The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-09-05


hoUn.
The Senator and MI. Calhoun once sat
together in the Senate chamber. They
were equal in Senatorial rank, but there
equality ceased. The country will bear
me out in the testimony l give, that there
was a wide difference between the two.
THIS difference was precisely that which
exists between the eagle and the owl. The
one scars aloit in the broad open day, and
gazes steadily upon the face Of the sun.
The other shuns the day, hides its igno-
miny in darkness, and disputes with the
reptiles with which il broods the right 10
batten on garbage. The Senator can be
at no loss 10 determine the place assigned
him in the back ground and twilight Of
this picture.
have said the Senator does not act
without a motive. may be able to afford
the public a key to the motive which has
prom oted the Senator to asssil Mr.. Cal
houn and South Carolina with unmitigated
~malignity for the last quarter of a century.
| will, for a moment, Messrs. Editors,
change the venue from you 10 the Senator
himself, for the purpose Of propouDding to
him a few direct and plain interrogations,
and hope be will favor the public with a
distinct answer TO each,
! ask you, sir, did or did not Mr.. Madi-
son, soon after the battle Of the "Horse
Shoe" appoint you to the Office Of sub In
dian agent for one Of the Southern tribes2
Did or did you not, sir, hold this office
until Mr.. Monroe came into power, and
Mr.. Calhoun under him, as Secretary of
Ware
And did or did not Mr., Calhoun cause
you TO be removed from the Office Of sub
Indian agent for malfeasance 10 ofice7
Mark the word, sir, | say malfeasauce, not
deeming it altogether in good taste to use
a term with which all are familiar, who are
acquainted with the titles Of the criminal
code. Will you, sir, give a direct answer
TO these i~Dterrogatories, without resorting
to your usual prevaricalions 2 The public
will be grstifed, doubtless, to hear your
response.
If these questions be answered in the
affirmative, or If you remain silentthe pub
lie will no longer be at a loss to discover
the source Of that hypocHtical pretence
Of patriotism, under cover of which you
have for the last twenty-five years given
vent to your spleen against Mr.. Calhoun
and South Carolina. Until you answer
these inquiries in charity to yourself, sir,
if not to those compelled to listen TO FOUR
~croakings, pray cease 10 make yourself
hoarse with the parrot cries of "Calhoun,"
"South Carolina" "Union." 1t is said to
be a fact we'll known to those who are ac-
q%uainted with the history oil criminal iu-
risprudencP, that a convict who has once
stood in the pillory, never looks at that in
strument of punishment afterwards with
out an involuntary sensation Of anguish.
You, sir, would perhaps be a creditable
witness on this subject.
If anything is 10 be learned from the his.
tory Of your life, you belong to a school OF
philosophers whose creed is only to be
found in the moral and political ler non
scrfpta. That creed is briefly this; that
dishonesty is a cardinal virtue, and knavery
an accomplishment, which alone can quail
ify a disciple to act his part upon the public
stage. OF all the honors of this school
you, sir. have shown yourself to be worthy.
and casuists might ever conclude that the
pyramid of transgressions which time has
erected to your memory, and upon which
your epitaph may be written, entities YOU.
without any additional achievement 10 an
honorary membership for life.
If !, sir, in conclusion, felt authorised 10
offer you a word Of counsel at parting. /
would tell you in all sincerity to retire at
once from the gaze Of awofld, from wbose
Of reprobation you can never be
reprieved, and to the society Of which your
presence can impart no value. Posteritv.
if it should Condescend to notice YOU, will
be at loss whether TO ASSIGN you the rank
Of a knave or fool. The present genera
ton who are better acquainted with YOUR
qualities, will be at no loss to determine
that you possess in your person and char
acter q strange combination Of both. AS
you cannot then, sir, hope to reverse this
sentence, retire to merited obscuritv, and
the few remaining days allotted to
you under the sun, to prepare yourself by
repentance for a coming hour, when YOU
must yield upa life which you have spent
without adjoining or d~ignifying a single
virtue which stamps a man as either good.
uysan ~. 1890