davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

tie. and Speaker Polk cast the deciding vote.
 MT. Prentiss remained in Washington a few days. He received marked at- tention, and was looked upon with won- der and admiration. He turned his face towards his adopted state, determined that it and himself should be vindcated. This second canvass was the most ex- citing part of his whole career. He was in perfect health His frame seemed to be of iron and could stand almost any strain. He could go fer several nights at a time without any sleen at all. He was not an exception to the rule in Mis- sissippi at that time-he drank. There was one county, the vote of which was so large as to almost decide the vote of the state The opposing party chal- lenged him to joint debate in that eoun- ty, sent two of their best speakers, and laid a trap for him. It was to give him a great dinner, and different ones were to challenge him to drink-it was well known he never declined to accept a challenge, hoping thereby he would be- come intoxicated and not be able to meet them. One after another challenged him, and he drank with all. When the dinner was over, and the hour for the speaking arrived one of their speakers lay on the table and the other under it, "senseless and motioness." MT. Prentiss arose, some what full" of eouse, but In perfect
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

up of members and ex-members of Con- gress, senators, lawyers, judges, army and navy officers, men of prominence from all parts of the country and for eign dignitaries. The man and the oc- casion had met. It was such an audience as to inspire him to his utmost reach in the field of oratory. With perfect ease and grace he began and before he had finished his first sentence the vast audi ence saw that a finished gentleman, Q polished orator. an irresistible logician, a magnificent declaimer, an impetuous vindieator of his injured state" stood be- fore them. Almost breathless the assem- bly, listened. His argument consumed parts of three whole days. and each day sweep of his eloquence, and at the close friends and adversares gathered around him in enthusiastic joy" Daniel Webster, on leaving the hall, remarked to a friend,
 Nobody could equal that" The admin istration spent a whole week in lame replies, at the close of which MT. Prem tiss made his rejoinder, which was said
 to be even superior, if possible, to his former speech, and to a house even more crowded. The vote taken at the close of this decided by a majority of seven that Claiborne and Gohlson were not en- titled to their seats, and then voted not to seat these gentlemen, the vote being a.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

command of all his powers and made one of his most powerful and effective speeches.
 Copah county was a stronghold of his opponents. AS he spoke in that county men nurrahed and threw their hats in the air, life long democrats might be seen with tears of emotion streaming down their cheeks and others leaping in the air ana laughing with mysteries of en- thusiasm." One life long democrat walked forward and tearing his coat apart ill the back, said: "They shant call me a turncoat; I'll just back out of it,' and out of it he went. At the close of his speech he was borne by friends and adj versaries alike from the stand to his hotel.
 It Is said his campaign of the state was a triumphal progress marked by vast crowds, enthusiastic ovations and the in- cessant blaze and thunder of his oratory. Prentiss and Word were again elected. Presenting themselves to be sworn in at Washington, MT. Prentiss demanded of the speaker, MT. Polk, that they be sworn in, not on the certificate of Governor Me- Nulty, which they had just received, but upon the certification of Governor Lynch, the one upon which the House had re- fused to seat them the winter before. This was done without objection, and the "bold young whig stood completely vic- torious over foes at home, and the mar
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

had in contemplation a delegation from Tennessee to the national republican con- vention of 1908 favorable to the nomina- ton of George B. Cortelyou for President. Mr. Brownlow did not fall in with that view, and then it was that Hitchcock undertook to build up a machine in Ten nessee that would depose Brownlow from the primacy. H. Clay Evans, a native of Pennsylvania, and a carpetbagger from Wisconsin, was set up to Lead the ma- chne and his lieutenant was a MT. San ders, another carpetbagger, probably from Ohio. The bread and butter bri- gade was put under the command of these two; but it developed that MT. Cor telyou was not a candidate for President Yet the Evans faction prevailed-the post masters fought nobly-and the Evans ticket was nominated to be disastrously beaten at the polls.
 Brownlow was nominated for Congress in the First district and Alfred A. Fay Tor, as republican, was nominated to op- pose him by a boiling convention. It was hoped that the democrats would vote for Taylor; but they nominated J. H. Caldwell and gave him 9145 votes Browa- low was elected by a big majority, though Taylor boiled 6700 votes.
 Recently, there was a state convention held at Nashville, to send delegates to the republican national convention, and OH that occasion the two factions clashed. On the night before the Eyans-Sanders people seized the hall and held it till next morning, when the BroWnlow Oliver folk came down the mountains took
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

shalled strength of the administration at Washington" He is said to have deliv- cred several powerful and eloquent speeches in Congress burning with wrath and satire upon men and measures he thought deserved punishment. But for the routine work he had no taste. He would not attend committee meetings. At the close of his second term he returned to Vicksburg and resumed the practice of law to try to bring order out of the chaos into which his private business had fal- len. During the excitement of the Har- rison campaign in 1S40 he was besieged by letters to speak in almost every state of the union. He spoke in many of the large cities. Again in 1S44 he went forth using all his vast resources for Henry Clay, who was his favorite statesman. These later speeches were said to have "a far loftier grade of excellence"
 His speech before the Whig convention in Nashville in August, 1S44, delivered be- fore an audience estimated at 40,000 was thought by his friends to be his greatest effort up to that time. He spoke for three hours. A great crowd thronged his hotel that night and clamored for an- other speech He attempted to yield to the demand, but his strength was not suffi- cient; In the midst of his speech he tainted and as he was falling Governor Jones sprang forward, and catching hinl in his arms shouted: "Dle, Prentiss, die;
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

had been made candidate in his ab- sence at the July election, and was beaten by 2800 votes. His majority in November was about 2500, and his vote the largest that had ever been cast in the state." The balance of power was so nearly even between the two parties in Congress that it was decided to re- tain Claiborne and Gohlson for an other two years. This injustice, aft erward acknowledged, was defended at the time alone on technical grounds. As these two votes might have in fluence in national legislation, the con- test was watched with great interest by the people of the whole country.
 MT. Prentiss arrived in Washington with his colleague and interest was at fever heat. In addition to a desire on the part of his friends to see justice done, the fate of great issues might be involved. Some of the whig members of Congress wanted some of the more experienced members appointed to aid the new men in prepar- ing their case. They were assured by friend of MT. Prentiss that he was not ia babe to be nursed," but "a giant their cheeks and others 1eaping in the came for him to make his argument he stepped forth, calm and confident, before an audience that filled the Hall of Rep resentatives, galleries ana 1obbies, male
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03
WALTER PRESTON BROWNLO OW-By Savoyard

possession, held the convention and went home. The other fellows-the bread-and- butter troops-then held separate con- gates. What the national convention will do about it remains to be seen
 In a practical sense-resuts obtained Walter P. Brownlow is possibly the most successful man in Congress I mean that no other man has "got so much for his district,' when we consider that there is ton of the appropriations voted and they no large city in it. I saw a computa- are simply enormous. Brownlow has way of seeing clearly what he wants and then he sets about to get it, and rarely dose he fail. A gentleman related to me some weeks ago that he wanted something done by the Senate, and after repeated failures he went to Brownow, who had not the least personal interest in the thing and asked his aid. Without the slightest hesitation Brownlow went to the Senate committee, to whom the mat ter had been referred; remained two hours working with the committee, and when he came away his efforts had been successful. He is an executive. He knows how to manage men, and that Is what has made his services so valuable to --.s district and his state.
 the timers trade. Then he was for some years a locomotive engineer. In 1876 he became reporter on the Knoxville Whg and Chronicle, of which his famous kins- man, Parson Brownfow, was editor. Not long thereafter he purchased the Jones' noro Herald and Tribune, of which he has since been the editor, as well as the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

Gustavus A. Henry, Leonidas c. Houk was a Tennessean of the mountains and Edward w. Carmack is a Tennessean of the blue grass, but their types are as distinct as Highland and Lowland
 One would think that to make a repub- lican party at the south intelligent poll tics would begin in East Tennessee, where dwell men native and to ne manner born. But after the war the south was over run with adventurers from the north carpetbaggers as they were appropriate ly called-whose mission was to be turn spits in the kitchen of the satrap. Ten nessee got a share of them; not nearly so numerous as her sisters further south, but a plenty. It was one of the counts of the indictment Thomas Jefferson drew against George III that his majesty had sent gang of carpetbaggers across the ocean to govern his subjects in the col onies; but they were comparatively few and their mischief comparatively in- nocuous In contrast with the swarms that overran the postrate south >of the re- construction era and eat out her sus- tenance.
 Walter Preston Brownlow is a nephew of Parson Brownlow. He represents the First Tennessee district In Congress, of which body he has been a member since 1897. He is the natural leader Of the re- publican party of Tennessee, but the post office department at Washington through a Yankee from Massachusetts, MT. Hitchcock, was not very well pleased with MT. Brownlows political conduct, and undertook to depose him from the lead- ership. Gossip has it that MT. Hitchcock
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

thrown south had been treated as Eng land recently treated the Boers of South Africa-that is to say, if the mind of Lincoln and the heart Of Greeley had guided republican coun- cils-the Union would have been as completely restored by 1870 as it is in 1908. But they would not have it so. The south was given to the negro to toss in a blanket, and he was not equal serted itself. The negro was put aside. The south was solid, and the souther | republican party is only a bread and butter brigade at the orders of every republican administration at Washing ton.
 But there was and is a real republi- can contingent in East Tennessee. There was a Union sentiment fostered by Andrew Johnson, William G. Brown low, Thomas A. R. Nelson, Horace Indian from Rhode Island assimilated by the sons and grandsons of the men who fought Kings Mountain-and oth- CTS of lesser note. These men, except the Rhode Island genius, had no thought of abolishing slavery, Indee1, Parson Brown1ow hated an abolitioni st very little less cordially than he did a secesslonist, and Johnson made a syllogism by which he demonstrated that an abolitionist was secessionist, and there have been poorer syllogisms.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03
FAMILY JARS-By George Allan England

1 Oxford county was laughin up its sleeve Also, cousin Luell Twitchell showed LII I in meetin' from that time on, dunn sighl more serum shus than Rindy'd ever ben l Oh, things was bad, bitter bad an sore | for the Beans; but Sockalexis bided his 1 time, he bided his time.
 "Now, I'll have you know the railroad runs through South Pond village in a i, most cur ous manner, right plum through | the main street len thwise fer half a mile fore it swings off in a stiff up grade round the lake to Locke's Mills Snug to the deepo thar's a side track where the local freight puts in back O the freightshed every afternoon. It's a quiet spot an powerful secluded. Yes.
 "Well one P. M, Ame he druv to town fer grain, yittles an cider. an hitched Kit by the deepo while he was a-tradn' in Andrews store Sock was in town, too, but not fer grain ner cider twas bigger game, much bigger, he was after. He hitched nex to Anne an waited.
 "He didn't have t wait long fore the | local freight backed down to onload a car at the shed. You bet Sock was a-keepin' his eyes peeled bout then. Things looked fav rable. an no mistake tiS street WuS pufly HlBn ueSefteu all tlie caboose O the train stood not two rod away. Sock he waited an waited, like a spider watchn' a fat fly. He seen Op- portunity knoclSin' at his door, an he want the man to turn a lady down; he didn't let her knock in vain
 "Ef you'd-a ben down thar back O the freight shed, mister you might-a seen a long wiry cuss. answerin' to the name O Socl<alexis Bean onhitch Ame's hoss in al IA ,,,f al up to the caboose an make a good, hard knot with the bridle round the hand rail. Then you might-a seen the same man saunter away to the deepo platform, set down on baggage trusk, light his T. D. an prepare fer joyous doins.
 'Tootl Toot!-Ding- dong -ding-d dong! Why, that's the local gittin' ready t pull out fer Locke's Mills.
 'Chul Gnu! Gnu! Chuchuchuchuchu' (wheel a-slippin'D Gnu! Chul CHU! CHU!;' tsand on the raill 'CHU!-CHUl -CHUi-'
 "Suthin' tugs kinda gentle at Kids S head an she moves forrard at a slow walk.
 Gnu, Gnu, Gnu! Gnu! Chu!Chu!---'
 .'The walk briskens up a bit, kinda develops into lope the wagon jounces over tn rails us it comes in onto the track.
 'Chuchuchuchuch chu chu chu chu chu chui-
 "A trot! See! The old hoss is begin- min to step out right peart Ears laid bak an reins a-trailin thar she goes tag gin after that local freight with r'ious persistency. Things begin bouncin' in the wagon too-looks bad fer the eggs-yes, thar they go! My land, what splat- teration, Flour? Jeems Rice, what a dust flour does raise when bagful busts
 "ChuChuChuChuChu uChuChuChuChu Chu!-
 bel Bounce! Bounce! Slam, Bang!-Kit' $ fully onlimbered bout now, swingin' along at 8 fine, free stride-thar's kinda
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

proprietor. He has attended five repub- lican national conventions as a delegate twice from the state-at-large-fro Ten nessee. He was long connected with the republican state committee, Of which he was two years chairman. In 1881 he was elected doorkeeper of the national House of Representatives-the Forty-seventll Congress. He was repeatedly chosen ths Tennessee member of the republican na- tional committee, a position he yet holds. He was twice the republican nominee for United States senator. He was six times returned to Congress, and is today the ablest and most distinguished re- publican in Tennessee. Not William o. Bradley of Kentucky has attained more importance as a southern republican than Walter P Brownlow.
 l do not know of any other southern republican who would mt wither under the frown of republican administration at Washington, but Brownlow lives in a white district that numbers nearly three republicans to one democrat. There a republican can live without bread and but ter from Washington. Had it been as it is in other parts of the south Evans would now have Brownlow's scalp dang ling at his belt. If the administration will leave hands off Walter P. Brownlow Will dominate his party in tennessee mora effectually than Henry C. Lodge domi- mates his in Massachusetts.
 But when did republican administra- tion allow the republican party of any southern state to govern itself?
 That is one of the reasons why there is no real southern republican party.
 Copyright, 1907, by E. w. Newman.)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

you will never have more glorious time."
 In October of that year in a speech be- fore a great audience in Jackson he an- nounced his purpose to remove from Mississippi to New Orleans. It is said "thousands" shed tears, the great audi- enee sat motionless, not a man moved until after an enlivening song by glee club. Ills expectations of business were fully met in his new home. He gave his entire time to the practice of his profes- sion until the presidential campaign Of 1s4S, during which he made many speeches In Louisiana and Mississippi. He over reached his failing strength and was never a well man again.
 His constitution had been seriously im- paired by excesses in other days. The short remainder of his life is a sad, sad story. With all the force of his vehement nature he battled against the encroach- ment of disease. The law of his being had been violated, and the penalty must be paid Gradually his force abated, until, on the first day of July, 1850, at the early age of 42 years, the voice that had charmed so many thousands of his eoun- trymen was silenced in death I should be glad to close this tribute to MT. Prem tiss without casting a shadow upon a name so illustrious. But 1t was true of him. as it Is of all men, that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

too, than Andy's. Brownlow's hatred of the abolitionist came from the be- lief that 1t was the mission of that guild to drive the south to secession. There never was an intenser southern CT than Brownlow but his clear vision saw that secession meant souther ruin, and that is why he so bitterly denounced it and so intrepidly com batted 1t.
 It is a warelike race-Scotch- -Irish Anglo-Saxon-and though East Tennessee contributed to the Confederate army a fair quota that people sent more men to swell the Union ranks than did any community of equal population of any state of the north7<more than Vermont, more than the western reserve. Suppose these men had been "disoyap'-how long would Garfield and Morgan have remained in Eastern Kentucky? When would Burn side have got to Knoxville? Ay, when would Sherman have reached Atlanta? To combat the East Tennesseans who wore the blue the Confederacy was nec- essitated to materially weaken Lee, and seriously weaken Bragg.
 There is a vast difference between the East Tennessean and the Middle Tennes- sean. Perhaps Andrew Johnson and Isham G. Harris were less dissimilar than John Balfour of Burley and John Gra- ham of Claverhouse; but they were wide asunder, as were Parson Brownlow and Bishop Polk. Thomas A. R. Nelson and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

fulfilled precisely these conditions. It's ideal was perfection; and this ideal was more or less distinctly insisted upon throughout. It was figured in variety of ways in the instructions which Je- hovah gave concerning the altar, the tabernacle, the victims for sacrifice. the trim and thummim. the priestly vest ments, and in short. in the general ar engagements of the Levitical ritual. Yet in practice we find this ideal perfection largely modified. and when Jesus intro- duees the higher morality of the gos- pei the people and even His immediate disciples, think that AIe utters sayings too hard for them to bear. The Mosaic law of divorce is so modified by the Mas ter that His disciples express the opinion that celibaey is better than marriage un- der conditions so strict.
 The ideal perfection O. the law oper- ated as an educational power in two directions. It tended to elevate the moral
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

I Where'd the money come from, I'd like I t know?'
 l "'Money? Did you say money? thank tn Lord I ain't so thick as you be. Anne Twichell Money? How about | old Belle? Why don't you take an l sell her to Sock? She ain't over an above spry I admit, but you're lucky on ss-tradin'-he'll buy, all right l you see if he won't. Fix her up a mite an she'll be good fer 50 anyway. Or kp'raps he'd swap his Kit, an give | su'thin' to boot. Then
 "'What? You want me t cheat my
 neighbor an perjure my etarnal soul jes' to gratify your wicked, worldly vanities? Why Luell. how you do talk Eff I had thought like them thar, I'd
 keep 'em to myself, at least, an not 'Vanities? Wicked? Jes cause 1
 want t look decent an red myself-up a bit sos not to be a laughin stock with Cousin Rin? Oh Ame, Anne! When we was married
 "Gosh a'mighty but words did fly some, I though! They flew fer sev'ral weeks hot an heavy mornin', noon an night, an Sundays. till finally old Anne petered out. Yes, Luella wore him to reg'lar frazzle,
  fer the sake O peace. When man can't eat meal O vittles ner lay in his bed thout hearin' one perpetual yap-yap-yap- pin, he gifts so, after a white, that he'll rob his gran mother fer the sake O peace. And Anne loved peace on common well, too. So twas peace he bought, with his own conscience. He made up his mind he'd swap old Belle, he give plum in to
 Lucia, an he promised when the deal was carried through, that he'd turn the boot what thar was of it-over his lovin' wife fer the carryin out of her hearts de- sire.
 ''Now Belle, d'you see. had been good one in her day, but of late years she d ! ben a-runnn' down, runnin' down, same S everythin' on this mortal footstool does eff you give it time enough She was thin
 ner n a hayrake, her coat was shaggy as a bar's hide, she'd cast in one eye, was spavined an had the heaves somethn'
 dretful. Besides, su'thin had went wrong
 with her nose, so she whistled all-fired
 bad, spite of all anybuddy cd do.
 Sounded like a tarnation engine, when
 she got het up to her full speed. Sheed? Yep, old an rickety as Belle was, she had
 some speed left in her somewheres, specially uphill. Some hosses is built like
 that-they run head sight better up a grade than they do on tn level. Belle come of blooded stock way, way back; twas filtered out purity thin, I yum, but still it'd show out now an then on oc- casons So the case want quite hope less.
 "Ame, havin' strangled his conscience t death an then stomped on 1t. made up his mind to do the job good an lib'ral. He thunk ar thunk couple O days an then he done few things. The result was his new thoroughbred, jes' in from the west, an not fer sale, swap CT hire. Say d'you know anything bout hosses, hey? Dyou know they'll eat pork ?Well, they will, when it's fed 'em an they have to. The heaves stopss subsequent.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

~ ERGEANT s. PRINTISS first ,> political speech was made in
 1881, and it was bold and ef- fective attack upon Martin Van Buren. It was from 1895 to 1s45 he was most active as an orator and politician. At the age of 29 years he had made a national reputation as an orator. He addressed all kinds of audiences from school boys up to an audience of 40,- 000 In 1897 he became a candidate for Congress, and opened s1is cam paign in August at Natchez. In poli- tics MT. Prentiss was a whig, and they were largely in the minority in Missis- sppi.
 He entered upon his canvass with great earnestness, and it is said The encouraged friends, and convinced and converted, or discomf1ted and scattered foes, brought enthusiastic accessions to the whig ranks in every county, revo- 1utionized the state, and with his col league, Judge Word, was elected over their competitors, Claibor and Gohl- son, men of high character, ability and station, by a majority not in itself enormous, but which, under the wand of their new enchanter had been sum- moned out of less than nothing. He