The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-13
EDITOR PICARD'S TOAST.
TENNESSEE FINDS A HAPPY sPoKEs'
MAN IN MISSISSIPPI.
The Close Relationship of the People of
the Respective ststes-The Develop
mont Of Tennessee ississippis Fut-
ure-An Admirable Utterance.


critical as this Is, an audience whose
senses have been charmed by the elo-
qnence OF Van Eaton, Ward and
Bledsoe, that man, unless he be a born
orator, fired with the divine spark OF
inspiration, owes his audience an apology
for lifting up his feeble voice in the pres
ence OF the trained speakers TO whom you
have listened with delighted attention to-
night. | must confess / find myself in n
peculiar predicament, and am reminded
OF what Sargent S. Prontiss said when
called upon TO make q speech Immediately
after Henry Clay had spoken. ! don't
remember his exact language, but 1t was
to the effect that when the eagle scars
| aloft kites and other small birds had better
| be at home and i'm bed. am in worse fix
than Prentiss was, for the disparity be-
tween him and Clay WAS not one thou
sandth part as great as the disparity
between me and the gentlemen who
preceded me. The men whose trade is
writing seldom make good takers, for the
habit OF writing begcts a fastidiousness Of
speech which is fatal to successful oratory.
At least | have felt this to be 80 in my
case, and have no doubt other newspaper
men have had a similar experience. | am,
therefore, constrained to ask your forbear-
ancc, and beg that | may not be meas
urcd by the high standard set up by DIR.
Ward and the Hon. Mr.. Van Eaton.
When | received the invitation OF your
committee to come here and respond TO
the toast. tennessee, prudence prompted
me to decline Tor | felt that there are
thousands of men in Tennessee better
qualified TO speak on that subject than
am, but could not withstand the tenpta.
ton 90 meet some OF the best minds OF
Mississippi, and my only regret after what
| have heard tonight is that genius is not
cItching, and that eloqucnce cannot be ac-
quirnd by absorption, for II these things
we're possible would go back home much
better equipped Tor my work than when
came.
am not only unfortunate in being
oulcasicd by the gentlemen who pre-
cclcd me- but in being ASS gned TO
subject concerning which my knowledge
is limited. your committee had known
me better they would have given me a
subject know more about, Mississippi Tor
instance. lived in this grand old state
once. and somehow / can't get over the
habit of singing her praises in any COM
plny. love to talk Of her glorious past,
and her still more glorious future, OF the
wealth. OF the chiyalry and patriotism OF
her sous. OF the beauty and grace OF her
daughters. ! love 20 talk OF the transcend
cnt ability Of hrrstatcsmcn, foremost among
whom X Justice lamar, and shoulder
To shoulder and side by side with
whom stands that peerless man and
knishlly gentleman, l.. q. Walthall.
love TO talk OF the learning and eloquence
OF her bar, the fame OF her judiciary, tho
fearlcssness and honesty Of her press, and
last, but not least, the unconquerablI
! ENERGY Of her sturdy yeomanry who in
little mere than two decades have removed
every vcsligc Of wars dcsolntion and made
} the green fields Of Mississippi the garden
spot OF the world.
Everything Mississippian interests mt
! and every other resident OF Tennessee
and we 20 so far as TO claim share OF III,
. glory and prestige OF her iilustrioui
, sons. Not long ago an article wa
published in jackson paper on thu
, white man OF the Old South. II at
,racted universal attention for iisindcpend
ent tone, lis mastery style, and the abilii!
: that marked every line OF IL. No maj
1 with drop Of southern blood In his vein
: could read Il without being thrilled 10 thu
marrow OF his bones with patriotic pride
; IL was rcpublished in Memphis paper
| and every Tenncsscan was proud OF u
Z author, who Is "a Mississippian, and sits be
fore mo now. His name is DIR. Ward, an'
in the name Of Tennessee ] thank him 70
Q that article.
. The truth Is, that when emigraicd 4
Q Tennessee, 1 carpet-bagged from Alissis
sippi. | left the State because, no
: being producer myself, 1 Eel
c lonesome In the company OF producers
was onlya consumer, and rs saw Missis
y appi, with generous hand, pouring he
y wealth into the lap OF other States,
thought my chances OF getting some OF IN
surplus would be better on the outsid
h and that my prospects would be benelte
l. by emigraiing 10 State that does nc
usually get left when the products Of Nil
siSsippi are being distributed. ! stoppc
~ at Memphis, because In case i failed
u catch on II would be cheaper and easier
y get back home from there. Memphis Is
!, great railroad center, ~ you all know, an'
y In case Of failure, could take my choiC
N Of the cross ties Of eight different railroad
20 leave town on, n the weather was goo'
=. This IA an advantage not 10 be despiscd.
:. am glad 10 say, however, that Tennessee
q affection for Mississippi Is so great tn
No ihoy have allowed met stay. assure 70
J., thai when speak OF the affection Of TEE
y ncsseansfor Mississippians, do no, do 10
y, aspirit OF exaggcration or flattery. II is
~ real and genuine sentiment and
y, proof OF Il, have only TO cite the IN
~ that our citizens send trusty messengers
a. every steamboat and train that com
%, from Mississippi 10 tender the passcngc
w. their cordial hospitality. More than tbs
W. they soour the hotel registers for fear son
y, Mississlppian may be In town without
Nv ceiying proper attention. The Tact IN
"s these Mssissippians sometimes have sal
pies OF cotton In their hands, or an ord
Tor goods and supplies In their pock'
M. cuts no figure In the case, and does y
u" diminish the cordiality OF their WELDON
oss But am wandering from my subie
was invited here TO talk about Tenn
zee. II you have ever looked at Tenn.
les see carefully on the map, You will mott
mo-. what an insinuating State II IL. IL loo
eP. IA n Il had with malice aiorcthoup
pickcd out favorable location bctwe
eight States, squeezed itself in and s
M aattencd out In the process. On the MOI
n rubs up against Missouri, kentucl
and Virginia, ON the south rests up
Of Mississippi. Alabama and Georgia, ON
east Il leans Familiarity on North Carroll
and on tho west seems 10 hold Atkani
at In a fond embrace. In fact II touci
his eight States, and Illinois barely, manas
20 escape by very slender margin.
Tennessee II AZ miles long from east
Ids west, and 100 miles wide. II has 2,
all miles OF navigablo water within It's boui