Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-04-05

Iaklng the southwest to be everything
beloy the Tennessee river, between Ala
bama and the plains, we think o. seyera
brilliant people immedistely who lived
or operated between those limits. 1t il
the mother fsou' hweastern states. The
founder was John Sewer, whose family
controlled politics of Arkanas from it,
admission into the Union down to the
civil war, with but few interval,. Ther
came Sewers youthful opponent, An.
drew Jackson, who, in a military point
of view, was the Washington of the
southwest, and his name was formidable
until he died throughout Mississippi,
Missouri, Arkansas and Texas. Almos,
the last act of his life was to issue pri-
vate proclamation to congratulate Texas
on coming into the Union, which was
carried out under his young disciple,
James T. Polk. Althoug Texas was ad-
mitted few days before Polk came into
Office. his election compelled that event,
and his administration fought the war
with Mexico. which not onl, protected
Texas, hut gave us powerful extensions
OF territory on her west.
Thomas Benton of Missouri, another
Tennessee man, who left Tennessee
partly on account of bloody fight he
and his brother mad with Jackson, was
n remarkable character of this region,
but he had unpopular qualities. stirred
up unworthy animosities, and his ego
tism was almost equal to his American
historical scholarship. He remains, how
ever, the ablest general writer, prophet
and inspirator of the Democracy of the
plains, for he WAS not much an enthusi-
ast on the Texas question, having fol-
lowed Mr.. Van Buren, who pronounced
against the government admitting Texas.
Benton turned his attention to a splen
did empire west of the Missouri, in
Oregon, California, Colorado and
Kansas. He belongs, therefore, to the
North rather than the South, and was
SO Disseminated against in Missouri
when Jim Creep and several other small
fry divided his raiment. His young
proteges, Frank Blair and Montgomery
Blair, in the field and the cabinet, main
tanned their identity as apostles of the
northern idea.
A man rather overlooked in the south
west was Gov. Claiborne, the first
American governor Of Louisiana. Mr..
Cable introduces him in faint sketch
in his novel called The Grandissimes.
He died while the senator-slect of Louis
irna, after having been both territorial
and state governor. 1t is his nephew,
L believe, who has recently written the
History of Mississippi" Sam Hous-
ton, Notwithstanding his remarkable
qualities and uniform patriotism and
success, is still very much Of local
character, because the rest of the coan-
try Is but slightly familiar with what
has been going on in Texas. The last
generation knew Houston mush better
than the present one.
Two brilliant mon in the South were
8. 8. Prenhss of Mississippi, and Rob
ert Crittenden Of Arkansas. both of
whom, it is said, shortened their days
and darkened their bright talents by
that dissipation into which young men
from the northern climate were often
drawn by their prominence in the far
South. Traditions say that Crittenden
died on . spree while visiting Prsntiss,
and Prentiss himself bitterly lamented
that he had ever gone South at all, and
lost the restraints of his New England
education. The two celebrated men Of
Mississippi-Jefferson Davis and John
A. QuitmAA-were both from q north
ern climate. Quitman was Of German
stock born at Rhinebeck on the Hudson
river, nea the homes of the Living
ston family. Davis was born in Ken
lucky, but few niles from the birth
place Of Abraham Lincoln, and it has
been said that both were of poor white
stock.