The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-11-03


Tennessee; and at the confluence of this
last stream loses its name and is called the
Tennessee River until its junction with the
Ohio-a distance of about 200 miles. Cold
and silver have been found in considerable
quantities, but the most abundant metallic
minerals are iron. copper, zine, and lead
OF the earthly minerals, coal of a superior
quality is abundant in all the Counties
bordering on the Cumberland Mountains
Marble of beautiful varieties, is found IN
large deposits. The abundance of accessible
iron ore, bituminous coal, and water-power
is attracting the attention of capitalists
Railroads are being constructed to the coal
and iron banks throughout East Tennessee
Il is, in word the Switzerland of America,
and the loyal men of this country did not
intend to be driven out of it by the follow
ers of JEFF Davis The Federal Government
owed it to the people of East Tennessee to
send an army here 10 hberate an oppressed
and down-trodden population. / bad the
utmost confidence in the Government doing
this, and 1 was not deceived, as will be
shown in the following chapters of this
narrative And when this was done and
the war was ended, it was my desire to
return to my home and family, and again
live in peace and quietude.
In the beginning of this chapter promised
to show by the vote of East Tennessee in 1861
that she refused to vote herself out OF the Union.
The election was first held in February, under
al x1f shn oil
voters were TO write their tickets Con
vention or No Convention" and if the Con-
vention carried. the delegates chosen at the
same time would assemble. For no convention
there were 10000 votes cast as against 5o,O00,
and but three Secessionsts were elected in the
State. The following is the vote of glorious
East Tennessee: For convention, 1850 votes !;
for no convention, "a 600. On the failure to
get convention the Governor called an extra
session of the Legislature, which declared an
ordinance of separation on the 9th OF May.
submitting the question of separation from the
Federal Government and OF representation in
the Richmond Congress to be voted Oh by the
people on the Sth of June. At this election
East Tennessee gave for representation and
separation 14,700, majority of which were
rebel soldiers who were not entitled to yoto
at any election. For no separation and no
representation-the straightout L MON ticket
East Tennessee gave 81. 900. or 1890 majority,
with several Thousand loyal citizens who stayed
at home rather than come to the polls and
there receive the abusive language of the
drunken rebel troops. And for the loyalty Of
the people of East Tennessee in voting for the
Union, or no separation, the followers of JEFF
Davis gave it the name of that Godforsaken
country" 1t was to this that Landon c.
Haynes responded in Memphis at banquet,
when Gen. n. B. Forrest. of Confederate fame,
proposed the following toast: "Col. L. C.
Haynes; our honored guest from East Ten
nessee-that Godforsaken country"
Col. Haynes arose and said: Sir, proudly
plead guilty to the soft Impeachment. / was
born in East Tennessee on the banks of the
Natauga, which, in the Indian vernacnlar,
means beautiful river and beautiful river it is.
l have stood upon its banks in my childhood,
and, looking into its CLASSY waters, beheld
there mirrored q heaven, with moon and planets
and trembling stars; and looking upward have
beheld the heaven which the water be-
low reflected. Away from its rocky borders
stretches a vast line of cedar, pine and hem
lock evergreen, hack TO the distant mountains
more beautiful than the groves of Switzerland,
reposing on a background as perfect in
grandeur as the cloudlands Of the Sierra
Nevada of the Far West.
There stands the towering Roam, the Black,
and the magnificent Smoky Mountains, upon
whose SUBMITS the clouds gather of their own
accord even on the brightest day. There have
seen the great spirit of the storm lie down in
his pavilion of clouds and darkness to quiet
slumbers. Then / have seen him awake at
midnight and come forth like giant refreshed
with repose arouse the tempest and let loose
the red lightning that flashed for hundreds of
miles along the mountain tops swifter than an
eagles flight in heaven. Then j have seen
those lightnings stand and dance like angels of
light to the music of Natures grand organ
whose keys were touched by the fingers of
Jehovah and responded in notes of thunder re-
sounding through the universe. Then have
seen the darkness drift away and morning get
up from her saffron bed and come forth like a
queen robed in her garments Of light and stand
tiptoe on the misty mountain nights; and
while black night fed away to his bedchamber
at the pole, the glorious sun burst forth upon
the vale and river where | was born. 0, glori-
ous land of the mountains and sun-painted
cliffs, How can l ever forget thee?"