JACK DOWNING IMPLICATED.

I cannot better describe to you, the beginning and conduct of a great default, than by reading a detected letter, from a notable correspondent of General Jackson’s, who, from his great personal intimacy, could not have failed to know the truth.

JACK’S LETTER TO ——

Perhaps, as this letter somewhat implicates, the redoubtable major in an infidelity to the bank, and the government, should it ever come to his notice, he may insist that it is “Kounterfit;” but as it was by mistake, inclosed in a package, and directed to a friend, by the first recipient, when he was leaving in haste, I have no doubt of its genuineness. And as the major’s fortunes are known to have risen nearly in inverse proportion to the fall of the bank, and Apalachi lands, even his friends will find it difficult to disbelieve it. Never having had an opportunity to return this letter, I make it public now, that justice may be rendered to all the parties.

Washington, 1835.

To squire S——
in New-York.

Dear Sir. Your letter to the ginral, was received in Washington, as quick as the mail could fetch it. As soon as it got to the P. O. here, Amos Kindle came right over to the white house with it, and says he—“Ginral, here’s a letter from York, and I raither guess—there’s some news in it.” As soon as the ginral took the letter in his hand, he knowed by the outside, that it was from you. The ginral is plaguey cunnin, and he knowed as quick as a weazle’s scent, that Amos wanted to find out what was in it. So, says he to me, major, says he, these ere friends of Mr. Van Buren in York, pester me amazinly. And then he laid the letter down on the table, and lit his pipe, and went to talkin politics. And it warnt long afore he drove Amos away, by tellin a story about a man, who turned traitor to his patron. The ginral all the time meant Mc Lane and him, but he told the story so cutely, that it suited Kindle and Clay, just as well. As soon as Amos was gone, says the ginral to me, says he, “Major”—now we’ll read this ere letter from Swartwout. That Kindle, “says he,” wanted mightily to know what was in it, but though he’s sharp as a needle, it wont do to trust him with secrets, unless he has a hand in making on em; and then we read your letter all over, backwards, and forwards, side ways, and cross ways. And when we got through, says the ginral to me, says he, “Major, this ere letter is amazin puzlin.”

GENERAL JACKSON “RILED.”

He was considerable riled; and says he, major, this looks mighty like your game of hocus pocus, that you larnt me to play with the cups and balls. What does Swartwout mean by being flunked? Why says I, that’s a Wall-street word, and means that he has been outwitted, in tryin to make up the money he was behind. And the ginral riz right up, and says he, major, I knowed Swartwout in New Orleans, in Burr’s time, and I know he’d stand a shot with every one of them fellows in Wall-street, as quick as he’d wink, if they tried to play hocus pocus with him, so dont tell me any more of your stories, major, and as you know, says he, that to-morrow morning I’m off to the rip raps, you must send Swartwout an answer, but remember, for by the Eternal,[4] and then he ketched off his specks with one hand, and he smashed the other hand down on to the table so, he broke his pipe in ten thousand shivers, and his eyes looked like coals of fire, and I looked round to see if the door was open, and just then Woodbury came in, and the ginral, was quiet as a lamb in a minit. But I warnt in sorts to talk about the treasury then, so I went to bed, and the ginral he was off afore day-light this mornin.

HIS PASSION—AND OPINIONS.

The ginral always said you did right in payin for printin things agin Biddle and the bank—because says he—as you say major, what is sass for goose, is sass for gander, and the only discounts, I’ve lately heard tell on by the bank, is to pay for printin things agin us. When he was in York, he was a good deal consarned to know that you had been obliged to take money, that ought to gone into the treasury. And I raly believe, if it had’nt been for that, he never would have moved the deposites, without Congress to back him. But when I tell’d him that you could make it all up, and three times over by speckilation on the money, he was as chipper as a bird, and says he, major, seein as the deposites are moved, we can play them double game.

JACK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MISCHIEF.