Year: 1871




sirable and safe place as home.n We
wonder, in the first place, that our cores
pondent should be haunted with the idea
that East Tennessee is not safe place.
Perhaps he, like hundreds of his cotempo-
raries, has been frightened with the sensa-
tional stories about the insecurity of life
and property everywhere in the South.


We say now, as we have repeatedly said
heretofore, that so far as security of life
and property is concerned from organized
lawless bands, such as the Kuklux, our
correspondent will be as safe here as in the
North. East Tennessee is isolated from
those sections of the South infested with
lawless bands by high mountains, aud our
people are law-abiding. We have here, as
elsewhere, violent deaths, but they are
confined to those reckless, intemperate
characters who render themselves by asso-
citation and conduct subject to broilS and
rencontres. We know Northern people do
not discriminate generally between East
Tennessee and other sections. We wriS
of our own section because here we have
lived for years. We know its people, and
what we saw of them is of our own know
ledge, and we can vouch for it. There is
not, and cannot be, more peaceable peo-
pie living than those who dwell III our
quiet valleys. They are kind to fault,





stranger, no matter where he is from, and
what may be his politics or his religion.
They are tolerant in their feelings and
views, and never condemn another be-
cause he may entertain adverse opinions.


But there is still another aspect of their
character which presents them in a most
favorable light, and that is that they are
not only not opposed to Northern people
coming into their midst, but they are
very desirous that they should do so. They
want them here. They want them for
several reasons. First, they justly con-
slider them, as class, intelligent. Hence
they appreciate the lofty advantages of
education, and would, therefore, exert
themselves to diffuse these advantages
among our children and to raise the STAN
dard of scholastic attainment. There is
not truly intelligent man in all this re-
gion but who would heartily rejoice to
see all such coming here by the thousands.
The more the better. Second, they regard
Northern farmers as masters of the profess
sion-that they understand the noble art
of farming in all its details. They are
sensible of the fact that they can inaugu-
rate new era upon this subject, and thus
contribute their brain and muscle to the
development of East Tennessee. Last,
though not least, they are aware that
Northern citizens would make valuable
acquisition to our society. They are known
to be peaceable disposed, and the friends
of law and order.


nreview of these facts we do not think
our correspondent can any longer doubt
that he and his people would be perfectly
safe in East Tennessee. They would be
lust as safe here as they are to-day in Con-
necticut. Our correspondent must not be
terrified by the monstrous reports he has
rd IN
anarchy and lawlessness which is
said to prevail in this section. We
do not disguise the fact that there has
been some social disturbances in East Ten
nessee, but they were not between men of
| the North and our own people. They
were simply local, growing out of the war,
and caused by the fact that our population
was divided on the war question. This
originated, unfortunately, spirit of retail
iation; but all that has entirely subsidized.
Peace and harmony reigns throughout our
borders.


But we would remind our correspondent
of another significant fact, which if he
will consider well, will remove all his fears
touching this matter. 1t is just this, that
the city of Knoxville and East Tennessee
contain large number of Northern peo-
pie, who have settled here during and
since the war. They have had no trouble
in mixing with East Tennesseeans. The
most of them are contented and doing
well. We have seen and conversed with
scores of them and find this to be SO from
their own lips. They often express pro-
found surprise at the foolish conceptions
which many of the Northern people have
of this country.


Our correspondent wants to know fur
ther if East Tennessee is "dcSird6Le dS o.
home" We tell him, yes. We are very
candid in this assertion. We have no dis
position to lead him or any one else astray
in so vital a matter as this. It would be
cruel to do SO. It is no trivial thing, by
false representations, to induce, or per-
suade any one to break their old con-
nexions, and abandon friends and cherish
ed homes and loved ones to migrate to a
section where disappointment, sacrifices
and troubles would await them. When
we tell him, therefore, that this country is
desirable as home," we mean all we
say. But we do not want him to take our
bare assertion. We will take the pains to
give him some substantial reasons, and
then let him be his own judge.


We hare q healthy section. 1t is pro-
verbally so. There are but few desperate
diseases peculiar to our climate. Chills
| and fever are exceedingly rare. This is
| the very place, of all others, to cure them
| permanently and forever. You may take
the most forlorn case from the swamps of
| South Carolina and place the patient in
| the heart of our hill country" and in a
year or two he will be restored to sound
ness. All this is attributable to our unsur-
passed climate, and our pure water. No
country can possibly boast of more springs.
| They gush forth from the rocks and gravel
on all lands, as clear as crystal and as
cool as desirable. The whole country is
literally dotted with mineral waters, and
hundreds of them possessing medicinal
qualities of high order. They act like a
charm upon dyspepsia, consumption, liver
many other diseases which we could men,
| ton.


We hare fine and cheap lands. 1t is not
assumed that we have the best lands in the
world, but we do assume that they are
eminentlY adapted to all the grain crops