The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-07-08
Carpet.Baggers- Roreroae
Drawn Sv One who Knows.


The carpet.bagger is a character about whom
much has been written favorable and unfavora'
ble One thing is certain. he has played prom
inent part in southern reconstruction, and may,
with all propriety, be said to be the peculiar
offspring of that congressional policy. Mr.. Gree
ley drew his portrait the other evening ON the
occasion Of his welcome home reception BY the
republican club. of which he is president. SAID
Mr.. Greeley:
Well, gentlemen, the thiev,ng osrpet.baggers
are mournful fact; they do exist there, and
have seen them. iLaughter.) They are fellows
who crawled down south in the track of our
armies, generally very safe distance in the
rear some of them on suffers wagons some
bearing cotton permits; some of them looking
sharply to see what may turn up; and they re-
main there. They at once ingratiated Themselves
with the blacks, simple, credulous, ignorant men,
very glad to welcome and to follow any whites
who professed to be: the champions Of their rights
Some Of these get elected senators, others repre-
sentatives, some sheritfs, judges, and so ON. And
there they stand, right in the public eye, steal
ing and plunderlng, many of them with both
arms around negroes, and their hands in their
dollar out of them; and the public looks At them,
does not regard the honest northern men, but
calls every carpet-bagger thief, which is not
true by good deal. But these fellows-many
Of them leng-faced, and with eyes rolled up, are
greatly concerned for the education OF the blacks,
and for the salvation of their souls Great
laughter.) "Let us pray" they say. But they
spell pray with IN Sc" and, thus spelled, they
obey the apostolic injunction to "pray without
eeasing."
Fellow.citizens, the time has been and still il,
when it was psrilous to be known as republican
or an aboitionist in the south, but it never call.
ed the blush of shame to any mans cheek to be
80 called, until these thieving oarpet-bsggers
went thers-never. (Applause) They got into
the legislature they went to issuing state bonds;
they pretended to use them in aid Of railroads
and other Improvements. But the improve.
ments were not made, and tho bonds stuck In
the issuers' pockets. Naughter.) That is the
pity oft. ilnn
''Well," some say, 1--WE have just saoh thieves
at the north" Yes, we do-too many of them.
tApplause But tho south was already lmpov-
erished-was INTERPRETATIONS money, without
thrift, almest without food and these fellows
went there robbiug and swindllng when there
was very little to steal, and taking the last ton
cent shinplaster off of the dead mems eyes. They
were recognized by the late aristocracy not
merely as thieves, but as enemies. Says Byrou's
Greek minstrel:
"Atyrant but masters then
Were still at least cOuntrymen"
Thus we record the men who annually rob u
at Albany, at Trenton and at Harrisburg. They
do net carry their plunder cut Of tho state when
they get any. These fellows do. The south
was not merely beaten in the late contest, she
was profoundly astonished by the result. Her
people have no. fairly got over their smazement
at their defeat; and what they see of US are
these thieves. who represent the north to their
jaundiced vision, and representing it, they dis.
grace it. They are the greatest enemies to the
triumph and permanent ascendancy Of republican
principles at the south, and rs such deaouncs
them. (Applanse.~