managin the affairs of the nation.
We have pretty much all on us ben joggin about
now since last grass; and things are jest as strait and
clear now as they was then. The Gineral has nigh upon
made up his mind, that there is no use to have any more
Congress. They only bother us — they wou'd do more
good to stay at home, and write letters to us tellin what
is goin on among 'em at home. It would save a considerable
sum of money too; and I'm also sartin that there
is a plagy raft of fellows on wages that dont earn nothin.
Howsoever, we are goin on makin things more simple
every day, and we once and a while nock off a pretty
considerable number of cogg wheels and trunnel
heads.

The Gineral says he likes things simple as a mouse
trap. But what I like most is, he wont have no one
about him who outranks me, so there is me, and Major
Barry, and Major Smith, and Major Earl, and Major

Donaldson, and Major Lewis, and Major Eaton; — and
the major part of a pretty considerable of a man to
do the printing, and tell the folks where we be, and
once and a while where the land sales and contracts
be too. There is enuff on us to do all that's wanted.
Every day jest ater breakfast, the Gineral lights his
pipe, and begins to think pretty hard, and I and Major
Donaldson begin to open letters for him; and there is
more than three bushels every day, and all the while
coming. We dont git through more than a bushel a
day; and never trouble long ones, unless they come
from Mr Van Buren, or Mr Kindle, or some other of
our great folks. Then we sort 'em out, jest as Zekel
Bigelow does the mackerel at his Packin Yard, for tho'
there are plagy many more sorts than he finds among
fish, we ony make three sorts, and keep three big baskets,
one marked `not red,' another `red, and worth
nothin,' and another `red, and to be answered.' And
then all the Gineral has to do is to say, `Major, I
reckon we best say so and so to that,' and I say `jest
so,' or not, as the notion takes me — and then we go
at it.

We keep all the Secretaries, and the Vice President,
and some District Attornys, and a good many more of
our folks, and Amos Kindle, moving about; and they
tell us jest how the cat jumps. And as I said afore, if
it warnt for Congress meetin once a year, we'd put the
Government in a one horse wagon and go jest where
we liked.

The Gineral was amazingly tickled t'other day. Peleg
Bissel — (you know Peleg, who is all the while whitlin,
and sawin, and makin clocks, and apple parers, and
churns, and lives nigh Seth Sprague's School house,
down to Downingville,) well, Peleg sent the Gineral a
new churn of his own invention; and he calls it the
`Jackson Churn,' he wants a patent for it. The cute
critur says, in his letter to the Gineral, that that are

churn is jest like his government — its ony got one
wheel, and a smasher; and that it will make more butter
than any other churn, and out of eny most any thing.
The Gineral is so well pleased with it, he will set and
turn it nearly all day. Says he, `Major, I like this ere
churn amazingly, that Bissel is a knowin fellow. If that
churn had been made by Congress, it would have more
than fifty wheels and springs, and make no more butter
ater all. Major,' says he, `tell Peleg I thank him; and
send him a patent.'

And so I did; and I telled him in the letter, that the
Gineral would keep his churn in the hall of the white
house, to let folks see that it did n't require as many cog
wheels to make butter as they think on, and then when
they come up chamber, in the Cabinet Room, and find
ony me and the President, they 'll understand it the better.
When the Gineral come to sign this letter, `well,'
says he, `Major, that's just what I was thinkin on.
We get every day an everlastin bach of letters from Mr
Van Buren and Amos Kindle, and they are so plagy
jagged, that we cant make 'em fit exactly with some
others, eny most as jagged, from the South and West,
and all from our folks too. One wants one thing, and
one wants t'other. Some of our folks down South say,
if the Bank is put down, we shall all be split up into
splinters there. And jest so, ony t'other way, they say,
we shant find in a week any of our folks north if the
Bank is rechartered, and some talk of the Nullifiers in
Georgia going for Mr Van Buren, and that we must look
out sharp, and not do nothin agin 'em. And some say
that are tower of Mr Webster away West, and his
speeches, bother some on 'em plagily. I was a little
stumped for a spell myself; and I tell'd the Gineral,
says I `Gineral, if you expect me to satisfy all these
folks, you're mistaken, we cant do it,' says I. `Well
then,' says he, `we must send for Mr Van Buren.' This
kinder nettled me, and says I, `Gineral, you ha'nt forgot

that are churn already' — `no, no,' says he, `we'll
stick to that Major.' `Well then,' says I, `do you think
that Mr Van Buren will use that are churn? he keeps
his bread buttered,' says I, `by more wheels than that
are churn's got.' `Well Major,” says the Gineral, `he
is a plagy curious critter, ater all — he'll make wheels
turn sometimes right agin one another, yet he gits along
— and when he lets his slice fall, or some one nocks it out
of his hand, it always somehow falls butter side up'—
`well,' says I, `Gineral, dont you know why?' `not exactly,'
says he, `Major' — `well,' says I, — `I'll tell you
— he butters both sides at once,' says I. The Gineral
drew his face all into a rumple for about a minute, and
then he snorted right out.

The Gineral talks of goin to the Hermitage next
spring — he says he thinks he has done enuf for the
country — and I think so too — he says I may go along
with him or stay and lend Mr Van Buren a hand — we'll
say something about this in the Message.

4. No. IV.
The Public Crib at Washington.

My good old Friend — Ever since we got `the Government'
back here from the Rip Raps, we have been
as busy as if we was all on us cocking hay jist afore a
shower.

I tell'd you some time ago that I and the Gineral was

fittin and jointin the beams and rafters of the message,
but almost every day some plaguy new motion comes in
from Mr Van Buren, and some other of our folks, and
we have to chizzle new mortises, and run new braces
and string pieces, so that I begin to think it will look
curious enuf when its done. The Gineral says he
dont care how it fronts, only he is determined to show a
sharp corner to the Nullifiers. We shall have a good
deal to say about the Grand Tower; there is nothin since
the 8th of January at New-Orleans tickles the Gineral
half so much. Every time we talk about it, the Gineral
gits right up, and says he, `Major, I ony wish I was fifty
years younger, and then,' says he, `give me the yankees
east of Horse Neck, and I'd like no better sport than to
have nullification all over the rest of creation.'

When things dont go right, and the Gineral gits a little
wrathy, if I ony tell him the yankees are ready to back
him, he is as firm as granite. It would make you crawl
all over to read that letter we writ to France, when we
come to hear that the King there kinder shuffled round
that bill we drawed on him. `He wont pay it, wont he?'
Says he — `Major, what do you think of that?'—`why,'
says I, `Gineral, I think its a nasty mean action — and a
rascally one too, says I.' `Well,' says he, `that's enuff,'
— and then we writ the letter, — its jest like Zekel Bigelow's
speech — it cuts, shaves, and makes the hair fly —
and if it dont bring the money, I'm mistaken.

If Mr Livingston had stayd one week longer in York,
the Gineral was for sending me right out.

The most curious part of `the Government' here, is
to manage the office seekers. You see, things aint now
as they was afore Mr Van Buren's time, then it was
kinder divided round among the Departments.

The Post Master Gineral appointed all the Post Masters
and their folks. The Secretary of the Treasury
appointed all the folks in the Custom Houses, and all
folks who collected money. These two had an ever

lastin batch of fellers to appint, and made them feel
pretty considerable big, and then the War Secretary had
a good slice in appinting the cadets, and Ingen Agents,
and all the contracts was kinder sifted round among the
Departments; and so by the time a new President was
to be made, some of these Secretaries was a leetle bigger
than the President himself. Now this is the way they
kinder jockied Mr Adams, who got to be the smallest
man at Washington, by lettin other folks plant his corn,
and do his huskin; and afore he knowd it, his own field
was all in weeds — and theirs well howed, rich and clean
as a whistle.

But things aint so now, we've got ony one crib, and
that's a whappin one too, and ony one door to it; and
when we shell out our corn, we take good care and
know well who gets it, and where he is going to plant it;
and that aint all — we make 'em agree about the Huskin
Frolic,[1] for that's the best ont arter all.

The longer I am in `the Government' the more I
larn. But I must allow that of all the inventions I've
hearn on of Mr Van Buren's, this is about the slickest.

There is ony one thing wantin, and that he is tryin
for pretty hard — and that is the Bank. If he can ony
get that in the crib too, Virginy fences would n't stop
our cattle.

Ony think what an everlastin raft of fellows we should
have — all the Presidents and Cashiers, and Clerks, and
Money Counters, about the crib, from Downingville to
New-Orleans! — and that aint the best ont; we would
have a branch alongside every post office to keep our
postages safe.

I should like this well enuf if I was sartin I and the
Gineral and Mr Van Buren was to be here all the while,
to keep a good look out on the crib door. But the

Gineral talks of going hum to put the Hermitage to
rights; and I am in the notion that Congress is a leetle
too strong for `the Government' when the Gineral aint
in it — and I shall go with him. I am eny most fag'd
out myself, and I begin to think with the Gineral, I have
done enuf for the country.

We are lookin for Amos Kindle now every hour. He
writ the Gineral tother day, and teld him my `Bank
Report' warn't true, and that I must have got a loan of
Squire Biddle. Now that's jist the way with some folks.
What they dont know they guess at; and it's jist so with
old Miss Crane, who keeps the tavern this side Downingville
— jist as sure as any one goes by without stopping,
the old critur says, `There goes so and so, and has
got no money, too, and he knows I would n't trust him.'

Howsumever, no one can make the Gineral rathy with
me. He knows I am the best friend about him; whenever
they gets things in any kind of a twist or a snarl,
says he, `Major, do you unravel that. I'm the big
wheel and you are the smasher,' says he; and then we
jist give Peleg Bissel's churn a turn or two and all is
right.

You don't print my letters right — you git some words
wrong and spell 'em bad. Jist so the printers sarved the
Gineral's letters too; and folks thought he didn't know
nothin, till we got to Cambridge, where they made a
doctor on him.

5. No. V.

The Congressmen are jest beginnin to arrive here,
and I suppose in a short time we shall have them here
as thick as huckleberries; and the Gineral is brushin
round now, and says the Message must be finished and
painted off hand, and we are all as busy as bees in gittin
it dove tailed together; and after next week, the Gineral
says, there cant be any more alterations. It is the first
message I ever had any hand in; and tho' I say it, I guess
you will say it is about as complete a thing as ever was
sent express any where.

I have been to work on it ever since we was at the Rip-Raps;
and tho' it has been sometimes all pulled to bits,
to git in some notions we did n't think on, yet it will look
pritty slick, I tell you when it 's done; and we will lay
on paint enuf to kiver up all the cracks and seams.

We shall give a pritty good lick at the Bank, and won't
leave as much on 't standing as would make a good sized
oven. It is curius now to see how easy it is to build
up, or nock all to bits, any thing on paper. Now jest
see about the Bank. There it stands in Chestnut street,
with its hundred cord of specie, and its cart load of books;
and its branches here and there, and all busy and full of
clarks, and directors, and folks in Europe, and all about
creation dealin with it; and the brokers in Wall street
all busy about it; and Biddle's bills goin about, and most
folks thinkin they are better than hard dollars; and all
the old men and women holdin the stock, supposin it will
go up agin as high as they paid for it; and I and the
Gineral, and Amos Kindle, and Mr Van Buren, talkin

over it; and one line in the Message nocks it all into kindlin
wood. For you see when `The Government' says
a thing must be jest so! there is no help for it. We can't
stand to chat about trifles. The Gineral has smashed
three pipes the last time we talked about it. `Biddle
and the Bank must be smashed,' says he, `Major;' —
and so smash they go, Congress or no Congress.

The next thing was the Ingins. Here the Gineral is
at home, and I don't pretend to say nothin for I never
did like an Ingin, and never can. The Cherokees give
us a good deal of trouble in Georgia last year; but the
Gineral took sides with Georgia, because he had a good
many friends there, and Mr Van Buren had too; for that
State was the ony one that nominated him Vice-President
a spell ago; and if he had got in there, and Mr Crawford
President, who was ailin all over with some plagy
appleplexy — I and the Gineral would never have been
hearn on arterwards. But no matter—The Gineral says
he didn't make that treaty with the Cherokees; and it
was made so long ago, he has enymost forgot it: and
treaties oughtent to last forever. But this treaty with
the Creeks in Alabama he did make, and he knows all
about it; and he means to stand by it, and turn all the
squatters off the land in Alabama, jest as they wanted
him to do in Georgia; but he would n't. There is trouble
enuf about it, I tell you; and you dont know nothing
about it in York. But the Gineral is tickled to death
about it; and as soon as he saw the Proclamation of the
Governor of Alabama, you never see a critur so spruced
up as the Gineral was. Major, says he, we shall have
another Nullification this Congress, arter all. You
need 'nt say much about it, says he, in the Message,—
we'll keep that for a Proclamation. Well, says I, Gineral,
you are a master hand at gettin into trouble. But,
says he, Major, aint I a master one in gittin out of one,
says he?

We've got an old trunk up chamber, full of troubles —

old Laws, and Treaties, and Contracts, and State
Claims; and whenever we want any powder, all we 've
got to do is to open that, and look among old papers and
get up a row in no time. The Gineral likes this a leetle
better than I do; for the most of the labor falls on me,
and the ony way I can git rid of it, is to make our folks
down stairs do it, if I see it gives any of 'em a boost with
his party — for I dont care nothin about any thing here
but the Gineral; and if I can git him threw this Congress,
its pretty much all I care about, and he too; for
ater that I'm goin with him to the Hermitage, for I expect
by that time there wont be much more left of us
than our beards and shoe strings.

6. No. VI.
Sir George Downing.
Some account of Sir George Downing of London, supposed
to be one of Major Downing's ancestors.

From the New York Daily Advertiser.

George Downing was born in London in 1624, and
accompanied his parents to this country when about
thirteen years of age. His father, Emanual Downing, a
great friend of New England, was brother-in-law to
John Winthrop, one of the principal founders and first
governor of Massachusetts. George received his education
at Harvard College. About 1646 he returned to
England, when he was soon brought into notice, being,
as Gov. Winthrop says, `a very able scholar, and of
ready wit and fluent utterance.' He was appointed
chaplain in the regiment of Col. John Okey, in the army
of Lord Fairfax, who had command of the Parliament
forces in the north. In 1653 he was commissary general,
and about the same time scout-master-general of
the English army in Scotland. In the same year he
was employed in negotiations with the Duke of Savoy.
He seems to have been fitted by nature for scenes of
political manœuvering; and his principles were of such
flexible character, that he could easily accommodate
them to any service which the times required.

In 1655 he visited the French king on public business,
and communicated his instructions in Latin. In 1657
he was appointed minister to Holland. In March,
1662, while in that country, in order to show his zeal
and love for his majesty, he procured the arrest of John
Okey, Miles Corbet, and John Barkstead, three of the
Judges who had condemned to death Charles I, and sent
them to England for trial. Okey had been the friend of
Downing, who served in his regiment as chaplain.
With the other two, he had co-operated in the cause of
the Parliament. His conduct, therefore, in this transaction
was justly reprobated.

He also spake of Cromwell as a traitor and rebel.
In 1663, he was created a baronet. He informed Pepys

that, when in Holland, `he had so good spys, that
he hath had the keys taken out of De Witt's (the Dutch
minister) pocket when he was abed, and his closet
opened and papers brought to him and left in his hands
for an hour, and carried back and laid in the place
again, and the keys put into his pocket. He says he
hath had their most private debates, that have been
between but two or three of them, brought to him, and
in an hour after that hath sent word thereof to the king.'
In 1671, he was again sent to Holland, but returning
before he had executed the business of his mission to the
satisfaction of the king, was imprisoned in the tower.
He was afterwards restored to royal favour. In the
difficulties which the New England colonies had with
Charles II, from 1669, Mr Downing was represented as
having been very friendly to Massachusetts. He died in
1624 at the age of 60.

Major Jack Downing, of Downingville, seems to have
inherited his distinguished ancestor's talents for war,
business, and diplomacy, and, like him, to possess ready
wit and fluent utterance, and to bask in the sunshine of
royal favour. Whether he resembles him in other respects,
time must disclose.