The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-08-29
From the Charleston Mercury.
wR pUFCNJJT,S LETTER.

lice Of Senator Foote, who has seen fit to
indulge his taste, before a Senatorial audi
encc, in a course Of very aipPanta and scu'-
rlous remarks, which | see reported in the
Union of the 4Ih Of August, a copy oil
which a neighbOr has just placed In my
hands.
It's a very easy thing for any one who
is sufficiently regardless of truth and de-
cencv. TO deal in harsh words and vulgar
f epithets. / entertain too much respect Tor
myself, as well as for those friends whose
good opinion / value, to become the imlta-
tor oil Mr.. Foote.
The court at Washington, it appears
has its jester, as well as the courts and
princes in past times had theirs, when
chosen auditolies were made merry blythe
bought wit or buffoonery Of the collarmen.
Mr.. Foote, in his way, seems 10 be a Vel
low Of infinite jest,' and ! doubt not that
his harlequin performances will secure Tor
him, in a certain quarter, a comfortable al
lowance, when a wronged and indignant
State shall cast him from her bosom.
This Senator from Mississippi has af-
fected great indignation at the slight mem
ton | had occasion to make Of him before
a public meeting at Camden. This he
makes the pretevt for the outpouring Of
that sort of slang, which one would fain
hope, aud | believe, was unknown in the
Senate before he graced that body with
his presence. The gravamen Of my Of
fence seems to be that had the temerity
to link the time-honored, euphoneous and
suggestive name of Mr.. Foote TO that Of
Mr.. Benton. If the Senator from Mis-
soul, or his friends, had thought at all OF
remarks made by a person 50 inconsidera-
Bile as myself, doubt not that both he and
they would have been quite as wrathful as
the little Senator from Mississippi, al the
association in which he is found.
My attention was attracted 10 the Sena-
tor, not for any wisdom he uttered, bul be-
cause he was the mover Of the committee
of thirteen-because he was an eternal
chatterer and actor Of scenes in the Senate
because he had recently made himself
very busy in conjunction with his unex-
pected ally in blacS-balllng citizens Of the
South by imputiug to them "treason, STRAIT
agem and s~poils"-because l perceived
that the lion roar which he had INDUCED, IN
the early part of the session de die In diem
as a Southern flag bearer, had dwindled
down into the smallest possible squeak.
In abiding to some Of the causes which
placed the South in her present attitude Of
hopeless defence ia Congress, l mentioned
the detection OF Senator Foote and others
from the Southern phalanx. And did he
not desert his Southern friends and allies in
the very hottest of the ighl2 Did he not
desert them when, with eager haste, i'm
PEELED by ridiculous vanity he became the
assailant of Mr.. Calhoun at the reading Of
his last speech IN the Senate? That was
a critical moment; for up to that time the
friends of the South in the Senate pre-
scented an almost ~unbroken front. They
stood clearly on the vantage ground. This
movement, made under the absurd idea
that he would be held responsible for the
philosophical opinions expressed by Mr..
Calhoun, and which ii it is clear Mr.. Foote
did not understand, produced evidently a
disastrous effect. Mr.. Foote would be a
leader without any Of the requisite quail
ties. He is excellentln his place. know
of no one who can better badger and worry
the greater men Of the Senate, by an in
c~essant little tempest Of fuss and fury.
He is great to draw the fire Of the larger
guns out Of the tight direction. Serves
admirably as the hat on the ramrod held
by the hunter to delude the Indian, who
when he fires has the modification to find
that he has wasted his powder at stick,
and perhaps bit something that only looked
as if the head of a man might be in it.
Far be it from US to disparage the Senator.
He is good in his place, very good-but for
General Foote to assume the leadership Of
a great party in the country and before the
Senate, would be like pitching Gen. Tom
Thumb at the head of the American army
smothered in the long boots and cooked
hat Of Winfield Scott. Did he not leave
those same friends and allies when he be-
came the blind ana rabid advocate of the
Bill Of Surrender which proposed TO give
all to the North and to take all in dispute
from the South, under the delusive name
Of compromise? But from recent indica-
tons it would seem that his position is
understand NV tho 0ood naonlo r. "A: