University of Virginia Library

LETTER VIII.

Mr. Downing advises his uncle Joshua to hold on to his
bushel of corn as the legislature had undertaken “to
rip up their duins.”

Postscript to uncle Joshua.

THIS WITH CARE AND SPEED.

Dear Uncle,—If you have'nt paid over that are
bushel of corn yet, that you lost when you bet Mr. Ruggles
would be Speaker, hold on to it for your life, till

you hear from me agin, for I aint so clear but you may
save it yet. They've gone to rippin up their duins here,
and there's no knowing but they may go clear back to
the beginning and have another tug about Speaker. At
any rate, if your bushel of corn is'nt gone out of your
crib yet, I advise you by all means to keep it there.

Tell 'squire N. the question is'nt settled yet; and
you wont shell out a single kernel till it is fairly nailed
and clinched, so it can't be ript up agin. I'll tell you
what 'tis, uncle Josh, the Supreme Court beats the Jacksonites
and Huntonites all hollow for trigging the wheels.
You know after they had such a tussle for about a week
to chose Elder Hall President of the Sinnet, and after
he come in at last all hollow, for they said he had a
majority of eight out of sixteen, they went on then two
or three weeks nicely, duin business tie and tie, hard
as they could. Then up steps the Judges of the Supreme
Court and tells Mr. Hall he was governor, and
ought to go into the Council Chamber. They seemed
to be a little bit thunder struck at first. But they soon
come to agin, and Elder Hall got out of the chair and
Mr. Kingsbury got into it, and they jogged along another
week, duin business as hard as ever. They said
all the chairs round the table ought to be filled, so they
changed works with the House and made four more
Sinneters. So having four good fresh hands come in,
they took hold in good earnest and turned off more
business in two days, than they had done in a month
before.

Then up steps the Supreme Court agin and tells 'em
their cake is all dough; for they had n't been duin constitutional.
This was yesterday; and it made a dreadful
touse. They went right to work rippin up and tarrin
away what they'd been duin; and before nine o'clock
in the evening they turned out the four new Sinneters,
out of their chairs and appointed a committee to begin
to make four more. They took hold so hash about it, I
spose some the rest of the Sinneters begun to be afraid
they should be ript up tu; so they clear'd out, I guess

near about half on 'em, and have n't been seen nor heard
of to day. Some of 'em that had more courage went
in and tried to do business; but there was n't enough of
'em to start an inch. They sent a man all around town
in the forenoon and afternoon to tell 'm to come in and
go to work, but he could n't find hide nor hair of one of
'em. Elder Hall said he guessed they must be somewhere
in a convention.

Some say they'll rip up the new Councillors next, and
then the Governor, cause the new Sinneters helpt make
em all. But there's one comfort left for us, let the cat
jump which way 'twill; if Mr. Hunton isn't a constitutional
Governor, Elder Hall is; the Judges have nailed
that fast. So think Bill Johnson will get off with a
whole skin, for I shant dare to flog him this year. If
they go clear back to the Speaker, and decide it in favor
of your bushel of corn, I shall let you know as soon as
possible.