The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1859-04-02
Che 'Geeil iuI)is.
ELkTON, APRIL 3, 1859,


"Haroa," word for word as it comes to u.s.
as he so particularly desires. " Harold" as
thahy Of Our readers are aware, is the nom dc
plume Of Mr.. THOMAS WASHINGTON SMITH
of this county, and his many friends will by
this tt,eahs be pleased to hear from him.
Ed. Wing.
Correspondence of The Cecil Whigl
NEW ORLEANS, March 18th, So
MIR. RICKETTS, For sore time il has been
IN my mind suggestivcly, chat by observation
I had gained items enough to fill up n
gossiping letter. Now we are estranged up
on this exact question of what shall or ought
not to. constitute news.
Some time in the beginning of the winter of
SO, you wrote long sarcastic editorial lee
tine to your correspondents to leave their SEN
timcnt ut home when going abroad and even
questioned the likelihood of most persons
being able to cxper fence that sentimental
grandeur they so unintercstingly strove to i'm
part to their tame romance.
What could the scribbling corps do but
listen mutcly to the judicial counsel; and
give to it implicit consent. or be forewarncd
by it into silence! But sir. demuned, as
best ! could: you did not say your columns
WHY opSIi w >hSputO VIC punt, elSe WDuIu
have frci ghtcd roam Of manuscript in upon
you in less than fortnight. made my pro-
test however, wrote an essay OF sentiment
II ruined the blank face of ever so many
sheets Of paper-forwarled it to a sentimental
Debating Club where. afterwards, | learned
1t was read and of course commented on and
forgotten. Now my old friend lay this SUBJ
jcct 10y for the present; you wouldn't hear
he on it any way-for it is pIcjudged in your
mind. But should the future afford time and
opportunity you will hear of it.; when you
arc invited to review my premises with all that
critical pungcncy in which you so unduubted-
ly excel. Another trouble comes up. You Edl-
tors, are an imperial class and shape. and
color every article which goes through your
moulding press, into the model pattern of
your will. Now don't like the unuvited
interference of your quill. Let IIarold's
peculiar stJie as you call it alone; and il
lie writes apparently out of the conventional
style, he is neither seeking nor evadng popu-
lari,y, and certainly is actuated by motives
that lie thinks affects the general veal, and
for which he is very ready to give the reasons
that prompted him, to arrive at such coucu-
sions. A miner values no more the mighty
yellow escucheon which of late is so often
dug out of tie ground-than does crude
thinker an idea which he draws forth from
the immensely Of thought. And if you now
smile and say you never have seen new idea
from this quarter; well, you must know it
is quite the same whether it is so or not pro-
fidcd the party concerned may only think so.
But now You inquire what is TO become of
your PAPER i! The ldcalists once get unboundrd
privilege to crowd it up every week, to the
exclusion of local and editorial maitert We'll
Il .clo, tl,, ,Jn ,,c, II,
and really seems to demand the necessity of
the pen. scissors, and veto. But with this
party let it be understood lumpus or nothing.
To this then. you can hardly object.
Ard now a" apology really seems called
for because Of this long prelude. 1t will be
to me more surprise to see it in type-than
to know you threw it OUTPUT then sir, this
old g'udge that it seemed owed YOU, must
be paid Off before could write sinoothc, or,
go into the retail Of facts, seen and noted on
my rambling routes.
The summer months, July and August.
were spent in Tennessee. have so often sent
back my notions of that state that to me il
appears the circle Of readers for whom, more
especially, write must he pretty well post
ed on my int,reEccs Of that rather delight
full part of our country. Besides too, Harper
has given such excellent clayon sketches of
the " sharp shooters " that may be pardoncd
for skipping over the details there and harry
ing on to Alabama.
Memphis, town bordering the " Father of
Freshets has population Of some 20 600
so the citizens say-yet | would not estimate
the outlines Of lhcir scattered town capable of
holding over half that number. The place is
young and has all the sinews Of young am
bilious man Of modern habits. Gamblers
have made it Il lurking place where to meet
and concoct plans and exchange with each
other the prospects and comcatable posi-.
tons, of "game." -
But the growth of its commercial import
ance has brought on stringent municipal reg.
nations which are narrowing them to uncom-
Portable quarters. Pomp and Costume rule
pretty high there. 1t is said by Gotham "
merchants that Memphis and Louisville, Ky,
purchase more costly goods for the size Of
them than any other towns in the South and
West Owners of waste lots in Memphis
have seen them quadrupled in value in few
years, and this social pmdigaiity is so natural
to people who have come into the resources
ofluxury without an effort to secure it.
Northern Alabama and the Western and
Middle Districts of Tennessee make Mem phis
their shipping port. The Railroad from there
~ ~ w hSuS tue NaIIey artery
with the ocean and makes it's either termi.
nus to prosper with the reception of agricul-
tural products. You mind when the dispatch
es were going over to England in such silent
rnpidity: query did one ever cross the ocean
except in the portfolio of stakeholder. The
Mayor of Memphis. sent his greetings
and offered as reason why he consistently
might-that the city over which he was
comptroller electAwas the largest inland cot
ton port Of the South. For this honor think
Montgomery, Alabama, would stouty con.
tend. Railroads iii construction and con,em-
pla'ion making Memphis the ultimate depot
or line of way promise her happy future
withal her position is not beyond prccarious
hope, and suspensivc uncertainty.
But | am paying too much attention to
town that has, within the memory Of living
men. sprung from an Indian encampment
into extreme scrupulous effcmlnacy. Let us
away from the dust and CHATTER of place to
which no one can help being cndeared because
Of the cordial warmth of their social courtesy
The giant men of Tennessee have capacious
room for big hearts every string of which
gives answering cadcnces solely their own,
and no where in the state can they excel
Memphis. Here yon say is a contradiction
low can men be gentlemen giants and yet so
decriora:ed | mean the modern growing
inhab itants of these recent back woods coun-
tries are of a refined school the fnstidin,fe