Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-08-21
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If there is one term which can make
even the hardest of hard Radical vince,
it is the term carpet-bagqer. They do not
like it, and as rapidly as the lash is applied
to their dirty shoulders, they twist and
turn under the torture of its infection
They at first endeavored to disown it; then
to shake it off, and more lately to fasten
it upon decent white men; but such efforts
always proved abortive. 1t has been re-
served for one of the latest importations to
give the signal for its adoption by his par
ty as legitimate name ; to teach his mis-
cradle confreres the virtue of necessity.
This carpet-bagger, by name Paige, and
by occupation editor of that Infamous
sheet, the Standard, has found o new de-
rivation for the word. Not satisfied with
its more modern application, he has gone
back to the commencement of the Chris
tan era, and with a seriousness of language
which does not palliate the sacrilege OF
his thoughts, has claimed that I'VE quote
from him)
The fishermen of Galilee who gathered AFRO und
the Saviour of the world; who with their Master
were the despised and rejected of men who were
! driven from house and home who were burnt at
| and died the most ignominious deaths, were al
"Oarpet Baggers."
The glorious faces in every Cathedral from
Rome to China the martyrs who hang above the
affairs upon whose features the genius of all the
artists of ancient and modern times labored with
| all its skill the men to commemorate whose names
special days have been set apart for religious
worship the saints in all the calendars the in
spired writer's of the best music, the beat poetry,
the best songs, were all Carpet Baggers.''
This is Mr.. Paige's version of the origin
of the carpet-bag" faction. We think
that, if SO disposed, he could have gone
further into the records of the past ano
could still have found carpet-baggers, anG
that, too, without stretching his imagina
ton more than he has already done. HI
should have gone back to the time ere
yet the world was, in search of the author
and progenitor of his race Milton speaks
of this individual and tells US that he was
once an angel in heaven, but that. having
endeayored to overthrow the organic law
of the Universe, and having failed in an at
tempt to impeach the Author of all things
he endeavored to annul the constitu
ton of the country, and that, having failed
he himself was in turn overthrown, anl
having been driven from the battIements
of Heaven, fell for nine days and nights
until he at length reached the bottomles
pit, which, being filled with fire and brim
stone, was not such bad thing for " car
pet-bagger," after all.
We next hear of him, doubtless carpet
bag in hand, in search of new world which
he understood had been lately created
which world he at length finds, where, il
the shape of serpent "a favorite guise O
the carpet Dagger, by the way), he enter
where sin had never touched before, be
guiled the woman, and mankind fell.
From that time until the present, til,
carpet-bagger has been known at all times
and in all quarters of the world, particu
larly in those places where war and miser,
reigned ; where there were widows ani
orphans to be oppressed, old men to b,
enslaved, or money and goods to be stolen
In some ages his appearance has been of
more moderate type than in that of others
but in this, his worst traits, engendered b,
the misfortunes of our people, have broke,