Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-11-17
Special Correspondent of the lSew YORK wo ld.l

Special Correspondent Of the New York wo Id
LOUISVILLE, November 9-Eentucky j.
Just now exhibiting one OF those heroic i'm
pulses that sometimes move whole people
and recall the virtues OF day that, existing
only IN imagination or IN the past, Is seldom
found IN modern experience. As we are
accustomed to rate politics virtue - thing
apart. lGe wid.s praat baneY1lenCe that
prompted every part Of the country TO Rener-
Gus Contributions 20 the sih cted PEOPLE IN
the regions IHyaged 10y ysl.Jy-feyer ha-
excited no surprise, ioI these Is abundant EVIL
dencc through many Experiences of the geuer-
csty Of our people. According TO cur various
situations we expect II, we admire IL, we take
pleasure n II, we are grateful for L, we are
ready 70 do II again, and being our habit we
let It quietly pass for what it. is worth
In our national character so soon as
the emergency that evoked it has passed
away. B1t II Is not often that these noblcr
Impulses lay hold upon cur p5libcs Dazzed
Oy the mcretrctOus glory Of have
more than once laid the GAIT OF high public
station at the feet OF our succt ssful generals.
but though we often tell It 10 our own ears
that peace hath her victories no less re.
nowned than war; we do but seldom reward
the heroes Of such victories unless they be
won IN the field Of diplomacy or politics.
We place tue heroes OF humanity on pedes.
tails, bit to the popular nlird they are mere
symbols OF virtue IN the abstract not the liy-
ing, breathing, aspiring men of familiar
aspect who invite our sutfrages Kentucky
Is eNhllluDg one OF these exceptional cOndl-
tons. The heart Of her people went out te
the afflicted regions Of the south Sle
Joined the whole country in contributing aid
- reley. the sG.icrings OF the distressed
SeverR. OF her sons Joined those who vOiun-
teered their medical skill IN the dreadful
struggle with the destroyer. Many of them
tell Ia the noble work, but among the sur
vlvors Is a man who is now the hero of one
OF the most dramatic political episodes of the
century. Go anywhere in Kentucky
and you viii hear men ex3aim that
they are for "tte brave old man for
governor. They mean DIR. Luke Z. Black
burn. They will tell you that all his life he
mas been lighting epidemic disease, from the
day forty years back vben he went to Lex
ington TO light the cholera, down to the day
that the last case Of yel!ow-f,ve yer occurred in
Hickman. They will tell you that he has
never yet had yellow fever, yet whenever
that disease has become general in the south
west he has always been hand, and that
tins summer, with NOS hing to gain in pro-
iesslonai reputation Oh that score, and with
iull opportunity furnished by the sick re-
fugees IN LOuisvIl g to excuse himself from
service "a. the front, he uuhesitatingly re-
spondtd 20 the call for his services so soon as
the disease invaded Kentucky. lie went to
the town Of Hickman. | believe ne statistics
read that out OF one hundred an FIVE men
one hundred ard three were Frustrated with
yellow-iever, and some seventy died. Thtsl
figures tell the tragic story in which DR..
blackburn took such con spicuOus part. know
TINS brave old man well. He comes Of a
family OF brave men, possessed of strong
family and individual characteristics. He
has not closely followed his profession. Many
years ago he made squirt IN the legislative
business that he did not follow up with the
same success that sttended the emergence of
his brother, Joe Blackburn, from the obscurity
OF a country village. He followed planting
Tor while with more or lees success eyentu-
ally, believe, with Proclamation If less.
but he has never neglected his profession,
ana | do NOT know that No IL ,v,
ms medical brethren IN the least behind the
times. can myself testify to one occasion
when he was called In consultation with the
most gratifying results. IL considers him
e sell now retired from practice. VIII n Louis
VINE hrst opened her doors 10 refugees from
i the teyeT-stncken places Of the south, the
dn question OF the possibility Of the disease being
spread among the Louisville people was one
OF serious consideration. The difference Of
AoplnIon on that subject was represented re-
sPecdvey by Dr.. Blackburn and Dr. Bell.
ne former entertained the opinion that the
'htinol settse might prevail IN Louisville DIR. Bell
M breme7ldly declared that it could not possibly &C.
'Ort Eadsthere, The breaking out of the disease
"a, nom y lckmar, Kentucky, encroached somewhat
~: the line marked by Dr. Bell as the limit Of
y n ILL., approach, and subsequently there were
cntIon Asses IN Bowling Green. In louisville there
U -; we're several fatal cases Of fever that were
viii denounced yellow fever by most OF the ply
the sicians, but DR.. Bell still asserts that they
g. were not cases OF yellow fever, and that moth
e ing has occurred TO impair the theory Of the
~ disease on which he first planted himself, and
induced the people Of Louisville to offer a
city OF refuge TO the south. The difference
between these two physicians who are the
representatives, OF different schools of opinion
IN the dark enigma OF yellow. fever, has pro-
duced no leaOuSes between them. DIR. Bell
was one OF the first to do honor TO Dr. Black
burn on his return, and the exceptional state
OF affairs IN Kentucky Il thus further Illus
trated by az example Of professional gen
crosby that Is not SO common among medical
men rs to be uawortuy OF note. There Is an
easier and more com ortaJ.e way to get otfioe
than TO risk ones lite for it, s. when | say
that for number of years Dr.. Blackburn
has wanted othce do not want TO be under
stood as lnsinuatlng that he has exhibited
the heroic element Of his character for the
purpose Of securing public favor. The
great Preponderance OF the Democratic
party in Kentucky has made party nomina
ton Tor State Office equivalent to election.
The fight, therefore, is not in the open field,
but IN the convention. Naturally enough, it
not inevitably, the machine pre- )mluates. A
man who wants to be governor must go TO
WORK on the machine. Three and half
years ago General Cerro Go-do Williams
tried a popular Upheaval. a popular vote
among the Democrats throughout the State
before the assembling OF the convention would
undoubtedly have put him IN nomination.
But when the convention met the popular up
heaval dId not reach it, or, If 1t did, 1t ex-
haustel Itself on the insufficient effort of the
first ballot. General Williams worked up his
burn is spontaneous. That Is the ference
now, and what the difference IN result will be
remains 10 be seen. The danger to Dr. Black
burn Is that the cause of the general impulse
IN his favor i transitory. The succession OF
frosts that kill OF the yellow-fever and the
time that OblIteTates Its rdvdges, may XII OH
his presen. unbouuded popularity and bring
his chances down 10 the common level OF other
aspITauts Who are contemplating the operation
OF the political machine. II that should hap
pen 1t would spoil fine spectacle. Wherever
DIR. B.sckburn now carries his pOrtly
form, lis smiling, rid face, his
hearty manners, and his southern
planter-in- city clothes style Of things
generally, men rush to his embrace, women
greet him with tears and f1wers, ma'dens
smile upon the dear, brave old man," and
the boys vocilerate his praise. He Is every
where a hero He likes it, and so it be-
comes him the better. He is not one OF those
heroes who inspire awe, and demand admla-
ton at a distance. He is flesh and blood,
with papable little tobles of vanity that
might hult q younger man, but which seem
harmless, aud indeed rather attractive In one
of his paternal aspect. He looks like ex-
ponent Of philanthropy, and men are not dis
appointed when they see him. He Is the
reality OF the slightly exaggerated genial,
hearty, irduigeut, occasionally rather sensI-
tive, porty old gentleman of the stage.
Down below the social qualities and traits
thus indicated there Is a groundwork OF good
sense. lie would make a good governor.
His present show for being governor has
obscurcl the prospect Of every other cand-
date. Al election tomorrow, or conven-
ton tomorrow, would certainly secure to
hum the prize. The sooner the convention
comes off, the better it will be for MIN. The
time Is not fixed yet, but .t will be January
& ID. 1.r II AZ Lot "a