Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-04-09
For the London Free Press.

H. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, April, 1858.
Nessrs. OBrie1 AS / feel slight attack of
what they sometimes call cocoethes scri6epdi a
very fatal disease often, have thought proper
to make my bow to you, so that you may know
that am still alive and kicking. You need
not think am about to declare myself candi-
date; for don't entertain such an idea; and my
friends, and the good people generally, have
overlooked my merits and claims so far, as to
neglect calling me out. Now is not that horri-
blel Why, when was young, sometimes felt
that, at least, one of the corners of the temple
of state rested on my shoulders But soon find
ing there were so many of our patriotic eoun-
trymen, who esteemed themselves the pillars of
government, formed different opinion as to
my importance. There is food-tide of patri-
otism these days, if the bowling multitude of
hungry offce-seekers, who cry all over the
country, are to be believed. Those croaking,
loathesome frogs, which, in the days of Moses,
hunted flies in such vast multitudes, in the val
ley of the Nile, never thought of such gibber.
ish and disSonant cries as those office-seekers
May heaven pity theml No one else does.
l have just returned from short trip down
the Tennessee river, and you need not talk to
me of the scenery along the Hudson, the Rhine,
or the father of waters. l should say that the
very impersonation of the grand and sublime,
is nowhere found but where the Tennessee riv-
er passes through the Cumberland Mountains.
When passed down in our gallant boat spring
had just lighted up with her first, her sweetest
smiles, the high thick forest, which, having
bowed unbroken through the hoarse blasts of
another winter, were clothing themselves in
fresh green robes. On the right and the left,
mountains heaved high, by some convulsive
shock of old earth, stood in stern defiance of
any law or power but that of heaven. Away
up on the shaggy sides of those vast piles of
earth, hang in mute and awful majesty, tall gray
cliffs, as if ready to leap from the mountains
side, and crush all beneath them. Far below
those grim and craggy precipices, flows the
mighty Tennessee, whose waters, chatting, whir-
ling, and leaping, as if enraged at the obstacles
lofty mountains those boar and venerable piles
of rocks stand in sulen, unmoved majesty
Every little while, some rampant torrent, boun-
ding through the deep gorges Of the mountain,
pOurs its limpid stream into the foaming river.
Before we had passed through this sublime
scene, the moon, full orbed, rising in serene
splendor, flung her mellow light upon those
rugged, gray cliffs; the dark sides of the noun
tains, and into their deep gorges, lending
sweet, yet sad, and solemn charm to the scene.
In such an hour, and amid such magnifcence,
how fast do thoughts of the past, dreams of
hope and love, and visions of the dark future
rise up and mingle in the mind, softening and
purifying the feelings But whittier have ram
bled! Ny pen has grown rather sentimental,
all at once. 1t is quite astonishing that it did
not run into the poetics.
By the way; are you not afraid you "Moun-
tain Poet" may climb so high on Pernassus,
that his heal may grow dizzy, and he fall and
break his neck? 1t has been said that "the lu-
matte, the lover, and the poet, are of magma
alton all compact" l have no sort of doubt
but M. P. is the lover, good and true; should
not be astonished, that, if not already, he soon
may be the lunatic; but the poet he never will
be, / feel sure. see that some other wight has
been warmed up with the inspiration of the
MUSES., and mounting his poor old sway-backed
Pegasus, has lavished his praises the best he
could on NV very kind friend Miss M w
but l should say, she feels but little hattered by
his attempt ITO roll his numbers down the tide
of time" But when the heart is wounded the
feelings must have vent; for "there is no killing
like that which kills the heart" so let the boys
alone.
1 think shall be in your town in May, and if
you don't get too warm on politics for me shall
call and see you. K.