Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-09

mSA\\w ing Mississippi voice
NN wv about the blamed dry
NV weather that had nign
about killed the cotton
crap, and how a right
smart Of the people would be pow'ful pleased to
have the pos'mastah changed, and as he droned
along in high falsetto he punctuated his plant
by using the contiguous cuspidor " 18th much
vivacity and no little skin. Pretty soon, as he
ELECTED less and less response, his querulous
voice ceased to vibrate and his futtering hat to
rotate, and he rose and bowed and took them
both out into the warm July atmosphere.
l turned toward the gentleman who DOM
mated the parlors, with no little admiration for
his patience and endurance, and some OF this
expressed. ,,
when l can, he said. 'That's what am here
for People who want things let me know II,
OF course, and I'm sorry 1 can't help them
oftener."
MAN WITH AN EvENrruL CAREER.
The man before me had had Q career as event.
full as any other living Americsn-perhaps, in
all its contrasting elements and episodes, more
dramatic than that Of any other, and said:
niscences, GOVERNOR"
He increased his legs and crossed them the
other way, and took his cigar from his mouth
and laughed at the suggestion as Q very ridicu-
ious one indeed. persisted with swell, why
not?"
He was Senator Harris Of Tennessee, a man
OF seventy-four, but his trim form, clear
eyes, steady hand and smooth face, beard
less save rs decorated with q well-groomed
Gallo mustache; with ends like avis, gave an
impression Of not much more than sixty. He
lost 1900 900 during the war and since the war
has lost good deal Of the iron-gray hair from
his upper scalp, but he still carries the square,
solid under jaw that has enabled him to outlive
most OF his companions, recover from all except
the capillary losses and keep resolutely at the
front. At the beginning of the war as governor
Of his state he led Tennessee out OF the Union
IN spite OF the earnest appeals Of such men as
Brownlow. johnson, Fowler, Polk Lea, Lewis
and John Bell, and he has the unique record Of
having been in the saddle for four years, present
IN almost every engagement without being o
soldier. He was volunteer aid on the staff of
the successive commanding generals, rendering
constant service to the doomed cause, and he is
accustomed to say that he was "unclassifed-
the equal Of the lieutenant general and of the
humblest private in the ranks"
But he sometimes assumed authority. One
day. when tho banks Of Nashville declined to
take confederate money, he walked into one
sought out the board OF directors, sat down on
the corner Of the table and said: "Gentlemen,
You are just as good as our folks and no better
III give you twenty-four hours in which to
accept the paper money from Richmond. II
you refuse 1t l will bring regiment Of soldiers
and seize your assets and run the bank myself"
NO RECORD OF HIS PUBLIC ACTS.
In reply TO my question about Q book Of
"reminiscences he now said: SIT would be i'm
possible even if wanted to parade my life in
that way. have never saved q scrap Of paper
concerning my public acts.''
After my expression Of establishment that he
haya fad 10 Az, .1
outline of his career he added:
mo; l haven't enough papers to fill pocket
book. have been in public life, more or less
for fifty years. have been presidential elector;
l was in the legislature two years, in Congress
four years, in the governors chair and saddle
eight years, in the Senate here for sixteen years
have stumped the state a score of times and
made thousands Of speeches, and have not
preserved a single speech, order, message
proclamation or letter, received or sent, that is
OF public consequence. I exist only in my
private consciousness-except, perhaps, in pub
ished records"
conceded that he was about As badly
equipped for autobiography as any man ever
heard of, and added: $50 much the more neces-
sary is it that you should reminisce for the
benefit Of Others"
He rather objected to the newspaper-made
verb ''to reminisce" and said, II don't know q
word of news"
"Jef. Davis is always news, :" answered, ''and
you know the story Of his quarrel with Joe
Johnston, and it has never been published"
DAVIS AND JOHNSTON.
"The difference between those gentlemen"
he said, "did not begin with Davis grading Of
Joe Johnston below Albert Sidney and Cooper
and Lee, as many suppose, but it originated
long before the war, and originated in their
temperaments. 1t occurred because they were
too much alike. was very earnest in my
Qffn 10 fnr ,,1,rno hn&k> la- v
That's exactly what readers would like to
know about
The great need of their being friends was
obvious, said Senator Harris. much depended
on 1t In 1868. l went to Richmond half dozen
times and had talks with Mr.. Davis about it.
Bragg had become unpopular in the Army Of
the Tennessee and it was necessary that he
should be Superseded. At last Davis agreed to
put Johnston in his place and gave me the order
to effect that change. Albert Sidney had been
killed at Shiloh and his brilliant namesske was
certainly the best equipped living man within
the confederacy. When President Davis deliv-
cred to mo the order he said, Governor, not
only ask you to give this paper TO Gen. John
ston with your own hand. but I want you to
assure him that the appointment is made with
out any reservation-that it places him at the
head OF the most important army of the con-
federacy and that it will be followed by all the
support that can possibly be given him by this
government, and / want you to make him IN
derstand and make him believe it, too He re-
pested this and placed great stress upon it.
when I arrived at Dalton and gave Gen
Johnston the order he looked little incredu-
lous spd then said: so this Is to be an army Of
occupation
Now, what on earth do you say such a
thing as that forp' asked him. NO. Its TO
be move forward to recover Tennessee
Then repeated to him as emphatically a.
I could what Mr.. Davis had told me about sup
porting him, and said: You must clearly un-
derstand this And you must believe It. And
You must act as If You believed it. The president
will honor every requisition You make
"All the general replied was, Well, We shall
see, showing that his suspicious were not dead
TURNED DOWN AT RICHMOND.
HE made his requisition, and it was q very
moderate one, for certain men, stores, &c.-not
half as heavy as I supposed it would be. told
him it would certainly be filed at once. He
said: I'VE shall see.' When returned from a
raid into Kentucky with Forrest was astounded
to find that Johnstons army and equipment
remained the same How ia this? asked. He
showed me his dispatches from Richmond.
which. while scceding TO his demands sue-