The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-17
ErssAs Ses4k1n Prsas
To THE Hon. II. s. FooTE, U. S. SENATE.
CoLuMBr., S. c., August IL, 1850.

COLUMBIA, ). u, August IL, 1850.
Sra: beg leave to call your attention to few
little perversions of truth, used by you lately to
impart Righteousness to the remarks, with which,
in your capacity of bully, buffoon, and bore to
the Senate, you were pleased to honor me.
have been waiting to see your report of your
self in the Union; but not having been able yet
to obtain it, obliged to refer to other papers.
You attributed to me the solemn declarations q
refer for convenience TO a sort of summing up in
the report of one of your innumerabe and intolera
BILE speeches, made on the Sd Of August, and pub
ished in the Southern Press and other papers)
90 that if Congress shall undertake to admit Cali
fornia into the Union at all, South Carolina will
secede from the Nnion-and seize upon Caifor-
nia-upon the mouth OF the Missssippi-and
blockade the Western States.''
made no such declarations. The report of my
speech at Camden, which served you for text,
contained no such declarations. And you, of
course, knew perfectly well that you were per-
verting the truth.
The report Of my speech was prepared witho ut
consulting me by the Secretary of the meeting at
Camden, was never seen by me until after its pub
LEGATION, (Which was unexpected to me } and being
| brief, has encouraged you to use your petty ar
ufces of distortion. But the report in lis actual
state is sufficient to convict you Of dsingenuous
practices, was rendered evident by the correc-
| ton made by senator from Missouri, of mis-
statement into which, trusting to your verson me
had inadvertently fallen.
What did say on these points was, in sub
stance; this -
That If California with its pretended constitu-
ton and usurped boundaries, should be admitted
by Congress as State, or should be left in its
present condition, excluding the South from all
share Of the territory, the saveholdng States ought
TO secede from the present Confederacy, and form
a Southern confederacy. That if forced into a
war by the injustice Of the North, the slayehold-
States unphf relu n m ele mt pfo
amongst which would be the power by closing
the Mississippi against the commerce Of the north
western States, TO bring that section to terms and
that the injustice practised by the slavahold-
ing States, in attempting TO exclude the South from
all share of California, and TO rob Texas of its
territory, would Justify the confederacy of the
slaveholding States i'm taking possession by force
Of the whole, or ofany part OF California. -
The Northern man who denounces this as trea-
son, | would meet simply with defiance The
servile Southern sycopbant who raises the cry,
provokes inexpressble scorn.
BY way of apology for undertaking to arragn
me before the Senate, you asserted (accordng 10
a report which find in the Baltimore Clipper, J
that IT seemed to be rendered necessary by the
| very particular mention | had made Of YOU This
is not merely perversion, like the statements al.
Iuded to above, but fabrication Of your fancy
] did not say word about YOU in my speecl
that remember. At all events, there is not q
with the instinct of Scrub, in the play, you felt
that II had spoken of you, il must have been in
| terms Of contempt.
Permit me now, sir, as you in the habit OF
ecturing senators and citizens, or out Of place,
(but must retract a part Of the expression-I do
not believe that you have had sufficient sense
Of decency TO do it in place,) To offer you very
short lecture for the amendment of your man
ners.
| To pervert the language of others into sense
not intended by them, is not regarded as reprehen-
sible in clown at circus, or Jester over
convivisl bottle. But it is not very becoming to
this trick for effect on the floor Of the Senate
even in these days Of senatorial decline, when
Scrub may be senator. have pointed out your
perversions Of the language in which my speech
was reported You viii make the proper acknow.
Judgements, or not, according as yon may have
any regard for truth left, or as you may among
the compromises to which you are addicted. have
compromised away what little Of the quality you
ever possessed.
You bantered senator from South Carolins
With the offer that you would, If invited, come "a
Charleston or Columbia, to discuss the question,
which have been before the Senate.
| When South Carolina desires instruction in the
doctrines Of the federal and consolidation school
she can send for some Statesman worth listening
to-Mr. Webster, for instunce--who could per-
form the task with some ability.
| But Il would not be generous TO hold you to