Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-03-26
He SITUATION.
From the Rome ('as0o.,9 cou5ier.j
Bill Arp on the Situation,
ROME, BIG SHANTY TERRITORY, No. 3.
March 2th 1907


March 9Th, 1867.
Mr.. EdHm My intention was to have
remained in dignifed obscurity the small
remnant of my miserable days, but NV friends
Bob Hide, Sam McCrackin, Tip, and other
respectable gentlemen of all. sexes and both
colors, seem to be dissheveled about the times.
and insist on my views about the momentous
State OF our sutferin country. The good peo-
pic, in Atlanta have got shaky in the knees.
andits the duty of every good citizen to keep
tho disease from spreadin if he can. huy'nt
been to Washington, nor been playin sentinel
on watch tower, but my observation con-
Vlnces me there is a power of fuss on hand
about something. Politics looks squally and
alarmln Bill Sherman overrun the country
aho destroyed and carried away our propertv.
aud now his brother John is finishin up the
job by robbin us of the rights and liberties
our toretathers won. Gen. Thomas is playin
Fantoun with his II orders-puttin harmless
boys IN the'barracks for tableauin with an old
rebel naS-accuslu US of all the crimes in the
oecalogue; such as murder, larceny, rape.
arson burglary, bigamy, perjury and suicide,
thrown up in our teeth the naG1nanip,Iv of
ON c0"QHeTers, as bein our safety 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, telling US how we may
nee from the wrath to cOme-skeering the
people to death, and gsttin everything in
stew. What made him in such a hurry p
why dident he keep silence for a few davs
until the veto was signed, and tho bill was
passed! Why dident he give Mr.. jenkins a
chance If the times were so porilous, why
dident he 90 and see Mr.. jenkins, and give
INN his opinion in private and save all this
excitement! Mr.. Jenkins is the Governor;
h1 IS fNn ,,l,.
the pilot OF the old ship; he's the PEOPLES
choice. He can cali the Legislature when
Its necessary. II he is in doubt about it. he
can consult with Lumkin aud Cobb, and Hill
and Cooper, and Hardeman and Gibson. and
6F0r", and decide what ought to be done,
aud 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 Jnseph.
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
durin the war; but doubt it. don't think
his ambition Cr his vanity sees anything but
ms own Importance. 1t looks like he tho't
the Capital 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 u lille before, he clutches
the occas'on-scizes the opportunity, delivers
his message; stirs up the people, sets the Gate
CITY IN hrnament, gets his name in the
HcrdI6 and the Tribune. Joe Brown whale,
big leader, conspicuous, lame, history, Mr..
Jenkins no where, Miledgeville gone up, Jo-
seph E. running the machine in Atlanta
Well, don't know what is at the bottom
OF all this, but am afraid that while Joseph
was III Washington somebody carried him up
onto high mountain, and showed him a
L INN finNON tNry1 i y
shipped. These little Kingdoms that a man
sometimes sees from the top Of mountain
arc mighty dem0raiiaing
But notice that all this fuss which Joseph
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 know much about it and care lcss-the
whole concern is a god-senl to some folks
know an old Worn out politician who has
been poking around for six months. irving to
revive the Democratic party for a liyip and
now he's in his element. Parties are formin
and the old hack is in his glory He's sorter
like the Nc,0 Era as yet-he wont take a
side, he wont join issue, he wont commit him
self, he's kcepin ar open rear, as the Era
says. But, my friGuds, we've got nothing 10
be ashamed Of Since tho war our pursuits
have been peaceful and honorable. We need
humankind can do to us. If the Radicals
intend to confscatc us, they will do it, and
no acceptance OF Shernlan's bill will prctert
1t. Ii they want our cabbages, they arc eoin
to have 'em. If they will ride over one law.
they will over another. If thew disrcgord
Mr. Johson's great argument, they'll disre
gard anything. | don't know how it is gen
orally, but there aint an uupurdoned rebel
IN this country, and if they confscate they
nave got to declare the pardons all void. No.
BODY knows what they won't do, or when thew
Will quit dong 1t. and my advice is to suffer
ana oe stfonS' endure everything and accept
"o'h'HS' All Is lost save honor, hold up your
manhood, don't lick the hand that's ra sed to
strike the blow. Joe Browns banner savs
all Is lost save honor, and that is only toie-
rabIe thank you, it grows puny and weak"
lie says we can have representation in Cons
gress. Who by! y man who can take the
test~oath and control the negro vote Who
wants such u representation How long be-,
fore he would jiue the Radicals and 90 in
for contiScation. If he controlled the niger
vote he'd promise 'em land or Anything else.
Dcmagogues have always controlled the ieno-
rant whites; demngogues will control the ic
norant blacks. Who controls the negro iDhn-
ence IN Tennessee ?-why Brownlow and his
party. Tennessee has done Just what Joe
Brown wants Us to do, and now look at her
pnd weep!-a niger candidate tdnning for
Governor.
But suppose we had representation. and
had elected all good men, fair men, lust men.
what could they do for US JUST nothing ii
all With the present radical majority all
our votes wouldn't undo anything that has
Oeen done, and with radical President thew
could DO as much more as they please Just
let en- alone, give 'em rope; history is re-
peating itself, the crisis will come some time
tyranny and oppression must run its course