676 



TELEGRAPH. 



TENNESSEE. 



rouse, through the island of Yesso to Hakodadi, 

 thence across the strait of Matsmai, through 

 Niphon to Nagasaki and Yeddo, and joining 

 this line in Yesso to carry it across the Koorile 

 Islands to Karntchatka, and thence across Beh- 

 ring's Island and the Aleutians to Point Alaska, 

 in Russian America. This would require sev- 

 eral sections of submerged cable, but not more 

 than one or two of them exceeding 60 miles 

 in length. By one or other of tttese routes, it 

 seems certain that Eastern Asia will be placed 

 in communication* with us, as well as with 

 Western Europe within the next three or four 

 years. 



Mr. Cyrus W. Field, who was so indefatiga- 

 ble in his efforts to complete the Atlantic cable 

 some years ago, has again revived his project, 

 and after spending some months in England has 

 succeeded in procuring such assurances of aid 

 from the British Government, and offers by 

 the manufacturers to share the risk of another 

 attempt, as to render the reconstruction of 

 that line probable at an early period. A new 

 invention for the protection of the cable, or 

 rather a 'new arrangement of the enveloping 

 wires and cable, obviating the tendency to 

 " kink," which was so serious a difficulty in the 

 former cable, and a better method of paying 

 out, render its success now more certain. 



Another route for telegraphic communica- 

 tion between Europe and America has been agi- 

 tated by the persevering efforts of Mr. Talia- 

 ferro P. Shaffner, a citizen of the United States, 

 who as early as 1854 procured from the king of 

 Denmark a concession for the construction of 

 ^uch a communication by way of the Faroe Isl- 

 ands, Iceland, and Greenland, and when in 

 1859-60 succeeded in having the route explored 

 and soundings made, partly at the cost of the 

 British Government, and secured a report in 

 favor of the feasibility of his project. As yet, 

 however, no measures are known to have been 

 taken for the laying of a line by this route. 

 The distances to be crossed by submerged 

 cal^ps is, indeed, much less than by the route 

 proposed by Mr. Field ; but there are liabilities 

 to the destruction of the cable by icebergs, and 

 a vast extent of intensely cold, inhospitable 

 country to be traversed, which would make its 

 success exceedingly problematical. 



Of smaller telegraphic enterprises, perhaps the 

 most important is the connection of Fortress 

 Monroe with Baltimore by means of a submerged 

 cable across Chesapeake Bay. The first effort 

 failed, from the breaking of the cable in con- 

 sequence of a storm while being laid ; and 

 in the second, the cable was broken by an 

 anchor two or three days after it was laid. A 

 third effort has succeeded, an improved method 

 of protecting the cable having been adopted. A 

 temporary telegraphic communication has been 

 established with the army in Eastern Virginia 

 throughout most of their progress, and has 

 greatly facilitated military operations. The 

 aeronauts who have used the balloon for the 

 purpose of ascertaining the positions and condi- 



tion of the Confederate camps and fortifications, 

 have also maintained telegraphic communica- 

 tion with the camp from which they ascended, 

 and have reported their observations at the in- 

 stant of making them. 



TENNESSEE. This fertile State lies south 

 of Kentucky, and north of Georgia, Alabama, 

 and Mississippi. North Carolina bounds it on 

 the east, and the Mississippi River on the west. 

 Its greatest length from east to west is about 

 430 miles, and its breadth 110 miles. The 

 State is commonly divided into three sections ; 

 the part east of the Cumberland Mountains is 

 called East Tennessee ; that between the Cum- 

 berland Mountains and the Tennessee River, 

 Middle Tennessee ; and west of this river it 

 takes the name of West Tennessee. On the east 

 it is separated from North Carolina by the Ap- 

 palachian chain of mountains, of which the 

 Cumberland, an outlying ridge, enters the State 

 from Kentucky. The height of the mountains of 

 this ridge is estimated at from 1,000 to 2.000 feet. 

 They are wooded to the top, and embosom de- 

 lightful and fertile valleys. Middle Tennessee is 

 moderately hilly, while West Tennessee is either 

 level or gently undulating. Indian corn, to- 

 bacco, and cotton are the great staples. The 

 population of the State in 1860 was 826,828 

 white ; 7,235 free colored ; and 275,784 slaves ; 

 total, 1,109,847. 



The Legislature of Tennessee holds its regular 

 sessions in the odd years, commencing on the 

 third Monday of October. The members are 

 elected on the first Thursday of the preceding 

 August. After it has once adjourned sine die, 

 it cannot hold a second session, unless con- 

 vened by the Governor, who is authorized by 

 the Constitution to call the General Assembly 

 together on extraordinary occasions, by proc- 

 lamation ; and, in that case, he must state to 

 them, when assembled, the purposes for which 

 they were convened ; and then, " they shall 

 enter on no legislation except that for which 

 they were specially called together." 



In August, 1859, the members who were to con- 

 stitute the 33d General Assembly were elected. 

 At the canvass preceding the election, the peo- 

 ple had presented to them no question regard- 

 ing national affairs. The session was distin- 

 guished by nothing out of the ordinary course 

 of State legislation. Before the adjournment, 

 about the 24th of March, I860, electoral tick- 

 ets for President and Yice-President of the 

 United States had been presented to the people 

 of the Union ; and, in Tennessee, there was a 

 ticket for Breckinridge, another for Douglas, 

 and a third for Bell, her o\vn citizen. No 

 ticket was offered for Lincoln. The electors 

 for each of the candidates industriously can- 

 vassed the entire State, and each one repre- 

 sented his candidate as an unconditional Union 

 man, while Bell was recommended to the 

 people as the special advocate of the " Con- 

 stitution, the Union, and the enforcement of 

 the laws." He carried the State by a majority 

 of 4,565 over Breckinridge, the next h: 



