Omaha daily bee., 1886-11-21
BLAINE-BELL CONTROVERSY.
The Teunesseean Lacking in Moral Courage
to Save That State to the Union.
SOME lNTeREsTlNewAa HISTORY
The Craze Among People to Get n
Look at Money-A Big Syndi-
cate Getting Possession
of Pine Lands.
The PIumed knights Criticism of Bell

The PIumed knights Criticism of Bell
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2O.-ISpecial Core
spondence of the BEE. MIR. Blaine's se-
we're but just criticism of the course pursued
during the war by the late Hon. John w.
Bell, of Tennessee, whom the Plumed Knight
holds largely responsible for the secession of
that state, recalls to the mind of your CORE
spondent some facts furnishedby an old Ten
nesSee politician, who is well Informed in
the history of the "volunteer state" during
the last past half century, and which are of
great interest at this moment
Mr.. Bell, it will be remembered, was the
candidate of the southern unionists for presi-
Debt in 1850. True. Douglass received thou
sands of votes in the border states and
some in the cotton belt, but the great bulk of
southern unionists, who were the old wings,
supported John Bell for president and Ed
ward Everett, of Massachusetts,, for vice
president In Tennessee to illustrate, Doug
las received 900 votes. while Bell received
a plurality of the vote of the state and got its
electors, as he did in Kentucky and Mary
land.
$50 great was the influence of John Bell
in Tennessee that it Is not doubted, as Mr..
Blaine says, that had he remained true to the
union the state would never have seeded"
at Nashville have told me that in sympathy,
in feeling, he was really opposed to the dis
ruption of the government; that he always
hated jeff Davis and the secession leaders,
but that while not wanting in physical cour-
age he was lamentably deficient in moral
courage. When the preliminary steps were
being taken to carry Tennessee out of the
union and the secession mob in Nashville
was pushing things with o high hand Mr..
Bell called upon his neighbor, the Hon. John
Trimble, staunch unionist, and wringing
his hands, asked with pathetic voice, Trim
bic, Is there no way by which we can save
Tennessee to the union?' Yes, said Trimble,
there is one way by which it can be done.
In Gods name said Mr.. Bell, name it."
We'll, sir continued Trimble, If you will
seize the glorious old banner of stars and
strips and march through the streets OF Nash
vile and call on the people to rally to 1T they
will do it in such manner as to strike terror
to the rebel leaders and stay the tide
Why said Bell, the secession mob would
assassinate me- That might be- was Trim
ble's reply, but you would save Tennessee to
the union, and you will never have such e
glorious opportunity to dia'
"But instead OF following Mr.. Trimble's
advice Mr. Bell bowed to the storm and per-
mitted himself to be bulldozed, q few days
after this interview, into making a rebel
speech. He responded to the serenade of a
few rebel troops and declared his advice to
his old union friends to be that they Should
20 with their state. Soon after this Mr.. Bell
was prevailed upon by the secession leaders
to visit Knoxville and bring out to the con-
fede!ate cause the loyalistS of East TenneS-
see. Acc0rdnglyan appointment was made
for him to speak at the Knoxville court house.
Arriving there he sent note to Parson
Brownlow, requesting an interview with him
and other union friends. Bell was en-
barrassed by his new attitude in public
life, and wanted personally to explain and
palliate his course to his friends. The,parson.
and others assembled Now, IN 1850, Brown
low done more in the campaign to advance
the cause of Bell and Everett on the plat
form of "the union, the constitution and the
enforcement of the laws" than any other man
in the south. SO he made one more appeal
10 his old chief to stand firm and support the
old flag in the conflict about to ensue. At
the interview Brownlow poured out his
wrath on Bells head because the latter was
aiding the cOnfederacy, and Bell bowed his
head in grief and shame, while the tears
streamed down his venerable face. So start
ling, so striking was the appeal that it seemed
to those who heard it to be irresistible. But
the die was cast Mr.. Bell faltered in his
great career and turned his back on those
who had stood by him all the years of his
manhood. The effect of this rtbuke of Bell
by Parson Brownlow and the friends who
were with him was manifested the next day
when Mr.. Bell came to speak. But the
speech was altogether unsatisfactory to the
secessi0nists and unioniStS, because he de-
clared neither for the union nor the rebellion.
lie gave the lie to his life career, and went
down to his grave unhonOred by either of the
parties TO the great struggle: On the other
hand ParsOn Brownlow remained true to his
principles, true to himself and true to his
country, and made for himself a lasting
name.
MAMMoN's MoNoMANIACs.
"1t's strange what craze there is among
the people to see money!" said treasury
clerk to your correspondent. 'Strangers to
visit our department and stand around the
cash.room and look at the money: If it were
not for the caStlron rule fOrbidding visits to
the vaults it would require a, clerk at the
treasurer's Office to do nothing but attend TO
applications of those who want to see the
money. They seem to have no limit to their
of humanity would rather stand and gaze
upon few wagon loads of money than see
circus.
"Wel do remember the scenes we used to
have in the northwestern part OF the building
on the first floor, where the currency is cut
counted and put into packs, and where the
old currency and stamps for CANCELLATION are
summed up. There used to be open
iron bar screens before the doors and
corridor windows, so that the paSsers by could
look into the work of counting and handling
the money and revenue stamps, athOu h
they could not enter the rooms. People used
to come along there-good-looking, we'll
dressed and evidently educated and intelli-
gent men and women, but evidently unused
TO seeing large quantities of money-and
stand and look in for hours. They would
look and look till we wondered If they would
not faint. When noon came, il ii was in the
morning that the crowd of visitors ap-
preached, they would patiently wait till we
were through with lunch, then take up their
places and continue to watch the money till
they appeared to grow stoOp shouldered.
Their curiosity could not be appeased.
Finally curtains were put up, so no one
could look into the rooms, as the money
seerS became nuisance"
A GAMBLING CRAZE.
During the two weeks of races at lvey City,
this district and at Baltimore, only forty-iiye
miles distant, Washington has had taste of
gambling which was never equaed, except
during the war period, The hotels have
been Hooded with men who live by betting,
and they have sOwn the seeds Of Inc disease
of gambling so deeply that il will take months
10 eradicate it. The cara rooms which We're
closed have again been opened and the men
who wager money on chance have been thor
oughly aroused to their dissipation.
In one OF the most popular billiard halls,
games of billiards have been in progress
nightly, on which from 500 to $1,000 were