The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-16
HARRIS AND QUINTARD.
Two TenneSSeeanS Who Are Known TO
Fame.


Description of Him by Parson
Brownlow-Bishop Quintard - The
Text of His Ordination Sermon.
Washington, June l5.-Isham Green
Harris. senator from Tennessee, is one Of
the most interesting characters now in
public life He has had a varied career,
one of ups and downs in business, of peril
and adventure in war, and Of uniform sue
cess in politics. He is man of ability,
though not without a good share of eccen-
tricity This is shown in the fact that
his autobiography in the congressional
directory fails to give the date OF
his birth As he was a member of
the House of Representatives as early as
the Thirty-first congress, this omission
has given rise to a great many surmises
and speculations as to his age. Senator
Berry, of Arkansas. is credited with say
ing that he first met Harris during the
war of 10 and that he looked then as he
does now; but then Berry is something
of wag, and it isperhaps safer TO accept
the statement of Senator Harris bio"
grapher in Appleton's Cyclopedia Of
American Biography, which says that
Harris was born Feb. 10. 1915. All &C
counts agree that he is a native Tennes-
seean. His early education was limited By
the slender opportunities of the time and
section. Before he was 10 he went TO
Mississippi, where he became successful
merchant studying law of nights. In
two years he had accumulated 5000, but
by the failure of a bank he lost every
dollar of il. He then returned to Paris,
Tenn, where he resumed business with a
rich partner and in two more years had
recouped his losses, continuing the while
his law studies. Finally, in lS41, he was
admitted to the bar.
his FIRST POLITICAL SUCCESS.
Harris first political success came to
him in this wise: HIS legislative dis
trict had a small democratic majority.
He was then, as now, democrat Two
men, as obstinate as they were ambitious,
insisted in running as democratic candi-
dates for the legislature. The local
leaders in caucus nominated Harris as
ruse to effect the withdra wal of one or
other of the ambitious ard obstinate per-
sons. Neither would give way The re-
suit was the election of Harris, who de-
feated them both, as well as the WING
candidate. This was the beginning of
the political career which is now well
known to the people of the United States.
Ha iris had two terms in the House
before the war, was presidential elector
in 1856, and was elected governor of Ten
nessee in 1857, 1859 and 1861. When
Nashville was occupied by the union
forces he took to the field serving as a
volunteer aide to Gen. Albert Sidney
Johnston, and was with that commander
when he fell mortaly wounded, at
Shiloh. He continued, however, to serve
IN the same capacity with the command
ing general of the confederate
army of the Tennessee until the
close of the war. He escaped to Mexico,
1. l. -
going thence TO England, where he re-
manned year. finally returning 10 Ten
nessee in 1857, resuming the practice of
law at Memphis He announced himself
a candidate for the Senate in 1876, and
stumped the state, challenging all corners.
He was successful, taking his seat March
4, 1877. He is now serving his third term,
which will expire March 3, 1895
HIS BOUT WITH BRowNLow.
After Nashville was occupied by the
union forces in 1862 William G. Brownlow,
"Parson Brownlow, - as he was called, the
celebrated union leader of Eastern Ten
nessee, was elected governor in 1865, the
first after reconstruction. Brownlow,
like Harris, was man of intense convic-
tions, and felt a strong sense of
hostility against Harris The state,
1t appears, had at the outbreak of
the war large school fund. This fund
Harris had taken withIhim as governor
when he abandoned Nashville early in
1862. Brownlow knew of this and when
he became governor he issued a procla-
nation denouncing Harris as an embeZ-
zler of that fund and offered reward for
his capture. In the proclamation Brown
low described Harris in the following
terms:
Five feet ten inches in hight, bald
head, piercing gray eyes, chews tobacco
rapidly, is fond of whisky addicted to
nj ~ nd no
dictatorial."
The last two words are in the Tennes-
see vernacular pronounced as though
written ''leettle deectatorial." So &C
curate, however, is the description that
If it were given to a Washington CORE
spondent for Identification, he would at
once go TO the Senate and point out Har-
RS IL hts him now as well as it possibly
could have done thirty years ago.
BISHOP QUINTARD.
During the war Charles Todd Ouin-
tard, now Protestant Episcopal bishop of
Tennessee, who, in his way, is quite as
much OF character as Harris, was chap
lain of the First Tennessee confederate
regiment by appointment of Harris, who
had known him as rector of a church at
Nashville. One day Harris wanted some
soldiers to do something, and they failed
to respond with the alacrity he thought
proper, whereupon he gave vent to his ir-
AAbdOAOu III q SIGdb OhbbuISL Oi DfOIdnlIX.
directed against the men. Chaplain Ouin-
tard heard the outburst, and was not
slow to rebuke it. He looked the furious
governor squarely in the eye, and ex-
claimed in solemn tones of reproof and
admonition:
Gov. Harris, how can you expect to
control others when you cannot control
yourselfl''
Harris looked at his reprover angrily
for moment, and then recognizing the
justice of the reproof, replied, with en-
phasis:
BY Quintard, you are right.
won't swear again till the war is over, y
and it is related that he kept his word.
though he has not been losing any time
since.
POINTS IN THE BISHOPS CAREER
Bishop Quintard was born IN Connect
cut Dec. %, 1924, his father being
Huguenot. He first studied medicine with
such eminent physicians Of that day as
DIR. James K. Wood and Dr. Valentine
Mott. He then, in the late 4Os. re-
moved to Georgia, where he prac-
ticed medicine at Athens in 1851
he accepted the chair of physiology
and pathological anotomy in the medical
college at Memphis and helped to edit a