His visit to Major Noah, in New York, when he arrived
there.

Washington City, May 30, 1831.
To the Portland Courier, if it ever gets there, away down
east in the State of Maine, to be sent to Uncle Joshua
Downing, up in Downingville, with care and speed.

Dear Uncle Josh,—I've got here at last, to this
great city where they make offices, and I'm determined
not to leave it till I get one. It is n 't sich a great city
after all as New York, though they do a great deal more
business here than they do at New York. I dont mean
vessel business and trade, for there's no end to that in
New York, but in making offices and sich like; and
they say its the most profitable business in the country.
If a man can get hold of a pretty good office, he can

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get rich enough by it in three or four years, and not
have to work very hard neither. I tell you what, uncle,
if I make out to my mind here, I shall come back again
one of these days in a rather guess way than what I
come on. I dont have to foot it again I'll warrant you,
and guess poor cousin Sally wont have to set up all
night to mend my coat and darn my stockings. You 'll
see me coming dressed up like a lawyer, with a fine carriage
and three or four hosses. And then them are
chaps in Portland that used to laugh at me so about being
Governor, may sneeze at me if they dare to, and if
they dont keep out of my way I'll ride right over 'em.
I had a pretty tuff time coming on here. Its a long tiresome
road through the Jarseys. I had to stop twice
to get my shoes tapt, and once to get an old lady to sow
up a rip in my coat while I chopped wood for her at the
door to pay for it. But I shant mind all the hard work
I've had of it, if I can make out to come home rich.

I got a pretty good boost in Boston, as I writ you in
my last, by the editors giving me recommendations.—
But it was nothing at all hardly to what I got in New
York, for they gave me a public dinner there. I cant
think what's the matter that it hasn't been published
yet. Major Noah promised me he'd have it all put into
the New York Courier and Enquirer the very next day
after I left New York, so that it should get to Washington
as soon as I did; and now I've been here about
a week and it hasn't come yet. If it does'nt come soon,
I shall write an account of the dinner myself, and send
it home and get it put in the Portland Courier. It
was a most capital dinner, uncle; I dont know as I ever
eat heartier in my life, for being pretty short of money
I had pinched rather close a day or two, and to tell the
truth I was as hungry as a bear. We had toasts and
speeches and a great many good things. I dont mean
sich toast as they put butter on to eat, but toast to drink.
And they dont exactly drink 'em neither; but they
drink the punch and speak the toasts.

I cant think Major Noah meant to deceive me about

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publishing the proceedings of the dinner, for he appeared
to be a very clever man, though he was the funniest
chap that ever I see. There was n't a man in New
York that befriended me more than he did; and he
talked to me very candidly, and advised me all about
how to get an office. In the first place, says he, Mr.
Downing, you cant get any kind of an office at Washington,
unless you are a true blue ginuin democratic
republican. I told him I had recommendations coming
to prove that I was all that. They are very strict,
says he, in regard to that at Washington. If James
Madison should apply for an office at Washington, says
he, he could n't get it. What, says I, him that was
President! for it kind of startled me a little if such an
old republican as he was could n't get an office. It's
true, says he, if James Madison should apply for an office
he could n't get it.—Why not, says I? Because,
says he, he has turned federalist. It's melancholy to
think, says he, how many good old republicans at the
south are turning federalists lately. He said he was
afraid there was n't more than one true ginuin old
democratic republican left in Virginny, and that was
old Mr. Ritchie of the Richmond Enquirer; and even
he seemed to be a little wavering since Mr. Calhoun
and some others had gone over.

Well there's Mr. Clay, says I, of Kentucky, I dont
think he'll ever flinch from the republican cause. Henry
Clay, says he, turning up his nose, why he 's been a
federalist this six years. No, no, Mr. Downing, if you
think of going that gate, you may as well turn about and
go home again before you go any further. What gate,
says I? Why to join the clay party, says he. I told
him I never had sich a thought in my life; I always belonged
to the republican party, and always ment to.
He looked rather good natured again when he heard
that; and says he, do you know what the true republican
doctrine is? I told him I had always had some
kind of an idea of it, but I did n't know as I could explain
it exactly. Well, says he, I'll tell you; it is to

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support General Jackson for re-election, through thick
and thin. That is the only thing that will save the
country from ruin. And if General Jackson should be
unwell or any thing jest before election, so he could not
be a candidate, the true republican doctrine is to support
Mr. Van Buren. I told him, very well, he might
depend upon my sticking to the republican party, all
weathers. Upon that he set down and wrote me a recommendation
to the President for an office, and it almost
made me blush to see what a master substantial
ginuin republican he made me. I had a number more
capital recommendations at New York, but I hav n't
time to tell you about them in this letter. Some were
to Mr. Clay, and some to Mr. Van Buren, and some to
Mr. Calhoun. I took 'em all, for I thought it was kind
of uncertain whose hands I might fall into hereafter,
and it might be well enough to have two or three strings
to my bow.

I hav n't called on the President yet, though I've been
here about a week. My clothes had got so shabby, I
thought I better hire out a few days and get slicked up
a little. Three of the offices that I come after are gone
slick enough, and the other one's been given away to a
Mr. White, but he would n't take it; so I 'm in hopes I
shall be able to get it. And if I dont get that, there's
some chance for me to get in to be Vice President, for
they had a great Jackson meeting here 'tother day, and
they kicked Mr. Calhoun right out doors, and said they
would n't have him for Vice President no longer. Now
some say they think I shall get it, and some think Mr.
Van Buren 'll get it.

Howsomever, I feel pretty safe, for Maj. Noah told
me if I could n't get any thing else, the President could
easily make a foreign mission for me. I shall call on
the good old Gineral in two or three days and find out
what my luck is, and then I shall let you know. Give
my love to ant and cousin Nabby, and all of 'em. It
makes me feel kind of bad when I think how fur I've
got from home.

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