The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-11-29
THE PRESS.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. NOV. 80, 1871.
Carpef-Bag Thieves.

1+;s NOT an unreasonable demand that
democrats make when they require Republi-
cans to bestow some Of that reforlnatory zeal
which has been exhibited in the war against |
Tammany, in denouncing and bringing 10
Justice the harpies, calling themselves hepuo-
licans, who are said to have increased the as-
gregate debt of the Southern States ABOUT
$40. O00 OOO since the war. They may DE |
be called Republicans, because the majority
of them have have acted with the progressive
marty. though some of the most disreputable
have been prominent in the opposition ranks.
There are several reasons why the dishonest
carpet-bagger is considerably more despicable
than an ordinary thief. In the first place he
goes South as sort Of missionary, carrying
Northern culture, humanity, sagacity and
practical skill to region supposed to have
been despoiled Of all these things by the in
fiuence of slavery. He goes as the advocate
Of civil and political equality. He goes as
protector and educator of a newly emancipat-
ed race, and as the representative OF the par
ty to which all moral progress effected in the
politics of the United States during the last
quarter of century, is due. If he turns out
to be a mere selfish, vulgar Spectator and
thief. he does all that one individual can to
bring contempt on a most righteous cause, to
hinder the progress of education and the es-
tablishment of good feeling in the South and
to impair the usefulness of a party whose
work is not yet done. He betrays the inno-
cent and helpless people of whom he has
assumed to be the guardian, and his crimes
have already in some instances remanded the
freedmen to the tender merces of their old
masters and the prosecutions of the Ku-Klux.
Radical corruption has given place to Con-
servative corruption and cruelty.
Another and less weighty reason why
Radical, carpet-bag robber is the most despic-
able of men, is that the reproach which be-
longs to him as an individual falls on the
whole class of Northern emigrants to South
ern States, some of whom are as honorable
gentlemen as can anywhere be found To be
"a carpet-bagger'' will soon, we fear, be of it.
self enough to make any man infamous,
though he should be as upright in purpose
and as pure in character as Senator Ames of
Mississippi or Hon. E. A. Buck, late Repre-
sentative from the Mobile district-two men
of whom Maine is justly proud.
There is some doubt whether great deal
of the increased debt of the Southern States
is due to absolute theft, but much of it repre-
sents recklessness, ignorance and unprinci-
pied selfseeking. The greater part of it is
due to system of State aid to railroads.
e,,s+a,,, fbat hos rad,,oad oovaral Of tha South
ern States to the verge Of reputation and
bankruptcy, and yet singularly enough, has
not yet become sufficiently odous to restrain
some of our own people from asking to have
st transplanted and acclimated here!
But the real typical carpet-bagger has had
more than one resource besides using the
public money to build railroads and incident
ally to improve his private fortunes. An ac-
count of a single transaction, lately brought
to light in connection with the exposure of
Gov. Bullock of Georgia, well illustrates one
of the methods of carpet-bag procedure. The
building which is now the State capital of
Georgia was built for an opera house, but,
the protector ofthat scheme having failed the
the building was bought at auction by the
Governors most intimate friend for $4,000.
. The purchaser completed it for $4,000, and
after number of failures at last found Leg
islature complaisant enough to purchase it
for $3S0,000! This is mere bagatelle COM
pared with the magnificent Irregularities of
Tammany, to be sure, but it is such one as
the Republican party ought not to be made
responsible for. Where men acting with the
Republican party in any part of the country
are known as persons of this Speculative
turn of mind they should be remorselessly
hunted down.