Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1838-03-10
Mr.. PRENTlSS

4
Congress has published On address to the pcon. =
Misss>ippi, which appears 10 have excited fii..r..
and contempt wherever it has been circulated l.
nisrepresents al the facts of the case, and Is
trade OF vulgar rihaldry, low slang and l-dispu.l
mahgnity. Mr.. Prentiss may know the peo,. :,
Massachusetts, where he was raised, but he kDo,.
nothing, as is evident from his address, oftle v,,.
generous feelings Of the south. His senlimen,s,,.
al tinctured with visible and disgusting se,s5
MSS; his sod, ifhe las one, is packed do,cn rk,,
tobacco leaf, incapable OF expansion, calous 10 a.
finer sensibibties ofhuman nature. He talks sS0,,
Messrs. Claiborne and Gholson "beng driven ,,..
the Capitol" Thos! high-minded gentlemen, ceDr.
inc sons of the sosth, held their seats under II,
July election, which the House had declared v,si
in October. More lately, and upon second or.
animation, the House reversed its decision, and d.
clared that the July election was void that the the,
Governor of Mississippi had no power to order ,he
special election, and that consequently M1ssn
Claiborne and Gholson could not retain their seat,
| Then il was that PrentSs and Word set up tbpr
claim. twas proven that majority of the peouk
of Mississippi had not voted for them; the QueSiou
as 10 the intentions of the people of Mississippi wss
fully gone into; it was ascertained that these zen
temen were minority men, that they had 6ied 10
get majority orthe votes even when running alone
aud the consequence was that the Democracy
Congress rejected their claim thus driving back the
real "usurpers" and giving to the people Of The
State an opportunity IF testing the question rny.
This decision was not made, il turns out BY The
casting vote Speaker Polk, a man, by the way
who never hnches in the discharge Of his duty, and
who laughs at the sneers of the angry little Yankee
who aspircs TO represent the people of this State
The proud and talented Tennesseean, presiding over
the House of Representatives, the noble Representa-
tive Of a noble people, may well smile at the ephea
of the great Mr. Prcnt-iss. The eagle does not
stoop TO feed on flies.
When the question was decided, every le1eaEt
was present, and voted for Prenss and Wotd--
Mr.. Philips Of Massachusetts,, (who was then at
home,) member Of the Hartford Convention, was
sent for by express, and voted for PrentiSs and
Word. JOHN SARGEANT, who was in Philadelphia
at the same time, aiding Nicholas Bidde 10 Obtain
for NEGROES the PRIVILEGE OF VOTING, was sent
for, and fastened on to Washington, ard voted iof
the minority men, On the other hand, four demo
Gratis were absent. Ii is a cheering fact that the
democracy stood united. On the question of admit
ting PrentiSs and Word, every democrat voted ha
they were minority men, and that in claiming their
seats, they were attempting fraud on the Ieope
of Mississippi Even one oltheir own friends had
the independence 10 tell them so. SO much for
l Messrs. Preniss and Word-miscrablv deeatedn
July, receiving minority of votes in November,
and justly repudiated by Congress- if they set them.
selves up again as candidates, they will be promptly
and indignantly rejected by the people Of Missi&ip.
p, whose rights they have outraged. We close this
article with the following extract form the Baltimore
Republican. We have before said that Mr.. Prem.
tiss was utterly unqualified both by habit and Dis
position to ill any important public station. 1--we
wanted any further evidence to convice us of tits
iact,we have it in his recent address TO the peopeo
Mississippi. Ifhe had no other sins TO account fn,
this alone ought to damn him in the estimation Of
all honest men of all parties.
From tie Baltimore Republican.
The nsurpers have been driven from tie
Capitol" Such is the vindictive expression of Mr.
Prentss in his address 10 the people Of Mississippi,
which we find in the last "lnleiscucer." How
striking the contrast between such gratuitous nus.
nifty and the cEvalrous bearing Of NJ. Claiborne &C.
wards his opponents Mr.. Prenss. it is true,
better acquainted with the people OF Mississippi than
we can be, but we are much mistaken in our est
mate Of their manly spirit, if they do not sci Their
indignant stamp upon the Iittleness which is capa-
bic OF giving such petuent vent TO its disapponl.
ment, while at the same time they viii do honor 10
the courteous and gent!emanly manner which has
characterized the remarks Of Mr.. Claiborne whency-
er he has necessarily been obliged to make any re-
ference to Messrs. Prcntiss and Word. Tie whole
oil this address of MT. Prentiss, is an exhibition OF
bitter disappointment and paltry rrtabiIity unwoT-
| my ligl'-mlnded and generous spirited man,
Col. CLAIBoRNE's ADDREss.-Ths able and Iu'
cid document will be found IN our columns to-day
1t is upon subject of vital interest to this state and
TO the Whole south. We hope our readers will give
an attentive perusa-it will well repay the trouble
Col. Claiborne always writes well, and this Address
is one Of his best efforts. Compared with Prentrs
speeches. it is in every respect infinitely superior
n style, in argument, in temper. in every thing To-
deed, the Mississippi creole, as a statesman, eaws
the Yankee disciple of Webster at an mmeasura&
distance behind. We'll may our state be proud o.
such son. And can she desert him for man who
has no principle, no feeling in common with her
We cannot believe il.
LETTER TO THE EDITORS.
SAN AUGUSTINE, TEXAS, Feb. 2, 1898.
Our Land Offices opened yesterday agreaOly
to the provisions Of last Congress. The Office
is opened, not ior the sale, or entry of lands as