The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-12-14
Historic Carpet-Bagism.

1t looks odd that Massachusetts, should be
quoted in justification of Southern opposition
to carpet-baggers But such is the fact The
people of that old Commonwealth we're ONE
made the victims of carpet-bagger, and thy
protested Justify against this outrage. In
document bearing date April 49, 1859, and en-
titled "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 10 sooner in these
Hands, but care was taken to load Preferments
upon such men as were strangers to and haters
of the people; and every ones Observation
hath noted, what Qualifications recommended
a Man to publick Offices and Employments,
only here and there good Nan 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
thought for his Majestics Interest, if this Peo-
pie were removed and another succeed in their
room. And these far. fetched instruments that
were growing rich among us, would gravely in
form us that 1t pas not for his 1ajestics interest
that acc should Mrire.
"But OF all our oppressors we were chiefly
,quecz'd by crew of abject Persons, fetched
from New York, to be the Tools of the Adver-
sary, standing at our right hand ; by these were
extraordinary and intolerabe Fees extorted
from every one upon all occasions, without any
Rules but those of their own Unsuitable Ayarice
and Beggary and even the probate of Will
must now cost as many Pounds perhaps as it
did Shiliings heretofore; nor could small
volume contain the other Illegalities done by
these Horse Leeches in the two or three years
that they have been sucking of u.s..
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
so pounds. Pact and pict Juries have been
very common things among us.
Some have been kept in long and close Inn
prisonment without any the least Information
appearing against them, or an Hd1cas Corpus
allowed unto them"
The protest was printed in pamphlet form,
and no doubt had general circulation among
the people of that day. The carpet-bagger rs
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 Southern States in the light of the past
five years. The governments of the Southern
States were mo sooner in these hands, but care
was taken to load preferments upon such men
as were strangers to and haters of the people;
and every ones observation hath noted what
qualifications recommended man to public of.
fees and emploYments only here and there a
good man was used when others could not easi-
" be had" Could the writer have been more
true to history had he written of the carpet
baggers of our time7 And we'll may the tax
ridden and robbed people of South Carolina,
and Georgia, and Florida, and louisiana, and
other Southern States exclaim, "But of all our
oppressors, we were chiefly squeezed by crew
Of abject persons fetched from the North; by
these were extraordinary and intolcrable fees
extorted from every one upon all occasions,
without any rules but those of their own insat-
liable avarice and beggary." There is not
State in the South that has lot felt the presence
of this class Massachusetts, once protested
against these "horse leeches, but now the Rad
ieals among her people rejoice to see them prey.
ing upon the south.-Aa'heiAe Union and
american.