Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-06-03


to our fellow mortals.
"The Carpet-Baggers.''
There is a class Of political adventures
prowling through the South, watching their
chances to become Judges, Congressman,
etc., Of the new era. OF large share Of
them the remark is generally true-that
they had nothing to loose at home, either
Of character or credit, and the carpet-bag
they carry contains the sum total Of their
effects. They are truly loil' representa-.
tives Of the Radical faction, and never hav.
ing followed any honest pursuit, they are
sufficiently unscrupulous to carry out to the
letter the requirements Of tho political jun.
ta under which they expect 10 flourish.
They talk loud on the excellence Of giving
the ballot to the negro, but give him par.
ticularly to understand, that with some in
ferior exceptions, it will not do for him to
hold Offices at present, lest it should ipjure
"the party" Great is the carpet-bagger,
and Radicalism is his profit. A looker-on
in the South sketches this class of adven-
turers with peculiar richness. He writes:
"You find them everywhere On the
cars, and in the towns, and prQYling about
in country places, and you can't take up q
paper, hardly, or hear man speak, but
what there is something about the carpet.
bagger. Few know where they come from;
nobody knows how they live-perhaps
nothing but an itemized account Of the Sc
cret service money Of the Reconstruction
Committee of Congress could tell that-but
here they are buzzing about like gad-dies
and seeking the weak points Of the country
with the unerring instinct Of carrion crows.
Hounded out Of the North for rascality-
for everywhere now and then some ugly
past is brought to light about them-they
seek and obtain employment in the cause
of Reconstruction and come South. Some
sworn into the Bureau, others foist them.
selves on the Revenue, others again play
pimp and spy and call-boy for the service,
and outside Of these, the great bulk sustain
life by taking up subscriptions from the
freedmen, and levying contributions for the
good of the party on enthusiastic Radicals
at the North. Like Jonah's gourd, they
spring up and flourish and fade in day,
descending from nowhere at daybreak and
ready ere night to run for Governor.
II know one case, where, on the ap.
proach Of election, one Of these gad-dies
came on the next day, announced himself
as candidate, and, on the third day, was
elected" and now sits in sovereign con-
vention to reconstruct State. Still anoth-
er case occurred and it is susceptible to
verifcation on oath, where another Of these
creatures, on his way to take his seat Is q
" delegate" pawned his carpet-bag to pay
expenses, and never coming 10 redeem it,
had said receptacle opened only to find
therein some Radical documents under Con-
gressional frank and few little personal ar
ticles, not worth, in all, over two dollars and
a half. Such is carpet-baggery, and just
fancy its beauties to yourself. You are q
Southern man, let us say, and sitting at
night-fall in some little country village, and
here, at dusk, there comes strding in q
strange man with q oarpet-bag. That night
there is Loyal League meeting, and the
next day, before noon, the strange man has
poked his nose into half the houses in town,
knows everybody by name, and has list OF
all the negro voters in all the country round
about in bis pocket Pretty soon there
comes IN election, and in the strange man,
whom you now begin to recognize rs car
pet-bagger," you see tho judge at the polls.
As such he counts the votes, declares him
self " duly elected to q convention some.
where, and as the day Of assembling up.
proaches takes up . collection among the
negroes and departs-he and his carpetbag.
For awhile you hear nothing Of him, but
pretty soon It appears that he has framed q
State Constitution, and is coming back Ia
run for Congress. And here, after . few
days, he il again, some Of the peoples
money in his pocket, and bran new suit Of
clothes, At their cost, in his oarpetbag."