Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-04-23
OUR RALEIGH C0HREsPUNDENCE.
Adjournment of the Leg isIature-C Condition
OF Soctety-Refiectionsu upon the Attempts
TO FIurder and Assassinate MIR. Turner
Sad Condition of Affairs
RALEIGH, 18th April, 1869.

| MY LEAR JOURNAL :-DefOre leaving THIS
city of beautiful elms as we'll az oaks, I
have thought it good to write unto you a
few lines. The Legislature, as you and
your readers are aware, adjourned yester-
day for good long time, or, rather, took
a recess. It is not a complimentary retiec-
| ton upon the mem GERS of that body to
| think their absence from Raleigh, / will
| not say their return TO their homes, because
the homes of SO many of them are out of
the State that it might be considered dis
| loyal, will spread broad cast over the lend
universal satisfaction. Here in Raleigh, so
far as my observation goes, the feeling is
one of unmixed deight-even our friend
BLAIR, of the Marlborough House, is no
doubt pleased, for has he not said
radical assemblages do not know how to
appreciate a irst-class hotel? I was,
perhaps, too hasty in saying the feeling of
delight was unmixed. The livery stable
people, the grog-shop keepers, and, to use
plain term, the strumpets and harlots
gathered here from all quarters, feel,
doubtless, unmixed regret. For many
long years I have known this old town
during the sessions of the Legislature, but
! this winter has exposed degree of I'M
blushing shameless corruption and hoen-
tiousness never before witnessed. Daily,
upon the public streets, in every resort to
which access can be had, without special
permission or invitation from private indi-
viduals, one cannot avoid seeing around
notorious harlots--harlots on foot-harlots
on horseback, and harlot in carriages
parading themselves wherever they can
attract most attention-not however, by
way of advertisement. but as if in triumph
over virtuous responsibility. To such ex-
tent has this thing gone, that am in
formed respectable women cannot be
induced to ride in livery stable carriages.
This state of things is doubtless owing
somewhat to the fact that the members of
the Legislature are, to disgraceful de-
gree, men of such character that respecta-
BILE people will not receive them in their
families, and are thereby driven, or from
choice. resort during their intervals of re-
spite from acts of Official corruption TO acts
of public and private licertiousness-in
part. also, to desire on the part of those
thus refused admission to honorable and
honest society, to obtain a base revenge
by finging insult in the faces of those who
thus spurn them. Thank Heaven, no
matter what mistaken notions of right or
duty, or policy have led some of our peo-
pie to do, nothing has yet been able to
induce them to profane their family affairs.
Corrupt, degraded and debased, these
miserable interlopers have, are and ever
will be, SO long as Southern men preserve
their honor and Southern women preserve
their virtue, separate and distinct class,
scorned, and despised, and loathed.-
Truth, however, requires US to say, that
all the indecency, and drunkenness, and
RIGHTEOUSNESS is not to be found among
carpet baggers.
There are natives here who out Herod
Herod, and out-Anthony Anthony in pro.
figacy-native North Carolinians and
members of that legislative body that used
to be composed of the great and the good
of the land. Of their acts of public and
official corruption I do not propose here
to speak. It is much to be hoped that this
is 'the corrupt age" Of the country. It
is certainly the worst that has yet befallen
us, and if we have to descend to still lower
depths, our resurrection will be we'll nigh
impossible. What spectacle for an old
fashioned man who was brought up to love
his country Corruption stalks through
the land Neither the Executive, the Lee
gislative, nor the Judicial department is
free from the blighting, damning charge
Of foul corruption. Brazen icentiousness
and lasciYiQUs leWduess Aaunt upon the