Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-03-31
"0ld Pluto '--senator Brownlow Photo
graphed.


graphed.
Washington Cor. Chicago Tribune.l
l called on Parson B-ownlow, of the
United States Senate, last Sunday. He
has the most marked case of ancient
scriptural palsy that | ever saw. He
boards at the celebrated boarding-nouse
of Mrs. Carter, on Capitol Hill, and when
| waited on him / found him lying on his
back upon lounge, bis hands moving in
the slowly listless way of one who fingers
the coverlets and babbles of the green
fields. Helplessuess of hands, pitiful
reaching out for perch, for rest, for support
this was the maR' movement; but in his
fixed, concentrated face, without twitch
or a tremor in it, there lay the steady
purpose of will that never wavered.
The face was sll rock, the hands we're all
crab. White they we're and thin, and be-
tween his forehead aud his knee they hut-
tered like pair Of weary gulls between
coast and coast. But out of his pale
face-not noble in its proportions, not
high, not intellectual, nor large in its be-
nignities two calm eyes looked like
a search warrant, and his smile was easy
as kings. A pinched face it was;
short, bony, with Indian cheeks, and the
hairs were young aud smooth. His
mouth shut so close that the cheeks puck
cred where you and | show side dimples.
Beside him we're his son aud son in-law,
dutiful and respectful, the former inher-
itor of his newspaper chair, and like the
old man in mary things. Brownlow
walks to the Senate every day, and takes
bis place with powerful pride. Vanity is
his immortal motive. His ability is like
that of William the Norman-terrible,
long, unreleDting. His government in
Tennessee has been oriental in its abso-
lutism, yet in its results extraordin-
ary. The State is calm, the flag is
upheld, there are no weaknesses in the
low far superficial subservients to slip
through. The old man decreed his con-
stitutiou, formed il after the fashion OF
blacksmith's wise, and had it enacted BY
a compulsory quorum. Those vote
whom be declares citizens-no more.
The South has it revealed to them that
not out of the North came the tramplers
of their broken spirit, but out of their
own civilization. An ancient slavehol'
der and a defender Of the Divine right
Of masters is be who gives them to make
bricks without straw and the bullrushes
for the children's cradles.
In many things Brownlow is gener-
Gus enemy aud TREND. No conventional
estimate can measure him. The being
of cline and time, he approaches the
ideal Indian Of Cooper aud Parkman,
and retorts upon his enemies the conse-
quences they apprehend for their treason.
He is poor, having given away whatever
his friends needed or would ask for, /
am told that one-half the profits of his
magnificent triumphsl trip of 1861, be-
tween East Teznessse and New England,
were demanded by General s. +. Cary,
of Cincinnati, in modest appreciation of
his own (Csry' 81 services, in tying him.
self like a bob 10 Brownlow's kite, and
making speeches through the Northern
States. II this thing happened as 1t was
related TO me BY one Of the Brownlow
family, il was q mirscnlousy mean
occurrence.
Tho appointment Of Longstreei, which
pleases the rest Of mankind, is not sat's-
factory TO the Tennessee Unionists
Mullins is reported to have said Of 1t:
This comes Of your ready sense (teti-
cence) want to see the hoss next time
before / vsie for hin" f-.f
A compromise has been mada in Paris
hetween The long aud short dresses. The