The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-08-19
The Carpet.Raeser.

| journals are more or less occupied Win
proving what hardly needs proof, that
a large portion of Congress represent
| ing the Northern States are carpet-bag-
| gers. There are no less than one hum
dred and four out Of two hundred and
forty.seven Senators and Representa-
ltives who are entitled to that designa-
ton that is, men who have enigrated
from the State where they were born,
or raised, to the State which they repre-
sent. As might be expected, most OF
these are found representing the West
ern States, the older settled communi-
ties being more frequently represented
by natives. There are two carpet
baggers from Ireland and one from
Canada, the two Irish carpet-baggers
being Democrats. And Congress rep
resents its constituency faithfully. A
large part of the Northern people are
natural acknowledgements
pet-baggers, II we may SO say.
There is nothing strange, nothing ridic-
ulous, nothing Objectionable in being
a carpet-bagger. CarPet-bagger, in the
Southern dialect, Is only the con-
crete term for the abstract term emf
grafton. All semi-civilized peoples are
disposed to use images, or words that
represent images rather than to deal in
distractions. 1t is Northern enterprise,
investigation, pushing go-aheadative-
ness, boiled down into a word that hap
pens to be convenient, as an epithet,
for certain men who hate Yankees, who
hate their intrusion, their energy, their
industry, their commercial and me-
chanicaI skill; and who envy their sue
cess and prosperity. Jealous of their
isolation from the rest of the world,
and impressed with the sauctity of
their exclusiYeness, they SUM up their
hate, envy. and jealousy into one word,
and hurl at the intruder with the idea
of crushing him with a nickname;
which, however, really exhibits his
predominant characteristic, and de-
notes that he is possessed of cosmopolI-
tan tastes, an active mind, and an en-
ergetic will. a carpet bag to live
American is what his pilgrims shell
and wallet were to the Crusader;
what his tent is to the Arab;
what his bow and arrow is to
the Indian; what his slavedri-
ver's whip was to the Southern plan
ter. 1t shows what the man is, and
what his life is. 1t indicates the rest
less, yet vigilant eye of man ever
ready to move somewhere elae, II he can
better himself, give his faculties wider
gcope and exercise, and invest greater
mental or pecuniary capital in more
productive business. He is ready TO
settle down or TO leave at any moment.
His purpose is not single, nor his object
distant, like the crusaders. He does
not fold up his tent and steal away like
the Arab but builds his house and sells
IL at bargain. He carries no offensive
weapons, like "the noble red man" de-
pendent upon luck for a meal he
knows he has, or can quickly and hon
estIy obtain, the means to procure 1t of
others. He does not torture his living
oct of the labor of others, like the slave
driver, but pays his way without cred
Ting himself with the expense and trou-
BILE OF helping the Lord inflict the curse
of Canaan, and of ChristiAniZing, and
ciViliZing the savage from the wilds of
Africa by healing his soul with his own
stripes.
such are the carpet-baggers, the
founders OF American civilization, and
the ambassadors of trade, education
and wealth. Take them as they run,
from East to West, or from North to
South, which they are doing more or
less all the time, and they form very
respectable part of society; The cpl.
thet is one of honor rather than one OF
| reproAch. 1t would attain some day,
| had it better claims on the score OF
| euphony, IA well-deserved rank among
other distinguished titles and names
which had their birth in the ridicUle
| and contempt of enemies. The names
| of the two great parties into which the
English people were divided for centu-
ries, owe their origin to hostile abuses
and sneeTs. "Whigs.' were originally
Scotch "droverB;" and Tory, being a
rotund and sOnorous noun which des-
| ignated a savage tribe of wild Irish,
was Immortality affixed to the great RI
val party. One of the emissaries of
PhilipII uDluckilyand falsely described
the young Eetherland mobiles who were
resisting that tyrant's aggressions, as
beggars." They took it up proudly,
and "the beggars" beggared Philip
out of one OF his most prosperous and
valuable possessions. Epithets are I'M
certain and unreliable. They may be
bent as crowns of honor unto those
who are pelted with them. The King
of the Jews" survived the mockery OF
PLATE. Old NoII and the Roundhesds
are tolerably secure OF enviable immor-
| tally, and even IN our own day the
Rail Splitter and the Abolitionists
means something besides obloquy and
contempt.
Long live the carpet-bagger, then
The Southern States need him more
than they deserve him, and 1t will be
far worse for them than for him when
they compel him to take his baggage.
small and scant as it may appear. and
leave them to be eaten up, as with poi
| som in THAR blood with ihaif own Optt U
hatred and selfcomplacent jealousy.
DECLINES THE HoEoR.-The Democ-
racy of Preston county having nomi-
mated Mr.. ]. F. Nine for county as