Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1876-03-16
Our BisuntviIc Letter.

MT. EdttOr:-A man named Felty
was lodged in Jail Saturday last, charged
with having stolen a mule and horse from
two OF our citizens. lie was followed
about 90 miles aud captured by Cart.
Jno. Welsh and others. He may lie in>
nocent of the charge, but if he is no., be
is not the frSt Of +. f. vs.. who has tried
his hand on pluudering East Tennessee.
40 ording to Democratic doctrine uhen
applied to Republicans, the whole State
of Virginia should be held responsible for
the rascality of this Mr.. Felty.
According to Democrats doctrine uhen
applied to Democrats, Mr.. Felty ought
not to have been arrested, but elected
to the State Legislature at least, for bis
efforts to add to the material wealth Of
the great State Of Virginia
About a year ago a great fraud upon
this County was discovered. The rascal
ity had been going on for a considerable
time, right under the nose" of two of the
County officials. County warrants that
had been cancelled were distracted from
the office of these officials to carry on the
fraud, and these officers never discovered
that anything was going wrong. After a
while a vigilant officer discovered the
wrong and had the offender brought to
justice. All the parties named were
Democrats and all officials Of the County.
The offender was sent to the pcuitcntiary
and pardoned by the Governor.
No Republican ever thought or init.
mated. so far as | know, hat the official.
from whose Office the warrants we're sto.
len were in any manner implicated in the
fraud, for they fully believed then, as
they do now. in their honesty. Nor have
| ever heard that Gov. Porter was promp-
ted to pardon the offender from any i'm.
proper motive, or that it was because all
were Democrats.
There were a few dirty, sculvy Demo-
Gratis, who had caught the cue from some
of tier leaders, did, by ~insinuation and
distant allusien, try to make the impress.
sion that these officials and even the
officer who caused the arrest were impli-
Gated in the fraud. Those fellows who
made the base insinuatious had been
taught too well, and the habit of trying
to implicate honest men in things Of this
sort could not be resisted, although those
whom they would have blackened were
honest Democrats.
So it is with others Of the Democratic
party who are intelligent, and ought to
be better men. The most of the Demo>
cratic editors know better when they
make their wholesale charges of dishon.
esty against Republicans.
Others talk because of their amazing
ignorance and nothing but the fear of u
broken head can ever stop them, and they
are generally too far from those they tra-
duce to be in any immediate danger Of
that.
Some Democratic editors make the fall
Of Belknap a theme upon which they write
windy wordy editorials, and if possible
make SOM one believe because one officer
has fallen all others of the same party are
dishonest. These editors 60 so far as to
say Kit is a case without a parallel" for.
getting that the best Secretary of War
they ever had, was gsilty of sowe very
peculiar modes of protecting the Govern
ment be had Sworn to protect. A case
without a parallel indeed.
Some of us have a faint recollection Of
the time when these virtuous Democrats
ruled at Washington, when corruption aud
treason held high carnival, when honesty
was the exception instead Of the rule.
Republicans grievc over the misconduct
of their officials. Some Democrats seem
to rejoice over theirs, if they can escape
punishment. There are Democrats who
talk and write as though no Democrats
had been in Congress foi years until the
last session, or else why the foolish ques.
tions they ask about the Developments
made by the present Congress. They
perhaps mean that it is necessary to have
a majority, to discover rascality.
The frost last night was severe, and it
is thought the entire fruit crop was des.
troyed.
Bloun,ville after a Rip Van Wrinkle
sleep, opened one eye a few days ago and
elected a Mayor and Aldermen.
J. F.
Blouutyille Tenn, March 18th, 1876.