Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1874-06-06
SATURDAY. JUNE 6. 1874.

DIR. b. NJ. PALNRR.-This eminent
man has resigned the charge of the
first Presbyterian church of New Or
leans, after pastOrate of nearly TWEEN
ty years. II is not our intention
here, to ask for DIR. Palmer a gener-
Gus welcome at the hands of the peo-
pie of Tennessee. It has been known
for some time past that lie had been
offered the chancellorship of the Uni
versity at GAINESVILLE, and it was re-
gardcd as certain that he would ac-
cept it. This is n matter of congrnt-
ulation to our neighbor city and to
the State, but it is at the same time
painfully suggestive of the terrible
pressure that has been brought to
bear upon the people of Louisiana.
Many of the years If DR.. Palmer's
life have been spent in the metropo-
lis of the South. He loved New Or
leans and New Orleans loved him
His church was to the visitors of that
city what The Church of the Pilgrims
is to the visitors of New York. He
had left his native State, South Caro-
lima, because the field that spread out
before him was one of vast useful
ness. At the time New Orleans was
the most opulent city of the New
World. On any day fifteen hundred
vessels from abroad could be counted
at her wharves, while the average now
does not exceed thirty. DIR. Palmer
saw all this change, but with singular
fidelity he continued to discharge his
trust. Going about doing good,
comforting where he could not cure,
mitigating suffering where ne could
not wholly relieve it, literally sowing
beside all waters, he sought to stay
the ruin of people that claimed him
as their truest and most devoted lead
or. His children were born in New
Orleans and several of them are bur-
led there, and yet he finally quits
his old home and seeks another,
higher up in the great valley.
How did this come about and what
is the lesion that it teaches the peo-
pie of Tennessee? Does any one
suppose that DR.. Palmer would have
been permitted to leave New Orleans
if the conviction had not been forced
upon her people, that their future was
dark and uncertain? In $50 or go
they would have been able to offer
inducements to any one whose SER
vices they desired, that could not have
been outweighed by any city on the
continent. They might have done
almost as much for several years after
the war, but they are beaten and
disheartened at last. The men of
Louisiana who i'll other days made her
known throughout the world have
gone into exile, or died broken-heart-
ed. Benjamin is in England, SIidell
returned TO France, Soule is dead,
and Warmoth, Pinchbeck, Durell
and others of that ilk vainly attempt
to fill their places. The old individu-
atty of the State is gone, and the ex-
odus of her best people grows great
er day by day.. 1t is thus with all the
States South and Southwest Of us.
Men who adorned the bench and bar
of Arkansas and Mississippi, and who
had been honored in old days by
these States, are scattered all over
the land. Pike and johnson are at
Washington. Elicit, Phelan and Clapp
removed to Memphis. Thus it is, not
only with professional men but also
with farmers and mechanics. 1t is
not our present purpose to deplore
this, or to ask how it came about.
Tennessee land especially West Ten
nessee) is the gamer by it and we
merely inquire how it chances that
she is so, aud how she can remain SO.
The ,question is answered every day
by men summoned to act as jurors in
our circuit courts. There are seen
at such times faces not
familiar to the bar. When their
owners are asked if they arc free
holders or householders, they gen.
orally say that they are house
holders. When asked if they consider
rs their home, they say
that they expect to make it their
permanent home if it suits them
These men are nearly all substantial
farmers or handicraftsmen from the
States south of us. They have gath
cred up their household treasures
sold out their lands at one, two, three
or four dollars an acre, although the
same lands would have brought for
by, fifty or perhaps one hundred dol
ars an acre twelve years ago, and
ieeing from intolerable persecution
md crucifying taxation, have rented
homes with us. How can such men
be made to grow into freeholders and
thus become a permanent portion of
BUR population? They left their old
homes not because they did not love
hem, not because our skies are
brighter, but because Tennessee is
Tree, because she is governed by white
men. In the figures showing the
of the inhabitants of Tennes-
see, they saw or thought they saw
security for the future. They rea-
supposed that where there
were 900, 900 whites and only about
$50, 900 blacks. Radicalism could new
IF attain a permanent foothold. Shall |
We continue to gather the richest
poll left from the overthrow of our
lister States-shall Tennessee con-
inue a safe asylum for her neighbors,
" shall we throw away the opportu-
lity that we now enjoy of becoming
-ich and powerful and prosperous
,nce more, and soon? If we are true
o ourselves, if we are not misled by |
lemagogues who would have been
orgiven long ago by a generous
,eople for past blunders, and past
erocity while they had the power to
crafty it, if they had frankly confess.
d their faults, we viii in a little
While receive tremendous accessious
rom abroad. All that is necessary
or us to do is to retain in our own
lands the control of our own home |
lfFairs. This will add to the price of |
,ur lands, build up our towns and |
titles, and give a healthful impulse
20 all our great industries. The OPP
1osite result can be attained lust as |