Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1867-03-29
From the Rome Courier.
BILL ARP ON THE SITUATION.
ROME, BIC sHANrY, TER'y, No. 3,
March 9Th, 1867.

Ah'. Editor My intention was to have
remained in dignifed obscurity the small rem
nant of my miserable days, but my friends
Bob Hide, Sam McCrackin, Tip and other
respectable gentlemen Of all sexes and both
colors, seem to be disheveled about the times,
and insist ON my views about the momentous
state Of our sufferin country. The good peo-
pie in Atlanta have got shaty in the knees,
and its the duty Of every good citizen to keep
the disease from spreadinif he can. I haven't
been to Washington, nor been playing senti-
mel on a watch tower, but my observation
conyinces me there is power Of fuss on hand
about something Politics look squally and
alarnin. Bill Sherman oyerrun the country
and destroyed and carried away our property,
and now his brother John is fnishin up the
job by Robin us Of the rights and liberties
OH 3HIr # refathers won. General Thomas Is
harmless boys in the barracks for tableauin
with the old rebel flag -accusin us Of all the
crimes in the decalogue: such as murder,
larceny, rape, arson, burglary, bigamy, per-
Jury and suicide, THROWN up in our teeth the
magnanimity Of our conquerors, as beln our
salty valve from death and Beelzebub. Good
gracious What an awful people we are. -
And now comes Joseph, the sentinel, with
his long winded message Of consolation, tell
in us how we may flee from the wrath to
come -skeerin the people to death, and get
tin everything in a stew. What made him
in such hurry? why didn't he keep silence
for few days until the veto was signed, and
the bill was passed 4? Why didn't he give
Mr.. jenkins a chance? IF the, times was SO
perilous, why dident he go and see Mr.. Jen-
kins and give him his opinion in private and
save all this excitement? Mr.. jenkins is the
Governor; be is the sentinel on the watch
tower; he's the pilot Of the old ship; he's
the peoples choice. He can call the
Legislature when necessary, IF he is in
doubt about it, he can consult with Lump
kin and Cobb, and Hill and Cooper,
and Hardeman and Gibson, and Broun,
and decide what ought to be done, and
the people will be satisfied. But while
the ship is in. storm let all the deck hands
keep silence. The word will come from the
Captain soon enough May be that Joseph
feels sorter responsible for the fix he's got US
| in. May be he's repentin for the didos he
cut up, and the seeds Of discord he sowed
during the war but doubt it. | don't think
his ambition or his vanity sees anything but
his own Importance. It looks like he thought
the Capitol was moved to Atlanta, and he was
Governor still. He's afraid the people will
think he's dead, and just as soon as big
thing happens, and little before, be clutch
es the occasion -seizes the opportunity, de-
livers his message, stirs up the people, sets
the Gate City in a ferment, gets his name 10
the Herald and Tribune. Joe Brown, a
whale, big leader, conspicuous, fame, histo-
nv, Mr.. jenkins nowhere, Milledgeville gone
up, Joseph E. runnin the machine, in Attain
ia.
Well, [ don't know what is at the bottom
of all this, but | am afraid that while Joseph
was in Washington somebody carried him in
to q high mountain, and showed him King
dom ortwo, and he fell down and worshipped
These little kingdoms that a man sometimes
sees from the top Of mountain are mighty
demoralizing
But | notice that all this fuss which 10
seph has kicked up is confined to the towns
and cities, where heap Of folks live, who
haven't got much Of. anything to do. The
farmers don't know much about it and care
LESS; the whole concern is God-send tc
|some folks. / know an old WORKOUT politi-
clan, who has been poking around for SIX
months, trying to revive the Democratic par
fty for Twin, and he's in his element. Par
I, tbs are formin, and the old hack is in his glo-
try. He's sorter like the New Era as yet
he wont take a side, he wont join issue, he
wont commit himself, he's keepin an open
rear as the Era says 4 wish that paper would
takenn astringent). But my friends, we've
/ got got nothing to be ashamed Of. Since the
war bur pursuits have been peaceful and
honorable. We Incident humiliate ourselve;
through fear Of what humankind can do to US
I If the Radicals intend to confscate us, they
will 40 it, and no acceptance Of Sherman'S
bill will prevent it. If they want our cab