Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-09-01
OUR SCAEAWAG.

We have got scalawag. The quiet, peaceful, and heretofore moarl city of Des Arc has produced real, full grown, whangdoodle scalawag. We arc not certain this word will convey the exact meaning of the thing we wish to describe. In looking over our dic- tionary to see how far this word would go toward expressing what we intend-' ed, we found that it was new coinage and uot yet incorporated ill any of the new editions. After some little time spent in examination we concluded that it was a corruption of the words scaly, which, as is often used, means very tricky and full of dirt, and wag, man full of low sport and humor--a moving to and fro, etc. We thought it was pretty good definition as far as it went, but it did not go half far enough to describe one M. NJ. Erwin, the representative of that class of things in Dcs Arc. We looked fur ther but could find no word that would do the subject justice. We then tried to coin one but were not satisfied with the efforts of our inventive faculties. We thought to describe him by com parison but found nothing in nature but the carpet-bagger that held any re- semblance to him whatever. In Kadi- cal meanness he is about equal to sev- cnteen of the grade of low ordinary. Right here we have broke down. We felt our inability to describe such a thing when we started out, but thought to have done better than this. All of our readers who would like to see a real live scalawag should pay Dcs Arc visit and sec this Erwin. They will know him by his not being cagcd and his going from one street corner to an- other, vociterously spouting dirty stream of Radicalism, carrying large stick in his fore paws. The stick is to carry his carpet-bag on when the Rad icals furnish him one. He talks great deal with his mouth. That is the way he fought his first secession battles. In 1861 he would not have, rose to breakfast for less than six dead Yankees. But we have said enough about him for this time. Read the comments of the Radical White River Journal on a speech he made at De- vall's Bluff few days ago. Listen while he sings:
 He (Roots) was followed by Mir. NJ. | NJ. Erwin, of Des Arc, who proceeded 1 in decidedly forcible and taking | speech to announce his conversion to the principles of Republicanism. It might be thought strange, he said, that he was present on this occasion, since, q year ago, he in this place spoke ill opposition to negro suffrage. But ex- pericnce had taught him that all honest and thinking men were open to con viction, and when so convinced were I ready to change their views. Stupid and dishonest men never changed He had thought that the two races could not live together, both free, but he now knew better. Had the same number of his own race, ignorant and enslaved been turned loose as the negroes had, there would have been much more crime and disorder.
 He was in favor of peace, and the party that advocated it. He had been to war once, and got enough. He knew that he had been deluded, and he acknowledged the corn. We heard much of carpet-bagg what mattercd it to him where man came from, so he was honest, capable, and had some interest in the country. He did not know that the name of the Democratic candidate for Congress was not on the tax-books of the county he claimed to hail from. He proceeded to state his views upon the new Constitution, and expressed his entire satisfaction thcre- with.
 His remarks were received with great applause.