University of Virginia Library

10. LETTER X.
MR. DOWNING ADVISES UNCLE JOSHUA TO HOLD ON TO HIS BUSHEL OF
CORN, BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE HAD BEGUN TO “RIP UP THEIR
DUINS.”

--> This with care and speed.

Dear Uncle:—If you haven't 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 isn't gone
out of your crib yet, I advise you by all means to keep it
there.

Tell 'Squire N. the question isn't settled yet; and you
won't 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 choose 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 hadn't been duin constitutional.
This was yesterday, and it made a dreadful touse. They went
right to work rippin up and tarein 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
ha'sh about it, I s'pose some of the rest of the Sinneters begun
to be afraid they should be ripped up tu; so they cleared out, I
guess near about half on 'em, and haven't been seen nor heard
of to-day. Some of 'em that had more courage went in and
tried to du business; but there wasn't enough of 'em to start
an inch. They sent a man all round town in the forenoon and
afternoon to tell 'em to come in and go to work, but he
couldn'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 Counsellors 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 is'nt a constitutional Governor, Elder

Hall is; the Judges have nailed that fast. So I think Bill
Johnson will get off with a whole skin, for I shan't 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. Your loving neffu,