The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-10-28
BELLA. HOmmDA mRH.L1

'tus, it thunders, when he would make us
melancholy, the stage is darkened.
fBut among all our tragic articles, (said
''he) am the most offended at those
(which are made use of to inspire US with
magnificent ideas Of tie persons that
"speak- The ordinary method of making
"a hero, is to clap huge plume of feath-
''ers upon the head, which rises so very
high that there is often a greater length
from his chin to the top of his head
ethan to the sole Of his feet. For my
part when | see man uttering his COM
''plaints under such a mountain Of feath-
GERS, | am apt to look upon him rather
'as an unfortunate lunatic than a dis
'tressed hero"
If to the hero of ''feathers" here de-
scribed, had been added the quality of
immense pretension, or fuss" the writer
would have given US an inimitable sketch
of the man who calls himselfthe 'leader"
Of the carpet-bag and scalawag clan in
this struggle here in Mississippi. He has
a happy faculty of attracting public at
tention. Sometimes terrifes with his
thunders-again amuses with his drol-
leries-and again saddens with his wall
ing. His last performance is of the
heroic quality, suggestive of a mountain
of feathers" and a tremendous long
sword. Lowry and other Conservative
orators have stirred the 'lion" in the
Ames menagerie until he roars furiously.
His challenge" copied elsewhere, is
the drollest of all his performances in the
canvass. He proposes to the National
Union Republican party Of Mississippi"
that they will designate some champion to
meet him in the space of three weeks,
and discuss his 'record, with these in
dispensable conditions, however. They
must have two short hand writer's" 'Ten
thousand copies" of their report of the
discussion must be circulated. And af
ter that, cal questions Of my record are to
be closed" This last condition is the milk
in the cocOa-nut. Anything to get rid of
this everlasting clamor about ''my
record Have a big fight over it and be
done with it. These broken doses, and
frequent repetitions by the Republican and
Conservative orators and newspapers are
intolerable.
The GOODNESS of the challenge is sublime
When its author wrote it, he had in his
breeches pocket letter from Judge Dent
dated October 4th, accepting his own
to make list of joint APP
pointments from that time until the cleo
ton, so that ''my record could be dis
cussed not before single audience, but
in every county in the State;
and yet he silently retreats from
this proposition of his own, and comes
out with all this ''fuss and fury"
about joint debate at Jackson short
hand reporters ''the closing of all
such disagreeable, troublesome and dis
gushing subjects as "my record"
Sir, if you want to face your 'record"
why don't you answer Judge Dents letter
of the 4th, which was sent to you in du-
plicate and has been published in all the
newspapers? The reason is apparent
1t is contained in the last condition of
your challenge" You prefer to make
an arrangement by which ''aH questions of
nly record shall be closed" But alas, the
ghost acU rise The noisy speakers, and
the busy editors will have their say. You
can get as many discussions as you please,
and "short hand reporters" innumerable,
but these tribunes of the people will not
hold their peace.
Gen. Alcorn says that he might in con-
sideration of Gen. Clarke's appointment
of him to the, command of the State
troops in 1864, and his election to the L.
S. Senate in 1865, be content to rest
there his defence But the trouble with
him is, that his offence is subsequent to
these endorsements. When Gen. Clarke
and the Legislature thought well of
him, he had not allied himself to the par
ty of plundering adventures who are
seeking their own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT at the
expense of the political and civil rights,
the peace, safety, and well-being of the
people of the State. Nobody is finding
fault with him for voting to carry the
State out of the Union. Nor for pledg-
ing himselft to go as far as he who went far
thest Nor for doing the wind-work in
the erection of that stupendous Chinese
Wall by which he designed to prevent the
inundarion of the South with carpet-bag-
gers from "Yankeedom. But all are
amazed and indignant that having par
ticipated in these secession proceedings,
he not only supported the policy of Dis
reimbursement contained in the Mongrel
constitution, but was a member of the
Committee of Sixteen which petitioned
Congress to affix ii on the people
after they had righteously rejected it
And the case is made stronger against
him, when it is remembered that before
taking this attitude for the Disfranchise-
ment of his own people, and leading the
vile pack that is bounding them in their
misfortunes, he had secured the removal
of his own disabilities. 1t may be true
that Gen. Clarke thought well of him
FIVE years ago-and that one year later,
the Legislature had good opinion of
him-but we will venture to say that he
cannot get an endorsement of his present
conduct from that distinguished Confed-
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