* * * * *
"A. LINKIN'S PROCLAMASHIN CONCERNING MAJER JACK DOWNING'S BOOK.
"WASHINGTON, July 15, 1864.
"Whereas, my friend, Majer Jack Downing, of the Downingville
Milisha, has issued a Book of Letters, containing his views on
Public Affairs, the War, &c., &c.
"Now, therefore, I do hereby issue this my Proclamashin, enjoyning
upon every loyal as well as disloyal citisen, includin Loyal
Leegers, Abolishinists, Republikans, War Dimmocrats, Copperheads,
Clay Banks, Charcoals, &c., to buy this book and to read the same,
under penalty of the confiscation of all their property, including
niggers of every decripshin. Furthermore, all officers under me,
whether civil, military, or otherwise, are hereby ordered, under
penalty of court marshal, to purchase the sed book and read it.
This order applies to all Postmasters and their clerks (who are
also ordered to assist in the sale of the book), to all
Custom-House officials, to all Provo-Marshalls, to all Tax
Collectors, Assessors, Recruteing officers, Runners, Brokers,
Bounty Jumpers, and espeshally to all Government Swindlers,
Contractors, Defaulters, &c., to all Furrin Ambassadors, Ministers
Penetentiaries, and their Secretaries of Litigation, also to
Ministers of the Gospil, Tract Distributers, Nigger Missionaries,
male and female, &c., &c. Furthermore, Ginnerals Grant, Sherman,
and all other Ginnerals, includin Ginneral Banks, will see to it
that the Majer's letters are widely circulated in their armies, as
the menny good stories of mine, as well as the Majer's, in the
book, will keep the sojers in good sperits.
"Furthermore, if eny disloyal edditer shall presume to say enything
against this book, or advise eny person not to sell or circulate
the same, or aid and abet them in so doing, he shall at once be
arrested and his paper stopped.
"Further, if eny person, in order to avoid the penalties mentioned
above, shall borrow said book, he shall, if it be proved, be fined
$1000 in gold. If there be no proof, he shall be sent to Fort La
Fayette.
"Finally, every person purchasing a copy of the Majer's Letters
shall be exempt from the draft. All others are at once to be seized
and sent to the front.
"Done in this my city of Washington, in the fourth year of my
reign.
"A. LINKIN."