Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-04-22
A Terrible Note of Warming 10
New England.
Courier Journal, 20il

The message of the President,
recommending an appropriation of
s., 100000 for the Mississippi river, is
in striking contrast to the speech Of
Mr.. Frye, Of Maine. The Chief Mag
istrate may not be a larger or more
patriotic man than the Senator, but
he is a wiser man. He realizes the
fact, which SO many OF the politicians
of the East fail to realize, that there
is land this side of the Alleghenies
and the Blue Ridge. He is an expert
party manager; has taken a degree in
che New York school Of politics
through which he passed, if not with
honor, yet with renown; is candi.
date for reelection aud knows on
which side lOf the Alleghenies and
Blue Ridge, of course) his bread is
buttercd. Mr. Frye, on the other
hand, seems to be eager only to reflect
that which is paltry and narrow in
tue sterile, ice bound region, whose
ungenial perversity and short sighted
extremism he and the late z. Chan
dler's little man Hale represent in the
upper House OF Congress.
Concurrent with Mr.. Frye's exhibit
ton of narrow mindedDess and per-
versity in the Senate, come from the
press of New England all manner of
Misrepresentation OF Jefferson, jeers
at his name and jibes at bis fame and
other idle and malignant chatter
apropos of the recent celebrations of
the birthday of the author of the
Declaration of Independence.
There are reasons, perhaps, why
New England should be an extremist,
for in New England are huddled to-
gether the extremes of all that is best
and worst in our national character.
There is the New England of the
Websters and the Winthrops, the
Adamses, and the Seymoures, the
Pierces, the Clifords, the Ingersolls
and tn, Bowleses, big Drained where
not big hearted, nor too small hearted
either, and there is the New England
of Butler and Boutwell,, the Chand-
lers, the yermin and the Hears. Again,
there is the New England OF the
Longfellows, the Hawthorne, the
Whittiers, the Lowells and the
Holmeses, and there is the New Eng
land OF the devil, the flesh and the
Malleys. Never lived kindlier or
more affectionate man than the late
Henry Wilson. What contrast is
afforded by contemplating the utter
ances, the personalities and the ca
reers of John P. Hale and his current
namesake, Eugene ! In New England
there are the extremes Of wealth and
squalor, culture and ignorance, genial
ity and asceticism. Uncle Dan'l and
Uncle Josh Whitcomb are typical
New Englanders. They represent the
brave, big souled Yankee, 10 whose
ELUSIVE temperament and migratory
enterprise every section of the Union
owes SO much. Just now this class il
down in New England, whose sterility
ascerbity, viciousness and stupidity
are represented at Washington in The
persons of dozen or more of as mar
minded party leaders as the genius O.
demagogism, and the waves ofpopulal
passion and prejudice ever lifted init
places Of national importance. Tit
ablest and best of these is undoubtedly
| Mr.. Edmunds; but when we consider
| Mr.. Edmunds performances in con
nectiOn with his talents we have Onl,
an illumination Of the truth Of wha
VIC have been saying; for, in him, ",
find man Of a great mind, and by n,
means bad heart, and still less dis
honest scheme Of public life, com
pletely perverted to the uses Of tn
class 10 which the Republican part
owes its asoendance in New England
We speak thus freely Of New Eng
lands shortcomings in no sectiona
spirit. The people Of New Englan
are as much our people as the peopl
Of Kentucky, TO whom We are used [
speaking in equally plain terms. Wet
the people OF Kentucky CONSTANT
that they are a prey 10 whisky, law
lessness, violence and ignorance. w
tell them that, If they don't rub th
moss of their backs and push out int
, the stream OF progress, II they don
! enlarge their system Of education an
develop their resources, Il they don
, pay at least as much attention TO th
! rearing and trsiningoi men and some
J a. they do 10 the production OF horf'