Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-12-11
RALEIGH, n. c., Dec. Z, 1868.

tion of the intercourse with yourself an,
your numerous readers, which formerl,
found so pleasant. 7 propose now to re
new the acquaintance, and hope, in til,
progress of events, as they are developing
themselves here, to exhibit GO the very ag,
and body of the times" as Shakspea
/ hath it.
During the brief interval that has trans
pired since my last sojourn in this place
L find that change has been active art
busy. The evidences Of it are to be seer
in the city itself. which is manifestly i'm
proving, but they are most palpable in the
Capitol, where, in one sense, there is NJ
mprovement)-and it is with that building
and its inmates that I propose principally
to deal IN the course of my epistolization
where transpire, your patrons shall have
the benefit of it.
Well. the Capitol: The man who writes
himself Governor" may be found there
each day, as before. The result of the late
election somewhat contrary to my expec-
tation, [ admit has wrought no increase
in the number of his parasites aud sycho-
plants. He is surrounded by precisely the
same coterie of contemplate adventures
and low native outcasts that ere while
gathered about and fawned upon hin--to
the inef1able nausea Of decent people.
Menninger, the carpet-bag Secretary of
State, still makes a good thing of his
position, employing, L am told, three
manipulating the fees OF his Office with
genuine Yankee sin eeCdneSs to call it by Il
mild and charitable name. He is rarely
seen upon the streets. ] learn, but, when
once seen, is easily distinguished there
after by a peculiar hang-dog look, which is
his marked physical characteristic. Old
IS II. Adams" the Auditor, is so harmless
and insignificant as to float entirely unob-
served on the surface, while the chief of
carpet baggers, Ashley, is intrusive and
officious in exact proportion to his etfron-
terry and known malignity. All of these
men are ensconced in their respective
rooms, from which the former neat and
substantial carpetiug and furniture have
been removed, to make way for something
more elegant, extravagant and SuitQ6le-
God save the mark Ito the fancies of
these official mendicants. What care these
men for the peoples money? Their friends
pay none, or but little, of the taxes. The
meretricious inery which surrounds them
but the more glaringly exhibits their vulgar
pretensions, just as a gilded cOrnice around
dirty walls but the more plainly brings
out the dirt.
The systematically arranged law library
Of the Supreme Court has been huddted in
an obscure upper room Of the building in
order to make way for Ashley, who holds
his official negro levees in the room once
graced by the judicial presence of CASTOR,
Daniel, Ruffin, Manly and Battle. But for
theslur and indignity which, abstractLv, this
arrangement puts upon the Judiciary of
North Carolina, [ ana sufficiently uncbar-
liable to feel no concern about it. Let
Pearson, Reade, Rodman, Settle and
Dick creep their weary and painful way up
two long flights of stairs to their obscure
attic, and then take time to reflect upon
theEspirit to which they have been so in
strumental in giving potency, which tram
Piles upon the hallowed and venerable in
situations of the past, and instals Yankee
vagabonds in the places of precedence and
preferment ! Let the carpet-baggers gloat
over their triumph, and let these political
ermine- wearers suck their judicial thumbs
in modification Who cares ?
The respective Legislative Halls present
pretty much the same aspect as that with
which I have formerly made you acquaint-
ed. In the Senate, the Lieutenant Cover
nor ostentatiously parades that famous
p/Tfc b TrhI oh 70 i'm oil
reason, that I can imagine, than because
he needs acGtchinq. Brogden wears his
usual appearance of aUiSe qualification !; w.
D. Jones is as silly and conceited as of yore;
Wynne as pompous; Barrow as malignant;
Galloway as impudent F.; Eppes as black !;
Blythe as clerical, (oh Lord and Lassi-
ter as sappy;, Robbins Osborne, Love. and
the other Democratic Senators-their ranks
increased by such efficient allies as Ora
ham and Scott--are as dignifed, vigilant
and true as ever. The Senator from Cra-
ven, Mr.. Sweet, though Radical, has
suddenly taken q manly, North Carolina
stand in the matter Of exposing venality
and corruption, with which the whole at
mosphere reeks, which will commend him
to the favorable regards Of all honest men.
[ believe Mr.. S. to be sincere III his avow-
ed purpose of ferreting out the viIIainy Of
the I" Rings" and will keep you as fully
posted, as my information will warrant, of
the progress of the investigation. | knOuO
a thing or two myself, which you shall
have hereafter but at present, [ wish to
be merely, as it were, Introductory.
Let us enter the House. The same old
scenes greet, or rather pain, the eye
Here are the same eighteen or twenty
black spots diversifying the foreground,
and overhead, in the galleries. the same
array of "cullud sisters with their odorif-
erous SWANS. Old Downing is still sleepy,
Jim Harris oily and impertinent, Estes
consequential upon small capital, Cuffee
Mayo spectacular and feloniously intent,
Gahagan trembling with age and spleen,
Ashworth huge and dirty-ard so on, down
the roll. There are several new members
who constitute an acquisition among
chem Malone, of Caldwell, and Welsh, OF
! Haywood. the latter Il fearless, trenchant
Representative. Your lew man French
| is sort of Saul, the son of Kish, among
the carpet-baggers. Altitudinaliy, vocally,
hirsutically, he is some and he plainly
thinks that ne is consideraly more than
"some." He is study-not very deep
one-and I intend to study him. His as
pirations appear to be as lofty as his stat
ooI IL ,,oopC 70