Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-18
n. Q. on oAnPEr nAceEf.s.


h G.. ON CARPET BAGG EffS.
The following extract from BIr. Gree
ley's address before the Republican As
socialion of New York, upon his return
from Texas, deserves the attention of all
candid mind:
THE THTEvNe CARPET BAeeERs WORSE
THAA KU KLUx.
There is another influence equally in
furious with theirs, and great deal more
detrimental to the fame and character of
the Republican party. | alludc to what
are known IS the "thieving carpet bag
gers" Applause Fellow citizens, do
NOT mistake me. All the Northern men
in the South are not thieves The larger
part of them are honest and good men,
some of whom stay there at the peril of
their i've, b.Gsuse they believe it to be
, their duty. Next to the noble and true
women, who have gone down South to
teach black children how to read-nObler
there are not on the earth than these,
whom stupid, malignant, dilspidated
aristocracy often sees fit to crowd into
negro novels to live, not allowing them 10
MnEtI bOLtSpJs OSOaAoS my q ~
teaching neg5o children-next to these,
who rank as the noblest women in the
South, are the honest and worthy North>
.ern men, who, in the face of social pros
cription and general Obloquy and scorn,
stand firmly by the Republican cause.
The public Is often heedlessly unjust.
Let a government have 10000 official
subordinates in power, of whom $500
are honest and true men, who do their
duty faithfully, while hardly 100 are rob-,
bers and swindiers, the public will hear
great deal more about the 100 robbers
than about the 9, 900 true men. The 100
stand out 10 the public eye; they are al.
ways doing something which exposes
them 10 the scornful gaze of the multi
tude; while the honest ard true men pass
along silent and uncbseryed, and nothing
is said, ve.y little is thought of them.
AL attention is concentrated upon the 100
who are defanling and stealing, and forg
ing and running away.
Well, gentlemen, the thievmg carpet
baggers are a mournful fac; they do ex-
list there, and have seen them. Laugh
ter. They are fellows who crawled
down South in the track of our armies,
generally very safe distance in the rear;
s0me'of them or suffers wagons; some
bearing cotton permits; some of them
looking sharply to see what may
turn 10; aud they remain there. They
at once ipgrstiated Themselves with the
blacks-simple, credulOus, ignorant men
very glad 10 welcome and 10 follow any
whites who pr5fessed to be the champi-
oEs of Their rights. Some of these got
elected Senators, other Representatives,
some sheriffs, some judges, and 50 on.
And there they stand, Tigot in the pubic
eye, stealing and plunderiug, many of
them with both arms around negroes, and
their hands in their rear pockets, sSeing
if they cannot pick the paltTy dollar out
of them; aid the public looks at them,
does not regard the honest Northern men,
but calls every carpet. Dagger" q thief,
which 10 not the truth by coed deal.
But ;hsse fcl,OTs-many of them long
faced and with eyes rolled up-are great
" coDcern d for the education of teh
blacks and for the salvation of their souls.
TG-eal laughter <'Lst US pray" they
say. But they spell pray with an &C."
and, thus spelled, they obey the apostolic
Injunction TO ''pTsy without ceasjng."
Fellow cilizcns, the time has BEEN, snd
still is, when it was per.l5us to be known
as a Republican or aa Ab0litiOnist in the
South, but it never called the blush of
shame to any mans cheek to be so called,
until these thIeviag carpet baggers went
theEe-ueyeT! Applause. They got
into the Legislature; they went to issuing
Safe bonds; they pretended to use them
in aid of railroads and other improve
mests; but the improvements were not
made, ard the bonds stuck in the iSsuers'
pockets Laughter That is tee pity
of it.
"WeD, some say, "you have just such
thieves at the North" Yes, we dc-tOo
many Of them! Applause But the
South was alrCaoy impOyershed-was
bankrupt without money, without thrift,
almost without food; and these fellows
went there robbing and 5windling them
there was very little 20 steal, and taking
the last ten cent sEjnplas,er off the dead
men's eyes. They we're recognized By
Il. .ate arIs.ocricy, not merely as thieves
but as c3emfe. Says BJrou's Greek
minstrel,
A tylaot-but orr masters then
We're still at least our cJuntrymen.'