The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-04-10
Bill Arp on the Situation.
ROME, Bic SHANTY TERRITORY, !
No. 3. March 9Th. '67. (

Dlll mp Uu IAO biuu1UloA'
ROME, Bic SHANTY TERRITORY,
No. 3, March 9Th, 81.
Mr.. Editor: Ny intention was to hav,
remained in lienifed obscurity the small
remnant of my miserable days, but m.
friends Bob Hide, Sam McCrackin. Tip ant
other respectable gentlemen Of all sexe'
and both colors, seem to be dissovelei
about the times, and insist on my view!
about the momentous state of our suHeril
country. The good people in Atlanta hav'
got shaky in the knees, and its the duty 0
every good citizen to keep the disease from
spredin if he can. I haven't been II
Washington, nor been playin sentinel on I
watch tower, but my observation convince'
me there is q power of fuss on hand aboul
something. Politics looks squally art
alarmin. Bill Sherman overrun the coun
try and destroyed and carried away. ou'
property, and now his brother John is fin
ishin up the Job by Robin us of the rights
and liberties our forefatilers won. Genera
Thomas is playin Vantoum with bis 81 or
lers- putin harmless boys in the barracks
for tableauin with an old rebel flag -accu
sin us of all the crimes in the decaloeue
such as murder, larceny, rape, arson, bur
slary, bigamy, perjury and suicide, THROWN
up in our teeth the magnaaimity of on
coaguerors, as bein our safety valve froat
death and Beelzebub. Good gracious
what an awful people we are. And nov
comes Joseph, The sentinel, with his long
winded message of consolation, telling uS
how we may flee from the wrath to come
skeeriDg the people to death, and gettin
everything in astew. What made him il
such a hurry? why di1ent he keep silence
for q few days until the veto was signed
and the bill was passed? Why dident he
give Mr. jenkins clancoY It the times
were SO perilous, why dident be go and see
Mr.. Jenkins, and give him his opinion in
private and save all this excitement? Mr.
Jenkins is the Governor he 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 it's necessary
If he is in doubt about it, he can consult
with Lumpkin, and Cobb, and Hill, and
Cooper, and Hardemah, and, Gibson, anil
Bro,cn, and decide what ought to be done,
and the people will be satisfied. But while
the ship is in the 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
discorl he sowed durin the war; but |
doubt it. | don't think his ambition or his
vanity sees anything but his own impor-
lance. It looks like he thought the Capt.
tai was moved to Atlanta and he was Gov
ernor still He's afraid the people will
think he's dead, and just as soon as big
thing happens, and a little before, he
clutches the occasion seizes the opportu-
nity-delivers his message, stirs up The peo-
pie, sets the Gate City in a firmament, gets
bis name in the Herald and the Tribune:
Joe Brown, q while, big leader, cohspicd-
Gus, fame, history, Mr.. jenkins nowhere,
Milledgeville gone up, Joseph E. running
the machine IN Athnta!!
Well, l don't know what is at. the bot
tom of all this, but ] ain afraid that while
Joseph vas in Washington somebody car
ried him up unto high mountain, and
showed him kingdom or two, and he fell
down and worshipped. These little king
doms that man sometimes sees from the
top of q mountain are mighty denoralizpg.
But | notice that ali this fuss which Jo-
seph has kicked up is confned to the towns
and cities, where heap Of folks live, who
haven't got much of any thing to do. The
farmers don't know much about it and care
less--the Whole concern is a god-send tt
some folks, | Know an old worn out poll
ticiap who las heen polfsing around for six
months trying 10 revive the Democratic
party for Twin, s.!sl non he's in his elp-
ment. Parties are fomil, and the old
hack is in his glory. He's sorter like the
New Era as yct--he wont take a side, he
wont join issue, he wont commit himself,
he's keepin an open sets', as The Era says.
4 wish that paper would take an astrin-
CENT? But, my friends, we've got nothing
to be ashamed of. Since the war our pur-
suits have been peaceful and honorable.
We incident humiliate ourselves through
fear of what humankind can do to lis. If
the Radicals intend to confscate us, they
will do it, and no acceptance of Sherman 5
bill will prevent it. II they want our cab
bages they are goin to have EN-. If they
will ride over one law, they wilt overA noth-
er. II they disregard Mr.. Johnson's great
arguments, THEY'LL disregard anything. |
don't know how it is generally, but there
amt an unpartloned rebel in this country,
and if they confiscate they have got to de-
clare the pardons void. Nobody knows
what they Won't do, or when they will quit
doing it, and MY advice is to suffer and be
strong, endure everything and accept moth
ing. All is lost save honor, hold up your
manhood. don't lick the hand that IS raised
to STRIFE Che blow Joe Browns banner
says "sf ls lost save honor, and that is on
ly tolerable thank you, it grows puny and
weak " He says we can have representa-
ton in Congress. Who by? A man who
can take the test-oath and control the Mig
ger vote. Who wants such representa-
tion9 How long before he would line the
the Radicals and 60 in for confscation. If
he controlled the niger vote he'd promise
'em land or anything else. Demagoeues
have always controlled the ignorant whites:
demagogues will control the ignorant blacks.
Who controls the negro influence in Zen
nessee why Bro@iiloH and his party.
Tpi,nessee has done just what Joe Brown
wants us to do, and now look at her and
weep?--a niger candidate running for
Governor
But suppose we had representation, and
had elected all good men, fair men, lust
men, what could they do for us2 just
nothing at all. With the present Radical
majority all our votes wouldn't undo any,
thing that has been done, and with Radi-
cal President they could do as much more
as they please. Just let 'em all alone, give
'em rope, more rope history is repeating
itself, the crisis will come some time ty-
ranny and oppression must run its course.
Joe Browns programme won't stop it.
One OF his resolutions made my head swim.
| felt like taking chlorof0m. He would
make the whole Yankee nation believe We
loved 'em like brothers, and wanted 'en 10
NH