Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-08-11

try at Talladega. General Jack
son and Captain Moore brought
from this field of courage twt
/ Indian babies, taken from The
breasts of their dying mothers
These Indian children they raised
and educated, after which they
returned them to their tribe.
! THE MILL-DAM SPEECH.
/ General Meore has served elev.
en- terms in the Legislature from
LINCOLN county, and never was
beaten. In one of his contests
for the Legislature, he made the
celebrated non-committal argu-
ment in the mill-dam case. There
is nothing in the history of non-
eommittal speeches. that equals
this in boldness and success. In
deed it has become proverbial all
over the country, and we remem-
Der to have seen an accurate state
ment of it by.a B. itish Lord in
the House Of Parliament. The
facts were that a mill dam below
Fayetteville, on Elk river, became
an issue every year. Everybody
in Lincoln county above the dam
wanted it removed, because it in
terfered with boating. The cot
ton was then shipped out on fat
boats; but for all the country be.
low the dam it was the only mill,
and the people could not ford to
give it up. Year after year the
General, by his good management,
had got along, and had reasona-
bly, satisfied both sides, but this
year there were a great many cam
Ididates and the people were much
Iexcited. The candidates soon
took sides, some for and some a.
against the mill-dam. General
Moore was called on and earnest
Ily pressed by his opponents. He
evaded the issue as long as pos,
sible, but one day, in the upper
end of the county, he told the
people he was not the man to run
for office and be silent upon any
question in which the people were
interested. He would despise
himself if he were to steal into
the Legislature by concealing his
views on this or any other ques-
tion, but that his position would
be misunderstood aud perverted if
carried by those who heard him,
from the upper to the lower end
of the county. He therefore
preferred waiting until he could
get both sides present. There.
was to be meeting at the, milk
dam and there would be people
there from both sections. That
would be the place to make known
his position. He wanted to- de-
ceive nobody and preferred stat
ing his position to. all, face to face.
When he met both sides be would
define his position full y and clear
ly, and if the people did not like
it they could send somebody else.
This was satisfactory to all con-
cerned, and it soon ran all over
the county that Moore was going
to define his position at the mill
dam meeting-, @
AT TIE MILL DAM.
From all parts of the county
the people came, and the meeting
was very large one. The ex-
citement ran high and bets were
made.l Moore was The efayorite
candidate throughout the county,
but if he took sides for removing
the mill-dam, all below would
turn against him, if for the mill
dam all above would be against
him, Other candidates spoke, all
taking sides and discussing the
merits of the ,mill-dam. Finally
it came Moore's turn. lie spoke
last. e., When he rose the peo-
Pile, women and men, all crowded
round, became silent and listened
with the deepest interest. Gen
eral Moore, said he was indeed
glad to see SO many of his old
friends from all parts Of the coun-
ty. He knew we'll what had
brought them. He had been ac-
cused of trying to carry water on
both shoulders b. his silence up
on the milldam question, but he
rejoiced at being able now, in the
presence of both sides and all par
ties, to consign this most unfound-
ed charge to its merited oblivion,
and its authors to the punishment
they SO richly deserved--the CEN
sure of a just and enlighted peo-I
pie. 81 am glad" said the Gener-
al, s'to have the opportunity of /
putting myself right upon this
question. | am the last man to
withhold my views upon any