Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-09
TENNESSEE DAY AT LOUIS
WILLIE.
Eloquent Response Of General
q. w. ss0rdon Ia the Toast "lrO
the state of Tennessee"


Below We give a full text OF Gen.
George Gordon S response to the toast
The Safe Of Tennessee offered at
the banquet given to Governor Bate
aud his party 10 the Exposition build.
ing at Louisville on Thursday last 1t
will doubtless be read with pride and
interest by all Tenuesseeans. Answer.
log for the State. he SAID
Ia responding to the toast just
offered. can scarcely do more than
again tender to the President and
managers Of this Exposition the cor.
dial Acknowledgements Of the Teaues-
see delegation here present for the
kindly greeting aud generous hospi
tllity here accorded US. And would
also return to them aud to the people
oil Louisville the thanks Of all Teu-
nJsseeans, present and absent, for the
prominent position assigned to Ten
nessee in their Exposition and for
having designated this as Tennessee
day." in special honor aud compli
ment to our State Tennessee feels
and appreciates this distinction, as
is fully shown by the presence Of
81 many hundreds Of her citizens in
this great pavilion to day. We are
proud OF the occasion. Our good
GOV Bate has just said that kentucky
and Tennessee are twin sisters. That
is more true than poetic. There are.
perhaps, no two States 10 the Union
so homo rneous as Kentucky and
Tennessee, and | would that all the
States were as closely identified and
as truly fraternal as these TWO sister
soveieignties. And after the hearty
welcome and mutual greetings here to
day, after the interchange Of senti,
lnents. after the increased social aud
commercial intercourse brought about
by this Exposition. / am sure they
will hereafter be more closely united
than ever.
| congratulate and commend the
originators Of this great enterprise and
the people OF Louisville for having
presented to the country the interest
i g and instructive display to be seen
m these vast halls-for these count.
! 'ss illustrations of our varied indus.
tries and ro'oufces, where il may be
ascertained where this or that product
will best flourish, where this or that
mineral may be found, where this OF
that staple is grown, this or that fab,
rlc is made, this or that mechanical
invention may be had, where capital
may be most advantageously invested
and, indeed, where a hundred lessons
OF useful and practical instruction
may be learned And in addition Ia
the practical utility thus derived from
this great mechanical and industrial
museum there is another benefit re.
sulting from these national exposi-
tions, that, in my estimate, is Of no
lees Importance, perhaps more than
that | have mentioned. 1t is that
to be derived from bringing the
people of the different sections ol
the country together, especially
the people of those sections thai
very lately estranged. When we meet
converse and know each other, wher
we interchange views and information
we then understand and like eaci
other better, aud prejudices vanish il
the light of this better understanding
10 my judgment. sectional ignoranc,
is the greatest obstacle to complete
national harmony. All credit then tc
Louisville and Kentucky for this ex-
position, and let ii be repeated and
initiated by other States and cities
Atlanta has had an exposition, New
Orleans is to have one, Cincinnati and
Boston now have them, but this is the
greatest one | have yet seen, excep
that grand international Centennial
display at Philadelphia, in 1876.
repeat that sectional ignorance i,
the greatest impediment to national
harmony, and whatever tends to re
move it is blessing to the whole
country, anu sure this exposition
has had its effect 10 that direction
And | know no place more appropri
ate in which to bury all sectional
preiudices and autagonisms than ia
this noble State--the State made
illustrious by the conservatism of hel
people, the eloquence of her Olays
Crlttendens, Marshalls, Breckinridges
Becks, Blackburns, Knots and Car
lisles, the songs Of her Prentice, the
journalism OF her Watterson, and the
heroism of her Morgan. Let all sec.
tionalism be buried. | conclude By
giving my yheartiest endorsement to tht
sentiment of our friend, Colonel No.
Clure, of Philadelphia. "The union
-One and inseparable now and for.
ever" Henceforth we have but one
hag, one union and one country. Lei
It be the effort Of every patriot in thc
land to make that union permanent
and that country glorious.