The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1888-05-19
EDITOR PICARD'S TOAST.
TENNESSEE FINDS A HAPPY
SPOKESMAN IN MISSISSIPPI.
The Close Relationship OF the People
Of the Respective States-The Devil
Opmenf of Tcnnessee-M1ssfssi
pi's Future-A Splendid
Utferance.
ublished in Memphis Appeal

Utternnce.
Published in Memphis Appeal
The following is the text of the re,
marks Of Mr. N. Picard, editor of the
Memphis Scimitar, in response to the
toast of Tennessee at the recent meeting
of the Mississippi Press Association, at
Grenada:
Ladies and Gentlemen When man
gets up to respond to toast before an
audience as refined, intelligent and criti-
cal as this is, an audience whose senses
have been charmed by the eIoquence of a
Van Eaton, Ward and o Bledsoe, that
man, unless he be born orator, fired
with the divine spark Transportation, owes
his audience an apology for lifting up his
feeble voice in the presence of the train-
ed speakers to whom you have listened
with delighted attention tonight. l
must confess find myself in the predic-
ament, and am reminded of what Sar-
gent S. Prentss said when called upon
to make speech Immediately after Hen
ry Clay had spoken. I don't remember
his exact language. but it was to the ef-
feet that when the eagle scars aloft, kites
and other small birds had better be at
home and in bed. am in a worse fix
than Prentiss was, for the disparity be.
tween him and Clay was not one-thou-
sandth part as great disparity between
me and the gentlemen who preceded me.
The men whose trade is writing seldom
make good takers, for the habit of wri.
ting begets tastidiousness of speech
which is fatal to successful oratory. At
least have felt this to be so in my case,
and I have no doubt other newspaper
men have had similar experience.
am, therefore, constrained to ask your
forbearance, and beg that may not be
measured by that high standard set up
by DR.. Ward and the Hon. Van Eaton.
When received the invitation of your
committee to come here and respond to
the toast, Tennessee" prudence prompts
ed me to decline, for felt that there are
thousands of men in Tennessee better
qualified to speak on that subject than
am, but / could not withstand the tomp-
tation to meet some of the best minds of
Mississippi, and my only regret after
| what I haze heard tonight, is that genius
is not cathing, and that eloquence can
not be acquired by absorption, for if these
things we-e possible I would 60 back
home mu,h better equipped for my work
than when came.
am net only unfortunate in being
outclassed by the gentlemen who prece.
dea me, but in being assigned to sub
ject concerning which my knowledge is
limited. Ifyour committee had known
me better tley would have given me a
subject l know more about, Mississippi
for instance I lived in this grand old
State once, and somehow can't get over
the habit Of singing her praises in any
company. love to talk Of her glorious
past, and her still more glorious future, Of
the magnificence and extent of her agri-
cultural w,alth, of the chivalry and pa
triotism other sons, of the beauty and
grace Of her daughters. ] love to talk OF
the transcshdent ability of her statesmen
foremostanong whom is is Justice Lamar
and shoulder to shoulder and side by side
with whom stands that peerless m an and
knightly gentleman, E. G, Walt hall.
love to talk of the learning and eloquence
of her bar, the fame of her judiciary, the
fearles ness and honesty of her press, and
last, but not least, the unconquerable en-
ergy Of her sturdy yeomanry who in q
little more than two decades have removed
every vestige Of wars desolation and
made the green fields OF Mississippi The
garden spot of the world.
Everything Mississippian interests me,
and every other resident of Tennessee
and we 20 so FAR as to claim share Of
glory and prestige Of her illustrious sons
Not long ago an article was published in
Il Jackson paper on tie white man of the
Old South, 1t attracted universal atten.
ton tor its independent tone, its master
ly style, and the ability that marked
every line of it. No man with drop Of
southern blood in his veins could read il
without being thrilled to the marrow o
his bones with patriotic pride. 1t wa;
republished in a Memphis paper, and
every Teunessean was proud of its au
thor, who is a Mississippian, and sits
before me now. His name is Dr. Ward
and in the name of Tennessee l thank
him for this article.
The truth is, that when I emigrated to
Tennessee, carpet ,bagged from Missis,
sippi. I left the State because, not being
a producer myself, felt lonesome in the
company ofproducers. I was only con>
sumner, and as I saw Mississippi, with
generous hand, pouring her wealth into
the laps OF other States, ! thought my
chances of getting some of the surplus
would be better on the outside and that
my prospects would be benefited by en-
igrating to State that does not usually
get left when the products of Mississippi
are being distributed. I stopped at
Memphis. because in case failed to
catch on it would be cheaper and easier
to get back home from there. Memphis
| is great railroad center, as you all
know, and, in case of failure. / could
take my choice of the cross ties of eight
different railroads to leave town on, il
the weather was good, This is an ad.
vantage not to be dispised. / am glad
to say, however, that Tennessee's affect.
ion for Mississippi is SO great that they
have allowed me to stay. assure you
that when | speak of the affection Of
Tar ,,aprao,o for M{,cs.os..~:... -. a