The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-03-28
Hon. M. n. HASKELL

the following eloquent tribute to the MEM
ory of the Hon. VIM. T. Haskell, which all
who knew The extraordinary genius of the
sub i'll acknowledge to be no exagge-
ratl, Of praise:
7 history of that remarkable man, as
we ) the facts withinour possession, enable
US & write il, is summed up in few words.
He gas born in the village of Murfreesboro,
about the year 1917, and was the son of the
Hon. Joshua Haskell He was educated at
the Nashville University, where he gradu-
ated with distinction in 1885. When the
Florida war broke out, his young spirit was
fired with desire to serve his country, and
he repaired to the theater of hostilities as
volunteer. Returning when his period of
duty was ended, he turned his attention to
politics, and was returned from the county
of Madison to the Legislature In 1910 he
began to develop those powers of elocution
that gave him so much renown in his SUBJ
sequent career. Taking the Wing side of
politics, he was, in 1874, nominated by his
district as Presidential elector on the Clay
ticket. In that celebrated canvass he won
the applause of all who heard his splendid
speeches, and contributed very materially to
Jut SuCCcSS VI MI. CldJ ILLS w ueu
the Mexican War broke ont, he volunteered
his services as a soldier, and was elected to
the command of one of the Tennessee regi-
ments, which he commanded at the celebra-
ted battle of Cerro Gordo. Upon his return,
he was elected from the Jackson District to
a seat in the Congress of the United States.
He served one term, and established for him
self in that body reputation for oratory
-, g., q 1,
al councils. In 1882 he was candidate for
Presidential elector for the State at large on
the Scott ticket. In this campaign his jour
ney throughsthe State was an ovation. The
greatest crowds that ever assembled in the
State came out to hear him, and his speeches
are said by the best judges who heard him,
to have been the most brilliant and thrilling
that ever fell from the lips of man. Thous-
ands focked to hear him, and stood fire.
quently in the full blaze of the mid
summer sun and in the drenching rain
for hours, unconscious, seemingly, of either,
fascinated by the wonderful charms of his
eloquence. In 1856 he once more took the
field of oratory and canvassed the Stale#ur-
cling the claims of Mr. Fillmore to the Pres
idency. Those who heard him then viii
long and wildly remember how, when bis
tall form rose upon the rostrum before them,
the great throngs shouted and pressed eager
ly forward; and how, when he turned to
them and opened his lips, they shouted again
and pressed still forward; and how, when
in the midst of his flowing speech and burn
ing words they became silent. motionless
mass of human flesh, e..
During the year 1857, a change came
upon him, and we, who knew him intimate
ly, do well remember the progress of that
awful calamity that threw over his bright
mind the impenetrable darkness Gifts eclips-
ing wing. His brilliant reason wavered for
months, and we could trace the light as it
descended from blaze to spark, and then
went out forever. He became insane, and
the fancy that dwell so beautifully within
the temple of his. SOUL now unconfned,
futtered abroad without order or restraint.
1t was sorrowful to behold so much grand
eur in ruins, so much wealth of intellect
destroyed, and so splendid an edi6ee of ge-
MUS in decay. Men passed him and looked
upon him as the traveller looks upon the
immortal relics and ruins of almighty Rome,
and sighed to think that the heap of ruin
before them could never more become the
temple in which the throne of genius was
once erected. They took him away and
confined him, for his business with men was
ended, and the sun of his glory had gone
down, They confined him in the Insane
Asylum at Lexington, X. Y, first, and after
ward in that at Hopkinsville Hopes were
INDUCED that his mind had not gone away
forever TAT time and gentle care might
bring the gorgeous wanderer. The
, tenderest dearest hopes of him failed and
the united prayers of thousands of true
heart friends were unanswered. For him
therc was nothing left but to die, and
he Ted. All unforgotten in memory he
will have life, but in that faithful repos-
tory of all that is left of him, viii ring no
eloquent vpiee, viii beam no living eye,
will rise no form of manly dignity and
grace. They are ours no more, 1t is need
less to say how much we deplore his sad
fate, nor is the task of eulogy ours.