Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1839-09-03


generally, and at once, that our rogue is
not an open protested robber, not pill
ferer, pickpocket, housebreaker, highway.
man, nor thief. By no means. He is a
decent member of society,-a good wor-
thy, church going man, and generally in
the--line, although not strictly conf.
ming himself to any particular pursuit.
The respectable rogue is usually mid
die aged man, of grave, staid demeanour;
calm, placid countenance; mild and pleas.
ant Of speech, and with very much the
look Of philosopher. His dress is gen.
orally composed of sober suit Of dark
colored cloth, narrow, very clean, neck
cloth is neatly and modestly wound round
his throat; his shoes are always well black
ed; and the responsibility of his appear
ance is completed by rather broad brim-
med hat, which, as every one must have
observed, gives sort substantial air to
the wearer, especially if he be pretty well
up in years.
The respectable rogue, as already hint
ed, is a great church-goer. His calm,
honest looking, candid countenance is to
is to be seen as regularly, in its wonted
place there, of Sunday, as the clergy
mans. Nav, on these occasions, his APP
pearance is absolutely patriarchal; for he
is seated in the midst of his family; all
well dressed, and most becomingly de-
mure. The father himselfis the very per-
somfcation of piety; his devout attention
to the sermon is truly edlfying to behold,
and-a word in your ear, good reader--it
is worth two hundred a year to him,f it be
worth a farthlng; for there are many sltters
in the church, warm men, with whom he
may deal, and has dealt, in various articles
and very much las he manages matters)
10 the benefit of his worldly interests.
He has, in fact, no objection to enter
into any sort ofspec, that promises to pay,
and it will be a very queer one that he will
not make pay, in some shape or other. He
will buy-no, that's not exactly the word,
as buying implies paying, and our friend
never pays: deal, then, is the more cor
rect expression; he will deal in any thing;
bricks, collins, treacle, hardware;any COM
modify. in short, which can by any pro-
cess be converted into money. He will
enter into any project, where it IS not an
imperative condition that there should be
tabiing Of cash previous 10 admission; and
even where it is, he often coHtrves to get
10 without advancing a copper. lie
squeezes himself, or rather glldes IN,
through chinks or openings, which, having
been unseen, are left unguarded-anG
once in all's right. Try who'll get him
out again, until he finds it conven ent to
retire! and when he does so, see if he goes
empty handed.
We come now to the most delicate and
most interesting point for consideration in
the conduct ofthe respectable rogue.
How does he manage. in his transac-
tons? What is his particular mode ard
manner of doing the natives? What are
the sort Of proceedings that have obtained
for him the fattering reputation he enjoys!
These are curious and interesting ques-
tions, but they are not easily answered;
or, rather, it is impossible to answer them
at least, in plain definite terms; for the
respectable rogue manages things SO
adroity, and with such cautious deXterity,
that nobody can ever charge him with any
distinct, palpable piece Of rascality. They
can only say of him, generally, thatshe is
dangerous customer, and that they had
need to have all their eyes about them who
deal with him. Further than this they
cannot 90; more than this they cannot say,
for the lives of them. Even those who
have come in contact with him, and lost
by him the latter being invariably the In
evitable consequence Of the former-can-
not tell how they have been done; they
only knew they have been losers. but how
it has come about, they never can exactly
tell. It is a mystery to them; for, durl"g
the whole transaction with our friend, he
was so grave, SO sedate, SO reasonable, SO
open ond candid, explained matters SO full
" and plausibly, met impatient and angry
demands with such quiet, pleasant smile,
and although there was evident loss to &C.
crue, and some things that looked little
odd or SO, yet there was nothing (whatever
they thought which they could venture to
call, or think of calling, positive knavery.
One point of management, however. on
the part of the respectable rogue we may
advert TO. 1t is one which is ofthe utmost
service to him in battling all attempts at
saddling him With any particular or spe-
ciol grounds of accusation. This is, the
rendering all transactions as complicated
as possible; giving them as many twists
and turns as they are capable OF, in order
to bewilder and mystify. If he can only
manage that, the rest is comparatively
easy; he can then accomplish little com
Portable Juggling with tolerable safety, and
finish by fobbing something neat. 1t IS
true. that he will sometimes come across
a sharp customer, who will not be thrown
out by his turnings and windings, but will
track him, nose him through them all, with
an unhagging diligence, and finally insist
in fair and square settlement OF ac-
counts. In such case, our friend has
nothing for IT but to come down with
the rhino, or to throw himself on the
shutting system, as practlsed OH the ex-
cessively civil principle, and try what they
will do for him, and ten Zone but it does
a good deal for him, in the end; partly by
exhausting the activity of the creditor,
bunting the edge of his urgency, and
partly by disarming him of his more saw
age purpose.
The respectable rogue has, as matter
of course, tried two or three bankruptcies
in the course of his life, and made out pref
tv well with them. On these trying occa'
sions his conduct was becoming decoTous
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