The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-10
CHI ES TON.
FRIDAY MORNING. SEPT. 10, 1869.
What is q oarpet-Raggers

What is Carpet-hoggers
When his Satanic Majesty discovered that
he could not swim, he found fault with the
water. A moment later he repented Of his
irritation, vowed with the sublime indiffer-
ence Of Toots that it was "of no conse-
i'quence,"' and protested that an ignorance
Of the art natatory was rather q distinction
to covet than disgrace to avoid. Follow
ing the excellent precedent set by tbe
Father of Lies, the political adventurers in
the South frat carp at the honest folk who
despise them, and then, changing front,
console themselves by declaring that it is q
very jewel Of honor to be carpet-bagger.
This ingenious application of the old story
is the invention Of the South Carolina va
riety of the carpet,bag fraternity. Nor
will it fsi! Of success for want Of loquacity
or assurance; for as it is in the nature Of
things that nsttle should sting, so is it
according to rule that carpet-bagger
should have jaw enough for two sets Of
teeth, and sufficient brass to supply the raw
material for new Colossus Of Rhodes.
And there is, it must be confessed, some
tact in the animal. It is not attempted to
prove that what"is called q carpet bagger
by any other name would smell more sweet.
The whole formula is summed up in these
few words: "What an, he is. Ergo, what
che is, am" This is the short Of it. The
long Of it 10 that according to carpet bag
lsw, every man living in South Carolina,
,1ko is not matios off tie Stass, is to ell in
tents and purposes . true csrpet-hsgger,
This is the Radical definition Of the term;
and it can bs seen with half an eye that II
every German snd Virginian, Irishnsu and
Alabamiau, 500 Gilman and Georgian, now
living in South Carolina can be set down as
one Of tho carpet bag brigade, the body be-
comes ct once highly respectable, and wor-
thy, as whole, Of confidence and trust
But calling decent man carpet. bagger
will not make him one There is not person
in South Carolina, white or oolored, who does
not know what constitutes carpet bsgser.
Aed as long as this is the case the effort Of
the South Carolina carpet tbsgger, whether
from Connecticut, Ohio or Massachusetts,
to make himself decent az the cost Of the
adopted citizens of the State, will be as vain
as the famous attempt Of Mrs Pa:tington
to sweep back with broom the broad waves
of the Atlantic.
As we have already limited what is not
carpet bagger, it may be expected that we
should cay wnst is that sublime compound
Of cheek, rasoslity and general nssiiuess
The accepted definition at the South is both
pointed and simple 4 carpet Dagger is a
Northern Radical p6o took UP his abode in The
South .',0hsa tie Uaion came in." made politics
has trade, and t,pes in Office, or out oft, by de-
}aming and ptundertng the Southern people
This is the carpet bsgger. This is the man
who robs and slanders ell men with excel
cent impsrtiality; who is as little the friend
of the negro as the friend Of the white race;
who has no religion bat love Of self, and no
God but his pocket.
No Southern man can ever be a carpet
bsgger, although he may fall into the depths
Of sealawsgerie. No man who fought for
the South during the war oan be carpet
bagger, No adopted citizen, Whatever the
place Of his birth, who honestly works for
bis living. can bs q carpet bagger No
Northern man. who is engaged in legitimate
business, aud supports himself by his bust
ness, is called q csrpetbagger.
The dividing line is broad and plain; for
the.csrpet-bagger thrives by coEening the
negro and cheating the white man; BY CAL
umuH and fraud; by misrepresentation and
abuse; by public pap and private bribe; by
sll that is foul. rotten and uaolesn.
WE'LL welll WE'LL who snail touch pitcb
and not be defled9 Ad'osi carpet bagger.