Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-01-22
FaV~TTEyILLE CORRESPONDENCE.
Fayefteviile-Its LIues of travel and Its
peorle-I:s Future-FiunfeiPai Matters
DoIcres-Judse Shepherd.
FAYETTEVILLE, n. c., Jan. Is, 1868.


DoIores-Judse Shepherd.
FAYETTEVILLE, Il. c., Jan. Is, 1868.
DeaJ. J0eamaI: Tam not sanguine enough
to hope that this "record CT current
events about Fayetteville at the present
time will prove to be Of especial interest to
your readers. Take from it its occasional
sensations. when political excitement
''stirs the marrow in It's bones" and the
period, al bustle Of a court week, and you
leave it about as quiet, tranquil and
monotopous q place as can well be i'm
agined. Every morning, as the light COM
mences to struggle with the darkness, and
the day comes striding IN from the east,
our railroad engine commences 10 puff and
and with the sun it gees pluIging and
striking of through valley and forest and
| just as regularly and as noisiIy It wLirls
back with the approach Of night, with not
much Of the 8 dust CT travel " On its
! wheels (only about 50 miles,, but having
Gone its part very well and faithfully, not
withstanding. Day after day, the Cape
| Fear bears upon its tortuoUs channels the
same cramped-up. quaint-looking, but very
pleasant steamers, with the same clever,
whole-souled captains, Boosting OF the sans
plentiful, savory dinners, freighted with
the same looking barrels and bags. These
are our highways of travel through these
we Interchange our works and our senti-
mems with our fellows; through these a
few Of Us occasionally take about OF bust
ness and pleasure with the shrewder and
leayer outside world. We have not our
theatre, our city Aldermen, our City Court,
&C.. like our more imposing neighbor near
the mouth Of the river. And yet, with all
the lack Of these advantages. we are not
insignificant Or contemplate in oul primi-
tiveness. Bounded within the limits of our
staid community, one can find a very pleas
ant social circle, whose beautiful women
cOntrive to be al fGN in the fashions and
bellies lettres, and whose men know all the
news and politics. In its old style, y
however, are often many delightful re-
unions and gatherings (theY, too, " old
style ~, and behind its counters and desks
are ready, Intelligent business men, full OF
nerve and forethougbt, capable OF great
tfauSacL1OnS, anu ready to tcccEG SItdG IT,
sponsihilities. You might feel sorrow for
the ruined gentleman who had lost the
ability, but not the desire, to indulge his
cultivated tastes, but you could never have
cause to feel that his misfortunes had de-
graded him and SO l venture to believe
that visitor would feel more respect for
what this town once was than amusement
at what it now is. Fayetteville once radi-
ated thrift and prosperity over the rest OF
the State-she may do SO again, who
knows ?
However, ain not to morallze on "fal-
len greatness" bet 20 chronicle facts. And
I must confess that l feel little crest-fall-
, en-, after the modest way which | have
, adopted above of praising our good old
town, (for its retirement and placidlty are
its greatest charms to me), to be obliged,
, as a candid reporter to your valuable
journal, to note concerning it some EVIL
? dences Of progress which do honor to
this epoch, but do violence to peace, JUS
tice and good government. In one re-
spect we are as progressive as Winning
ton, and Wendell Phillips would find no
fault with our municipal affairs now, for
we have Mayor too ignoran5 to admins
; ter an oath, or conduct his Office business,
and who will never make his mark IN any
, thing but his chirography-and We are
|
the election for Mayor and Commissioners,
the success of the Radicals III winch you
: must know SO we'll, even if you had never
heard, that l will not trouble you with the
letails) of course the next thing was a
Board meeting to work reforms and abol-
ish whatever was found necessary before.
The Board then decided upon negro po-
lice as an admirable measure in the Radi-
; cal programme Of "let us have peace
and of the municipal guard three are now
/ negroes [ will do the new Mayor the
, Justice to say that he was uncOmprOmlslng
IN his opposition to the measure, and, on
{ its being carried, offered his resignation,
} which was not accepted. Tie new Com
missioners are--whites: JAS. Il. Lee, Jersey
3 Hopkins, A. G.. Thornton, (the low wretch
who married negro), and one Watson, Ia
big foot drayman with poor mule) ne.
9 gr0es: NJ. n. Leary, Jr., Chesnutt, and
Boman. The Mayors name is d. j. I'm
: derwood, one of those men whose "evll }
Y will not 50 live after him, nor the = good
be entered with the bones" for he viii
! never be guilty of either the one or the
. other
2 I have oeen reading Dolores. the ne"
? novel by BENZ. Robinson, OF this town.
4 And while reading it L thought OF moor
porating in this letter short criticism OF
, am nearly at a loss what to say about 1t.
If criticism proper means judgment upon
= the opinions and conceptions of an author,
. and an examination into the tendency OF
? his principles and teachings, then L have
i read no work Of fiction more open to Sc
/ we're criticism if it signifies simply an lm'
5 partial measure of the artistlcal and l1tera
r nv merits of book, and an unbiased re
, view of the success which has attended q
writer's efforts to accomplish plan, de
velop plot, and render every faculty OF
2 we'll stored mind, and every flight OF an
3 exuberant Imagination subservient to the
interest of the reader, then Dolores VIII,
t for once, hush the carplng tongue ano
blunt the caviling few. An eminent man,
} whose teachings I was once so fortunate as
l to enjoy, used to declare that no man with
bad heart ought to write book. will
' not do the author of the work in question
: the poor compliment OF saying that the