New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-16
WORRYING wIrH THE TRUTH.

in the afternoon. Something or some
body had upset his appetite, for in the
morning he was as lovely as fossil; at
ten ante-meridian he stood upon the
corner, cool and collected, with his hat
adjusted to the back of his head. so as to
leave the noble brow that never sweats
with ignoble toll fully revealed to that
public which loves to look upon the intel
lectual and the complacent. He wore the
air of a man who had won victory, and
was then engaged in enjoying his triumph.
His eye had that philosophical quietude
which denotes to the general observer the
calm and solid sense of victory without
any mixture of vain and personal exulta-
ton. We are familiar with this optical
attitude, and as old Joe knows us, and is
aware of the failing on our part that
indefensible political notions, he at once
impressed us with the reason Of his con-
scious importance by unfolding copy of
the Bulletin and running his eyes down
the first column of the second page.
Bagsteck is not cross-eyed, but on the
occasion to which we are abiding he
managed to see as much of us as he did of
the luminous letter that he was pretending
to read, although the distance between
the two objects required focal spread
equal to sixty-three degrees. In fact, his
ID 30 ii
head, and their tenor gave US to under
stand that the matter in hand was our
utter destruction. This was in the
morning.
At half-past two in the afternoon Joe
Bagstock had lost his appetite and was a
badly demoraized man. He still chung
to the Bulletin, but his eyes refused to par
ley with ours. His hat was as straight as
a plumb line, and his noble brow was
wrinkled. If the article in the first col
umn of the second page, to which we
have alluded, had been Medusa's head,
Joe could not have gazed upon it with
more despair, There was q door close by,
and while its refuge offered us security
from the sun and wind, it also gave us
the opportunity to understand the matter
which had wrought this sudden change.
Bagstock was talking to himself "By
Jove," said he, "that fellow took me
down. He was stranger and I thought
to improve him and make better man
of him. He offered treats in the politest
manner, and 1 never refuse. This gave
me the opportunity to sound his views.
He had radical suggestions to make and
l sought to convince him of his errors.
He listened with attention while / ex-
planned the glories of the past and
the miseries of the present. He
seemed to be willing to become
a convert. AS a last assault, l called his
to letter which had given me
great consolation. 1t was slyly done, dew
ilish sly. He turned at once and told me
that he had read the letter when it first
in the Springfield Republican.
He was then upon the point of starting
South, and his great hope had been that
the Southern people would either de-
nounce the statements Of the correspond
emit, or declare that they had adopted a
bettsr course of action. He could not
understand how any people could be pros
porous while pursuing the line of action
detailed in the letter. They had lived Off
of the labor of others They had taken
credit beyond their means to pay. They
had consented to pay extortionate prices
to commission merchants, and had Dor
rowed upon usurious interest. They had
lived like Turks, feasting at Moreau's and
sleeping with Aspasia. They had neglected
their own business, and rejected the bene-
fits of education. Their days had been
spent at the race track, and their nights
at the gambling table. They spent their
money at the North or at fashionable
watering places, building no roads, keep
ing no records. What they did not eat
and drink the sirens flched from them.
They mortgaged their lands and negroes,
and became the slaves Of their factors.
The country was bled to support them in
dissipation. They pretended to be PLAN
tiers, while they were ssbarites, lazy, ex-
travagant, careless, and sanguine. Al
ways in want of money, and afraid to
look at their cash book. Going down hell
all the time, and too weak to put on the
brakes. Swindled on all hands, they
dared not say nay TO the plunderers.
They drowned in wine the voice of con-
science"
This, said Bagstock, twas what this
man told me. and he said it was the very
language of the letter that l had been
praising all day. He asked me if this
was the picture that the Southern people
chose TO indorse Of themselves. If it is,
then they can have nothing TO complain
Of, for their own wickedness had wrought
their ruin. And as for myself, what
answer could makeg had indorsed
the statement as Il appeared, without
looking at the spirit of the letter. ! had
drank wine and followed women with the
ancient regime. l knew Lecompte and
Lexington better than / did my grand
father. Moreau's was as familiar to me
Is my bed-chumber. What could I say
All could do was TO curse the letter tina
Il .94 II