Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-09-20
Great Exci.enent.--The Mystery ex-
planned.

As a faithful chronicler Of passing events,
i: becomes our duty to record one Of the most
startling occurrences, that has happened in
in this section of country, within the memory
of the Oldest inhabitant. To some degree,
the good people of Baton Rouge were pre-
pared for the awful catastrophe, and yet 1t
fell upon that hitherto rema rkably quiet little
town, like the shock of the desolating earth
quake.
Happening in the city in the early part OF
the week, we noticed on the street corners
and in the market places, indeed wherever
humanity WAS accustomed to consregate,
crowds of people apparently intent upon So
wing some mysterious problem. From their
anxious countenances. white lips and chat
teaing teeth, it soon became evident that
some dreadful calamity close at hand was
anticipated. What could it be? We thought
Of the destruction 0; the cities OF the plain"
Pompei and Heyculaneun1, and ianc,ed a simi-
lar fate Impending over our devoted Cap't'l'
To all our enquiries as to the cause OF so re-
HNarhaDie d CoIIl!ilotIou, cEosi'e ""o
factory answers We're returned. No one
seemed better informed than ourselves 1t
IS true, it was whispered about, that on Tues
day night, at precisely s O'Clock, the Mis-
sissippi was to be turned backward in its
course, a total eclipse was to obscure the
moon, and the Sun was to stand still: at the
command OF, a second Joshua. though this
latter wonderful phenomenon would be III
visible to the inhabitants Of this hemisphere.
Improbable as these predictions or rather as
s%ertions We're, they impressed the whole com
munity with a presentiment Of coming evil,
and Tuesday night was looked forward to
with mingled feelings Of curiosity and dread.
The fated hour arrived, and following the
crowd which we supposed was seeking a
place of safety, we soon found ourselves IN
front Of the Court House, where the hither-
to insolubie mystery found a solution. We
was to be performed than ever old Joshua
dreamed ol-his Exceliency, the Governor of
Louisiana, was to coEvice the Intelligent peo-
ple of Baton Rouge, that he was worthy OF a
position higher thSa that from which he had
been lately raised by the pemocracy-chIet
of the cockpit. He started out with the as
sumption OF a quality that no one to our
knowledge ever had charged him with pos
sessing, a profound love Of the truth: He had
been taught in his early childhood to tell the
truth so help him God-he adadhcred to the
truth in his manhood, SO help him God, and
he intended to stick TO The truth in his old
age: SO help him God. His sole q object, in
appearing before the people of Baton Rouge:
after &c had, on receiving the oath Of Office,
resolved not to take an active part in parti-
san politics while occupying the Cubernatori-
al chair, was to prove that he lad been SIAN
dered or misrepresented by a X. n. orator,
who took occasion to pronounce a high
culogiun upon his Exceliency, a short time
since-this SANDER he proved most conclusive.
". The charge Of being al ardent lover OF
the Union Of these States, by which all the
greatl ess and glory Of the Republic have
been achieved was ~sigually refuted. After
devoting one minute less thirty seconds, to
the important subject which brought him out,
the Governors old stereotyped hour and a
halt speech, on the Catholic test question was
inflicted upon the audience who remained out
of respec: to the office the speaker had dis
honored. Had Mr.. Wicklitie, if he thought
he had been misrepTesented. been satisfied to
place himself in a proper light before the
public, we should have passed him unnoticed
but when he prostitutes the high position he
occupies to mere partisan purposes. when he
degrades hiIhSelf so much as to wallow in the
dirtiest pool of political corruption, not even
the sacredness of his office shall protect him
from merited rebuke. But the story is not
all told. On the following night-Wednes-
day, not the Governor Of Louisiana, but "Bob'
Wicklife ventu,ed upon a speech that ,ehec-
ted neither honor nor credit upon him.
After the discussion between Majors Her
ron and Dunn had concluded, the former hav-
ing the closing argument, a loud and c%ontin-
ued call was made for Major Dunn. 1t wa
with difficulty that Mr.. Elan, one OF the Pres
idents, could convince the crowd that accor-
digs to agreement, Major Dunn could not re-
ply. However at last he succeeded and then
there was heard a joint call for Wicklife, to
which he responded, in substance, if not yer.
batim, as follows:
"EeHow Citizens: l have no voice to night
and if | had would not speak. This is a
discussion between my friends, Majors Her.
ron and Dunn, and allow me 10 say, that Ma
jor Dunn Is done for.o
Such a speech, from such a source, ought
To haze been renlied 70 With a Storrn of L;s.