Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-29
HISTORIC CARPET.RAGIs,I.

1t looks odd that Massachusetts, should
be quoted in justification of Southern oppo-
sition to carpet-baggers. But such is the
fact. The people Of that cid Common
wealth were once made Cle victims of a
earpet-bagger, and they protested Justify
against this outrage. In document bear
ing date April Is, 1859, and entitled 'The
Declaration of the Gentlemen, Merchants
and Inhabitants of Boston and the Country
Adjacent" they complain that Sir Edmond
Andres had been brought from New York
to be their Governor, and they set forth
their grievances after this manner:
''The Government was no sooner in these
Hands, but care was taken to load Prefer
ments upon such men as were strangers
to and bdterS Of the people; and every ones
Observation hath noted, what Qualifica-
tons recommended a Man to publick off
ces and Employments, Oaly here and there
good Man was used, when others could
not easily be had; the Governor himself,
with Assertions now and then falling from
him, made us jealous that It would be
People were removed and another sue
ceeded in their room. And these far
fetched instruments that were growing
rich among us, would gravely inform us
that it 1gds not for his MdjestieS interest
that lge should thriUe.
But of all our oppressors we were chiefly
Squeez'd by a crew of abject Persons,
fetched from New York, TO be the Tools of
the Adversary, standing at our right hand !;
by these were extraordinary and intoler-
able Fees eXtorted from every one upon all
occasions, without any Rules but those of
their own Unsuitable Avarice and Beg
gary, and even the probate of viii must
now cost as many Pounds perhaps as it
did SbiHingS heretofore; nor could a small
volume contain the other Illegalities done
by these HOrSe-LeecheS in the two or
three years that they have been sucking of
as. Persons who did
but peaceably object against the raising of
Taxes without an Assembly, have been for
it fined, some 20, some 80, some others 80
pounds. PdcSt md pickt Jlu-ieS have been
very common things among us.
Some have been kept in long and
close Imprisonment without any the least
Information appearing against them, or an
HGbeds Corpus allowed unto them"
The protest was printed in pamphlet
form, and no doubt had a general circula-
ton among the people Of that day. The
carpet-bagger as here pictured nearly two
hundred years ago, is true to his instincts
to-day. The picture is so life-like that it
seems to have been drawn for the South
ern States in the light of the past five years.
The governments of the Southern States
were ono sooner in these hands, but care
was taken to load preferments upon such
men as were strangers to and hdterS of the
people; and every ones observation hath
noted what qualifications recommended
man TO public offices and employments;
Only here and there a good man
was used when others could not
easily be had.'' Could the writer
have been more true to history
had he written of the carpet baggers
Of our own timer And well may the tax
ridden and robbed people of South Caro-
lima, and Georgia, and Florida, and Louisi-
ana, and other Southern States exclam,
''But of all our Oppressors, we were chiefly
squeezed by a crew of abject persons
fetched from" the North; "by these were
extraordinary and intolerable fees ex-
torted from every one upon all occasions,
without any rules but those Of their own
Unsuitable avauce and beggary." There is
not StaDe in the South that has not felt
the presence of this class. Massachusetts
once protested against these "horse-leeches,"
ol' now the Radicals among her people re-
J'ice to see them preying upon the South.