Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-10-17
LandOn C. Has es.

fancy, and earnest, graceful decla-
nation, sometimes became turgldly
extravagant, but his speeches were
always beautiful. Iii 1872 he and
General Bedford Forrest, with the
writer of this, attended an entertain
ment given to the legislature Of
Mississippi by the bench and bar OF
Jackson. l reported Haynes speech,
but not as stenographer. In tact,
! [ did not attempt to write the speech
till ten days had elapsed, and now
for the first time, the whole is pub
lished. Alexander Ii. Stpehens, in
1912, editing the Atlanta SIN,
was charmed by this extrayngant
loutburst of oyerwIought eloquence,
and school-boys are accustomed to
recite it everywhere in the South.
Therefore have ] undertaken to
perfect the oration, following as
closely as possible the style and
mannerism Of Haynes.
Mr.. Haynes was tall, graceful,
having a singularly pleasing and
poetical face. His voice was clear
soft and musical, and his gesticula-
ton as faultless rs that of Demos
themes. lie died Il few years ago in
Memphis.
General Forrest rose and said, at
the dinner table:
'.Gentleman, propose the health
Of the eloquent and distinguished
East Tennessean, who represents a
district of my State sometimes de-
nominated God forsaken. "
Mr.. Haynes instantly responded
"MR. CHAIRMAN | was born and
reared in East Tennessee, on the
banks Of the Wantauga, which, in
the Indian vernacular, means beau
tiful river and beautiful river it IS.
have stood upon It's banks III ny
childhood, and looked through its
CLASSY waters, and have seen the
heaven below; and then locked up
and beheld Il heaven aboyey relec-
ing like two mirrors, each in the
other, its moons, and planets, and
trembling stars. Away from its
banks of rock and cliff, hemlock and
laurel, and pine and cedar, stretches
vale back to the distant mountains
as beautiful and exquisite as any in
Italy or Switzerland. There stands
the great Unicorn, the great Roam,
the great Black, and the great Smoky
mountains, among the lofticst in the
United States of North America, on
whose summit the clouds gather Of
their own accord, even in the bright
est day. There have seen the
great spirit of the storm, after noon
tide, 90 and take his evening nap in
his pavilion Of darkness and Of
clouds. | have then seen him arise
at midnight, as a giant refreshed By
slumber, and cover the heavens with
gloom and darkness | have seen
him awake the tempest, let loose the
red lightnings that run along the
mountain tops for thousand miles,
swifter than the eagles flight IN
heaven. Then [ have seen him
stand up and dance like en- angel Of
light in the clouds, TO the music Of
that grand organ Of nature, whose
KEYS seemed touched by the fingers
Of Divinity in the hall Of eternity
that responded in notes Of thunder
that resounded through the universe.
"Then | have seen the darkness
drift away beyond the horizon, and
the morn get up from her saffron
bed like queen, put on her robes
Of light, come forth from her palace
in the sun, and stand tiptoe on the
misty mountain top, and night fled
from before her glorious face to his
bed-ehamber at the pole. She
lighted the green vale and beautiful
river, where | was born and played
in childhood, with smile Of sun
shine"
oh beautiful | and of the noun
tains, with thy sup-painted cliffs, how
can | ever forget teee ).
General Forrest stood stupehed
while Haynes pronounced these
marvellous sentences and said he
would not have been more amazed
if he had been struck by the light
ning's flash from the summit Of
Smoky mountain.
Colonel Haynes continued:
Il have traversed that great,
empty arm Of the primeyal sea nov
known as Sequatchie Valley. You
crossed it, without yesse. and at
night and dry shod, not very long
ago, but the time was, at some re-
mote period in the worlds history,
when mightiest ships could have
foated serenely on the bosom Of its
fathomless waters. A little creek
drains 1t to-day. This stream | have
followed from its source, gathering
sea-shelIs on its banks and counting
deep, long, and parallel assures worn
by the ocean waves far up the noun
tain sides that hedge in this marvel
GUS Sequatchie Valley. Then this
valley was Straits Of Gibraltar at
the entrance to another Mediterra-
mean.
HE PROPHECIES.
sgFhn climate Of this mountainous