Uncle Joshua's account of the tussle at Downingville in
endeavouring to keep the Federalists from pruising
the president's anti-nullifying Proclamation.

Downingville, State of Maine, Dec. 27, 1832.
To Major Jack Downing, at Washington City, or if he is
gone to South Carolina I want President Jackson to send
this along to him.

My dear Neffu,— We had almost gin you up for
dead, you had been gone so long, before we got your
letter in the Portland Courier telling how you had been
away to Tennessee along with President Jackson.

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Your poor mother had pined away so that she had
nothing left, seemingly, but skin and bones, and your
cousin Nabby had cried her eyes half out of her head,
poor girl. But when the Portland Courier came bringing
that are letter of yourn, Downingville was in a
complete uproar all day. Sargent Joel had come home
from Madawaska and dismissed your company, and gone
to work in the woods chopping wood. But as soon as
he heard your letter had come, he dropped his ax, and I
dont think he's touched it since; and he put on his
regimentals and scoured up the old piece of a scythe
that he used to have for a sword, and stuck it into his
waistband, and strutted about as big as a major gineral
Your mother begun to pick up her crums immediately,
and has been growing fat ever since. And Nabby run
about from house to house like a crazy bed-bug, telling
'em Jack was alive and was agoing to build up Downingville
and make something of it yet.

We got your last letter and the President's Proclamation
both together, though I see your letter was written
two days first. That proclamation is a capital
thing. You know I've made politics my study for forty
years, and I must say it's the most ginuin republican
thing I ever come acrost. But what was most provoking
about it, was, all the old federalists in town
undertook to praise it tu. Squire Dudley, you know,
was always a federalist, and an Adams man tu. I met
him the next day after the Proclamation come, and he
was chock full of the matter. Says he, Mr. Downing,
that Proclamation is jest the thing. It's the true constitutional
doctrine. We all support the President in
this business through thick and thin.

My dander began to rise, and I could n't hold in any
longer. Says I squire Dudley shut up your clack, or
I'll knock your clam-shells together pretty quick' It's
got to be a pretty time of day indeed, if, after we've
worked so hard, to get President Jackson in, you Federalists
are going to undertake to praise his proclamation,
as much as though he was your own President.—

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You've a right to grumble and find fault with it as much
as you like; but dont let me hear you say another word
in favor of it, if you do I'll make daylight shine through
you. The old man hauled in his horns and marched
off looking shamed enough.

The next day we concluded to have a public meeting
to pass resolutions in favor of the Proclamation. I was
appointed chairman. The federal party all come flocking
round and wanted to come in and help praise the
President. We told 'em no; it was our President, and
our Proclamation, and they must keep their distance.
So we shut the doors and went on with our resolutions.
By and by the Federal party began to hurra for Jackson
outside the house. At that I told Sargent Joel and
your cousin Ephraim and two or three more of the
young democrats to go out and clear the coast of them
are fellers. And they went out and Sargent Joel drew
his piece of a scythe and went at 'em and the Federalists
run like a flock of sheep with a dog after 'em. So
we finished our resolutions without getting a drop of federalism
mixed with 'em, and sent 'em on to the President
by Sargent Joel. He got his company together
last week, and they filled their knapsacks with bread
and sasages and doe-nuts, and started for Washington
according to your orders.

I was glad to see that hint in your letter about a post
office here. We need one very much. And if the
President should think I ought to have it, being I've
always been such a good friend to him, why you know,
Jack, I'm always ready to serve my country.

p378-121

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