The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-11-04
Bro. PelI's Ruin .

The Sentinel admits the election of Gen.
Grant but deplores the ruin it will bring
upon the country. Saturday last we touched
upon the ruin brought upon the nation by
the late attempt to 'go it alone" on the
part of the rebels In the course of time it
so happens that the meaning of words SO
changes that what they originally stood for
or expressed is wholly lost, and, in an adj
vanced period, they take on and keep there
after correlative signifcation The word
ruin as used by the Sentinel, will not need
long period of time to change into "save"
To two-thirds of this country and nearly all
the enlightened nations of the earth, reached
by the electric telegraph, the news of the
October elections has been considered the
death knell of sedition and anarchy, and the
close of the last act in the tragedy of the Sc
Observation-Disclosures rebellion. In the month
of October, 1868, the nation of the United
States was saved, not ruined, and all danger
oflosing through politicians what was gained
through war, put at rest Only those who
still desire ruin. now talk of it, and they are
so few in number and so feeble in purpose,
that even their talk is not listened to, and
they are patted on the head as little children,
who threaten tremendous things when some
wooden head of toy house happens to be
broken by the stride across the floor of an
athletic man. This reminds US of personal
assault years ago upon the eccentric Hon. Long
inc. Wentworth, member of Congress from the
Chicago District in Illinois. A short, dumpy,
little cripple by the name of Meeker, did not
like something Wentworth had said about
him in his paper, and decided to revenge
himself by personally chastising Wentworth
with one of his crutches. Now Wentworth,
be it known, is man who, were he not al
ready worth million or two, might make
fortune by exhibiting himself as an Illinois
giant. But Meeker, although small, was
plucky, and had more brass and sounding
metal in his composition than Beauregard
found in the bells he stole from Southern
churches. For several days he watched for
Wentworth, but not desiring sensation,
Long John :" avoided him. In this con-
nection it should be remembered that Chica-
go was not then the magnificent metropolis
of the Northwest, but the nastiest, muddiest
village, in the lowest, blacklist slough in Il
lnois, and that it was not an uncommon
occurrence for men and horses to sink out of
sight while crossing almost any of its streets
Meeker, after exercising considerable pa
thence, at last saw Wentworth entering a
barber shop, and, determined not to let him
slip, stationed himself outside of the shop
and awaited his coming. In few moments
~" III form of Long John bent low and
came "'' Of the door, but just as he put one
loot down upon the sidewalk, he received a
dow from one of the crutches of Meeker
across the back of his neck. So sudden and
unexpected was the stroke that he, for q
moment, staggered and slipped, but when
his eye caught sight of the man who dealt
It, rallied and regained his footing instantly,
and burst into laugh at his assailant. The
laugh Infatuated Meeker, and he came at
Wentworth again with all the vim and spite
OF an enraged poodle. But Long John /"
seeing that his assailantwas poor, crippled,
irresponsible creature, gently took away from
MN both OF his crutches and took him up
bodily In his arms, carried him out into the
middle OF the street and left him to get out
0l MS pet, shoulder deep in Illinois mud.
Now, when we saw Bro. Pell's threat to
rum ' the country, We thought of Meeker's
threat to whip Long Jol,n.'' Of course we
VI" not mean to lnsinuate that Bro. Pell.
physically, is poor, little, crippled poodle
y. rebel, for here in Raleigh we all know
mn 10 be glorious old hippopotamus of a
@"'n', and that if " Long John" could have
''"Ns Ills fortune with Barnum as a giant