Mr. Downing's ingenious scheme to get an office.

Portland, Dec. 13, 1830.

Dear Uncle Joshua:—I am tired of hard work,
and I mean to have an office some how or other yet.
Its true I and all our family got rather dished in the
governor business; if I'd only got in, they should every
soul of 'em had an office, down to the forty-ninth cousin.
But its no use to cry for spilt milk. I've got another
plan in my head; I find the United States offices are
the things to make money in, and if I can get hold of
a good fat one, you may appoint a day of thanksgiving
up there in Downingville, and throw by your work
every one of you as long as you live.

I want you to set me up for member of Congress up
there, and get me elected as soon as you can, for if I
can get on to Washington I believe I can work it so as
to get an office somehow or other.—I want you to be
particular to put me up as a Tariff man. I was agoing
to take sides against the tariff so as to please Gineral
Jackson and all his party, for they deal out the offices
now a days, and you know they've been mad enough

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with the tariff to eat it up. But the Portland Advertiser
has been blowin away lately and praising up the
tariff and telling what a fine thing tis, and fact, it has
brought the old gineral round. His great long message
to Congress has just got along here, and the old gentleman
says the tariff wants a little mendin, but on the
whole it's a cute good thing, and we must n't give it up.