Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-05-05


II vitriolic friend, General Charles
81. Grosvenor of Ohio, and
myself INDUCED In the luxury
of a joint political lecture In Nashville,
Tenn, the Athens Of the south. We
were certainly treated to genuine old
time hospitality and made to feel that
we were at home In the hands of our
friends. Democrats and Republicans
We'd with each other to rendeNour stay
In that delectaale and historic city
truly delightful and pleasant recollec-
ton through all the years that lie be-
fore us. There are many ways to kill
people. One is by kindness. am sat
listed that had the Buckeye statesman
and myself fingered much longer in the
Tennessee capital that is the way we
would have departed for kingdom
come We were taken to see all places
of interest, and they are many. We
were dined and banqueted to our
hearts content. We were invited after
the joint lecture to address the legisla-
ture, which we did, and were thanked
for SO doing by resolution of that
body. am not stating all this to exalt
myself That Tennessee Democratic
legislators should take kindly to Mis-
souri, Democratic congressman is only
natural, for every fourth Missourlan is
Tennesseean by birth or by descent.
Tennessee gave Missouri one Of her
first two senators, Colonel Thomas n.
Benton, and her present governor, Jo-
seph w. Folk. Besides these upon the
roster Of Missouri statesmen are divers
other Tensesseeans. But I am citing
the foregoing fasts to give the doubt
Ing Thomases one mcSe pointer to con-
vince them that the war between the
states Is not only over but tha. While
thousands who participated In 1t arr
still in active life 1t Is as much mat
ter of ancient history as the War of the
Roses. I am not gushing about "a re-
united country" 1t has been reunited.
tnank God ever since Appomattox
closed 1.-The bloodiest chapter in the
book Of time" General Grosyenor him
self commanded a brigade under "Old
Pap" Thomas, "the Rock Of Chickamau-
ga" at the battle Of Nashville, which
is taught at West Point to have been
the model battle Of the war SO far as
the plan was concerned. It must have
warmed the cookies of the good, gray
generals heart to be thanked by the
Tennessee legislature for his very
pleasant remarks before that body.
There Is no fairer land beneath the
sun than the country about Nashville.
It greatly resembles and is equal to
the tar famed blue grass region about
Lexington, KY, which has been de-
nominated "the garden spot of the
world" and of which Tom Marshall de-
ciared Woodford county to be the as
paragus bed, and every foot of the
land about Nashville for miles around
Is historic, for there was the stamping
ground OF Andrew Jackson and the
most remarkable set Of pioneers the
hinmsself We're John SEWER. General COT.
fee, General Overton, General Carroll,
the Bentons, Thomas 81. and Jesse;
Felix Grundy, John Bell, Hugh L.
White, old Sam Houston and divers
others who became national figures.
No wonder the Indians fought with SO
much courage and SO much fortttude
for their homes in the valley Of the
Cumberland.
While in Tennessee / made the pill
grtmage, which every American citi
zen should make once in lifetime, to
The Hermitage, where sleeps that pa
triotic statesman and leonine soldier,
the conqueror Of Pakenham, the hero
of New Orleans. To think of him is an
inspiration. His was one of the most
lovely plantations In America. The
truth IL that all the fathers appear to
have had most excellent eye for real
estate. Mount Vernon, Monticello,
Montpelier and The Hermitage are all,
like Zion of old, beautiful for situation
and fertile as one could desire. At
The Hermitage hundreds of relics of
jackson are preserved in the house
which he built. 1t is spot Of exceed
ing great interest.
Among the places which I visited
was the scene Of the Jackson Benton
shooting scrape, one Of the bloodiest
and most remarkable street brawls in
our history-a brawl which came near
depriving the country Of the splendid
services Of Andrew Jackson at the
Horseshoe Bend, at New Orleans and
In the White House, for the pistols of
the Benton brothers brought him near
unto death. That Colonel Thomas
Hart Benton, who participated in that
fracas, ultimately became Jackson's
stanchest defender in the senate and
in history is only another illustration
Of the saying that politics makes
strange bedfellows.