National Republican., 1877-02-15
THURspAY Yitiiii;iiI;tiiiiFEpRUARY I, laI.
AFFAIR OF Sci F-sEEKERs.


resenting the Democracy, Messrs. FIELD
aud CARPENTER, voted for HAYES. We
say counsel, as applied to Mr.. FIELD, ad.
visedly. for while he acts nominally as q
member Of the House, 1t Is clear that he
has been in reality from the start tho
retained counsel of Mr.. TILDEN. But we
do not mean to be understood as saying that
be has been paid retainer in money, for
that would be imputing crime; and we
will charge crime upon no one until
tho fact is established by proof He has,
how ever, had his qdd pro quo. He was
awarded his seat IN the House under
circumstances which cannot fail to con
vince all who are familiar with them
that il was in consideration OF his champi-
opship Of Mr.. TILDEN's cause. And he
has performed his allotted task with
marked zeal and industry, II not at all
times with that discretion and sagacity
which were TO have been expected Of him,
and which are often Of more service to
cause or client than the faithful employ.
ment Of great abilities.
OF Mr.. CARPENTER this can be said-that
he has been lifelong Democrat. and only
became Republican under very much
such circumstances as transformed Mr..
FIELD from q Republican into Demo
crat. Seeing an opening to the Senate
from his State, and finding that tho ex-
change of principle for the place could
be made, he double-quickcd the move.
ment and secured the prize. And right
here we are disposed to relate an anec.
dote OF him, touching his probable
sincerity in the Republican cause and,
strange coincidence, Mr.. DAVID DUDLEY
FIELD, his present associate in interest
and apostacy, is party to the story. Mr..
FIELD, then staunch Republican, Mr..
CARPENTER, recent convert to temperance
and Republicanism, and Mr.. RYAN, always
an uncompromising Democrat. and now
Chief Justice Of his own and Mr.. CARPEN-
TER's State. were in Washington on pro.
fessional business before the Supreme
Court. Happening together in the clerks
Office, Mr. CARPENTER signed his name 10
an appearance in their presence, when
Mr.. FIELD said: CARPENTER, why don't t
you write 30 II can be read - "Oh," said
Mr.. RYAN, chat is one ofCARPENTER's af-
fectations-he thinks bad writing is an
evidence Of greatness. Do you know
brother FIELD, CARPENTER has three af-
fectations, and this is one Of them. The
other two are temperance and Republican.
ism; those he will soon drop" The sally
was followed by hearty laughter, in which
Mr.. CARPENTBR Joined with unmatched
lungs, for he is visibly uproarious.
Since that day Mr.. CARPENTER has
failed to be returned to the Senate, and
certain things have occurred to impress
many that he Is likely at any moment to
dof the affectation of Republcanism, in
accordance with Judge RYAN's prophecy,
as. II report is true, he did long ago the
twin virtue Of temperance. Probably the
present engagement will prove his first ap-
pearance on the old stage he loved so we'll
since he went starring on strange boards
Ifso, he returns just In time to meet Mr.
FIELD as he comes bounding before the
footlights, in full favor with Democratic
audiences. And they may congratul ate
each other upon this fact that they each
went 10 the front in the new field chosen
without the delay of an apprenticeship.
But Mr.. FIELD should not make any un.
kind reference to the rellnquishment of his
distinguishing sifectations by Mr.. CARrEY.
TER, and probably he will not.
These emetamorphoses,h however are moth.
ing compared with those to follow the
final determination Of the question of the
Presidency. When that is known, there
will be such a breaking up and crumblng
10 pieces of old political organizations as
was never before witnessed in the United
States. The loser will receive shock
from which 1t will hardly recover without
such process Of exfoliation as shall leave
1t unrecognizable TO those who formerly
knew It, both as to numbers and character
and this shrinkage and publication will be
cause of serious afiliction to present recruits.
THE WORST TYPE OF CARPET-BAGIsM.
There stands upon the banks of the river
Nile column upon whose sides may be
seen the mud line indicating to the traveller
the height that the turbid waters reached
when the fertile valley is inundated. w.
j. PURMAN, ofFlQrida. has, within the past
lew days, proven himself to be the mud
mark which indicates the credullty and
misfortune Of the Republicans OF that com.
monwealth, who, in an unguarded
moment elevated to the high posi-.
tion of Congressional Representative,
this pestiferous crysalis npon the
party. He is gone now. In happy mo.
ment for the Republican party he let slip
the feeble no Id he had upon it, and has
been swept overheard, to toss for a brief
space upon the turbulent sea of political
uncertainty, and then sink into oblivion
forever. As barnacles are scraped from
the bottom Of vessels to facilitate their pro.
gress, 80 have Messrs. HEWITT and RAN
DALI relieved the Republican party Of
PURMAN. They are most welcome to him
and his scanty stock in store. This man
is fair representative of the scum
which rises TO the surface after all political
upheavals. He is 4 ripe specimen Of the
worst order Of carpet-bagism. We do mo-
blame the Southern people for complaining
against the imposition of such men upon
them. They have been curse more
blighting than the plaques of Egypt, aud