The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-03-30
From the Rome Ga. Courier.
RECONSTRUCTION.
Opinions Of Bill Arp on Georgia
Joe Brown, Pap Thomas and
the Sherman Bill.
ROME, Big SHANrY TERRITORY, No. 3.

March Sth. 1867.
Mr.. EDIToR-My intention was to have
remained in dignifed obscurity the small
remnant 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 people of Atlanta have got shaky
in the knees, and its the duty of every good
citizen to keep the disease from spreadin if
they can. / hav'nt been to Washington,
nor been playin sentinel ON a watchtower,
but my observation convinces me there is a
powerful fuss on hand about something
Politics look squally and alarmin. Bill
Sherman overrun the country and destroyed
| and carried away our property, and now his
brother John is finishin up the job BY Robin
us of the rights and liberties our forefathers
won. Gen. Thomas is playin Vantoun with
his Il orders-puttin harmless boys in the
barracks for tableauin with an old rebel flag
-accusin us of all the crimes in the decalogue;
such as murder, larceny, rape, arson, bur-
glary, bigamy, perjury and suicide, THROWN
up in our teeth the magnanimity of our con-
| querors, as being our safety-yalve 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, tellin us how we are
| to flee from the wrath to come-skeerin the
people to death, and gettin everything in a
stew. What made him in such o hurry?
| why dident he keep silence for few days,
until the veto was signed, and the bill was
passed2 Why dident he give Mr.. Jenkins a
| chance? If the times was so perilous, why
| d,dort he mr. !, ID coo Mr. 1opE,pc apd x,,,,o
him his opinion in private and save all this
excitement? MI. Jenkins is the governor ;
he's the sentinel on the watchtower; he's
| the pilot of the old ship; he's the peoples
| choice. He can call the legislature when its
necessary. If he is doubt about it, he can
/ consult with Lumkin and Cobb, and Hill
and Cooper, and Hardeman and Gibson, and
Br0,cn, and decide what ought to be done
and the people will be satisfied. But. while
the ship is in q storm let all the deck hands
keep silence. The word will come from the
captain soon enough.
May be that Joseph feels sorter RESPONSE
BILE for the 6x. he's got as in. May be he's
repentin for the didoes he cut up, and the
seeds of diseord he sowed during the war
but doubt it. i don't think his ambition
or his vanity sees anything but his own i'm
portance. 1t looks like he thought the CAPT
tai was moved to Atlanta and he was govern
or still. He's afraid the people will think
he's dead and just as soon as big thing
happens, and little before, he clutches the
oecasion--seizes up the people, sets the Gate
Glty IN a terment, and gets his name in the
Heratd and the Tribune. Joe Brown, a
whale, big leader, conspicuous, fame, history.
Mr. Jenkins nowhere, Millegeville gone up.
Joseph Z. running the machine in Atlanta
Well, don know what is at the bottom
OF all this, but / am afraid that while Joseph
was in Washington somebody carried him
up onto high mountain, and showed him a
Kingdom or two, and he fell down and wor-
shipped. These little kingdoms that a man
sometimes sees from the top of mountain
are mighty demoralizing.
! But notice all this fuss which Josenb ha q
kicked up is confined to the towns and cit.
les, 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 to some falLs
know an old worn-out politician who has
been poking around for six months, trying to
revive the democratic party for living, and
now he is ia his element. Parties is formin
and the old hack is in glory. He's sorter
like the Neso Era as yet, he won't take a
side, ne won't join issue, he won't commit