Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-08-02
HERNANDo, July lot

HERNANDo, July 10Th, 1851
Tho ;o;nt canvass between Senator Foote and
r,vself terminated yesterday abruptly, in Sledge.
vile. Pamela County.
Tt is due to you that the causes which broupb,
about this event should be made public
embarked i'm the Canvass under an agreement.
IN writing proposed by the friends Ex-senator Foote
and accented by me, "that during our Canvass
notbino of personal charcter should be intro
duced by either party, but that the Canvass should
he confined to the political issues between US, be.
fore the people," to the observance OF which IN.
derstanding our friends mutually pledged them
selves.
At our first and second appointments, 1 declsr.
ad EXPRESSLY. that would neither introduce Der.
sonal matters, nor assal my opponents motives,
or even altitude to his political acts, not connected
With the present issues before the country, unless
compeHed so to do by the course OF my opponent
ON nv part, have, so far as was permitted,
conformed to the agreement, and adhered to the
course proposed-but regret to say, that my op-
ponent has habitually disregarded the terms ofthe
debate, and frequently used even irritating andin
famatory language. AT urehaoa ne startled the
audience with the declaration that his life had been
endangered five or six times during this canvass
and that he expected to be assassinated, but that
in such event. the blood of an Unioa man would
cry to heaven for vengeance. 1t is true, he SAID,
that he did not accuse any prominent man OF the
] State Rights party of such intention, but by his
i language he left the lmurderous imputution upon
his opposers generally. As the canvass proceeded
he became more personal. l had upon several
OCCASIONS alluded to the arbitrary and alarming pow
ers asserted by the present administration IN
stanced the threat of President Fillmore to use the
military Force of the United States against Texas
and cited the indignity lately offered to Mssis-
sipp in urging the arrest and removal of the gov
ernor of the State to New Orleans for trial on
groundess charge, thus virtually suspending the
executive powers of the State Government
/ In the debate at Pamela, Gen. Foote in answer
to this point of my argument defended the con-
duct of the President, and although he disayowed
the intention of imputing to me any guilt, yet he
ntimated that there was cause for suspicion IN the
alledged fact that some arms belonging tothe State
of Mississippi had been carried off to be usedih
the Cuban expedition,
In my reply said that the charge or insinua.
tion coming from whatever source it might, that
had either been instrumental in or eognizant of
the removal, or abstraction of any of the public
f arms from the State was false and scandalous.
j With this, 1 supposed, further alusion to the
subject would end; but onthe next day at Sledge-
vile, Senator Foote in the same qualified manner
repeated the insinuation. Determined to repel in
a manner that could not be misunderstood, such
indirect assault upon my character, in my rejond-
er l deliberately pronounced the insinuation as
false and coecardlg, scondalous and ungentemaanly
upon some enquiries by him of what l meant, |
repeated the same language. He then enquired
whether intended to insult him-I said would
+, answer that question outside of the crowd.
) Standing upon the ground with table and my
papers before me, l then turned to the audience
and was proceeding to say, under the circumstan-
ces believed that further joint debate between US
would be injurious to public morals, and there
fore declared our Joint appointments terminated
from that day. While thus speaking was sever
al times interrupted by Senator Foote and length
heard his voice me on my right exclaim you
: are liar, and turning towards him l him
r advancing and aiming blow at me, which slight
e ly grazed my person. Before l could turn upon
/ him, he quickly gided back out of the reach Of
my arm, and as sprang towards him anumber Of
gentleman rushed in and protected him from merited
chastisement, but not until l had dealt him blow
: with my fist, and one with my foot, the force Of
both weakened by the effort of persons present. t
hold me back. This scene occurred in the presence
: of large and respectable audience of ladies and
Is gentlemen.
: While feel mortified in having been even an un-
# willing participation a scene so disrepuable to
canvass, for high and dignifed office, feel as
sured thatI will be justified by an intelligent pub
lie in having used the strongest language to repel
an insiduous attack upon my character, repeated
, for the second or third time. / shall make no
Is comments upon this affair." being content to leave
/ it to the judgment of an intelligent and high mind
e ed community. JOHN A QUITMAN.
Il