The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-08-14

upon the Southern heart and conscience, is
breaking away.
COLONEL FREMoNTs DIFFICULTY WITH MIR.
F00TE, OF MISSISSIPPI.
Some of our friends at distance have writ
ten us for information in regard to the misun-
and the threatened duel between
Colonel Fremont and Mr.. Foote, of Mississippi,
having seen, doubtless, the unfair statements
of his political adversaries. 1t is character
istic of the party which rode into power upon
the shoulders of General jackson, who fought
more than one duel, then turned up the whites
of its eyes with pious horror at the duelling
propensities of Henry Clay, and now sheds
crocodile tears over his grave, to raise this hue
and cry of dmellist against Colonel Fremont.
The propagators of this charge forget that they
are now supporting duellist for the Vice
Presidency, in the person of John c. Breckin'
ridge, who only eighteen months ago kept the
Washington public on tiptoe for some days,
with expectation of bloody duel with Mr.. Gut
ting, of New York.
In regard to the difficulty between Messrs.
Fremont and Foote, it must be recollected that
the latter was bitter if not deadly enemy of
Colonel Benton, the father-in-law of Colonel
Fremont. His allusion to the California land
bill, of which Fremont was the author, there.
fore, had depth of malice in it which is not
apparent on the surface, but which could not
fail to reach their destined object. Colonel
Fremont saw that they were designed to insult
him, as the son-in-law of Colonel Benton, and
his resentment was natural. We quote from
Bigelow's Life of Fremont full account of the
affair." We don't undertake to defend duel
ling, but that practice is in vogue in the South
and Colonel Fremont, Southerner' and SOL
der, and a man of action, could scarcely be
expected to escape the influence of the preva-
lent idea of what is essential to the honor of a
gentleman. We believe that his life has been
singularly free from personal broils, and that
this case stands alone. 1t was not at all neces-
sary to vindicate his honor or his courage; for,
of the latter quality, his enemies concede to
him all that he could desire. Nevertheless, it
is satisfaction to know that his reputation,
where the duelling code prevails, will not suffer
in consequence of this "affair of honor" We
think that he was unnecessarily sensitive in
noticing the effusion of the anonymous and
irresponsible scribbler, after the affair had been
adjusted; but his feelings are doubtless refer
able to the bitter family feud which at the time
existed. We give the whole story from Bge
lows Life of Fremont:
But one incident occurred to mar the entire
harmony of Colonel Fremont's intercourse with
his brother Senators, and that only served to
increase the respect already entertained for his
manly sensibilities. On the last night of the
session, Senator Foote, of Mississippi, who came
into the Senate somewhat excited, in the course
of some remarks on the naval appropriation
bill-it afterwards appeared as if he had not
known precisely what bill he was speaking to
said in substance, or was understood to say,
that the Republic would be dishonored if q
portion of the legislation which had been urged
upon the Senate for California were consum-
mated. Upon hearing these words, Colonel
Fremont left the Senate Chamber, and sent a
messenger to say to Senator Foote that he
wished to speak with him. AS soon as Foote
had finished his speech, the message was deliv.
cred to him, and he stepped out to Colonel
Fremont, who then told him that he had sent
for him to say that he had Just used language
in the Senate, in reference to himself, which q
gentleman in his position could not use, and
meinA,gs9S ssraenstlnE af. SAnaf nYus Eat, last
grazing his face. On the instant, both parties
were seized by the Doorkeepers and Senators
who had noticed Foote'S departure from the
Senate, and suspected its cause; and thus a
serious issue to the affair was postponed, and,
as it happened, prevented. On the following
day, Colonel Fremont sent Foote a note, by the
hand of Governor Price, of New Jersey, de.
manding retraction of his offensive imputa-
tions. Governor Price brought back note
from Foote, in which he stated that in what he
had said in the Senate, he had said nothing
denunciatory of the bill supposed to have been
referred to by him, or of those who introduced it,
Mr.. Fremont's friends esteemed this euuiva.
lent to retrsction of the offensive words, and,
on Monday following-the note to Foote, and
his reply, was delivered on Saturday-the fol-
lowing card appeared in the National Lnteui-
gencer:
CARD
WASHINGTON, Sept. %, 1850.
The undersigned are authorized to state that
the difficulty between Hon. Fl. s. Foote and
Hon. j. G. Fremont, growing out of certain
expressions used by the former in relation to
the California land bill in the Senate, last
evening, has been adjusted satisfactorily and
honorably to both those gentlemen.
A. C. DopaE.
WILLIAM M. GwIN.
HENRY II. SIBLEY.
RoDMAN NJ. PRICE.
It was the custom of certain Senators at
Washington, as it is still, we believe, to keep
one or two letter-writers, to say what they did
not like to say themselves; and, at the time of
which we are speaking, correspondent of the
Baltimore Sun stood in that relation with Sen.
ator Foote. In the ful6lment of his vocation.
he took it npon himself to state in letter writ.
ten the very day after the affair was adjusted.
that Foote had made no retraction, and to cen.
sure Colonel Fremont for attempting to pre.
vent free discussion of Californis measures.
AS Foote'S letter of retraction had not been
published, and the terms of adjustment which
had been pronounced honorable and satisfac.
tory to both gentlemen were confidential, of
course the Suns version would be presumed
by the uniformed reader to be correct, in the
absence of any contradiction. Colonel Ere.
mont knew that this version of the settlement
originated with Foote, and Immediately ad.
dressed the following letter to the editor of the
Baltimore Sun:
LETTER FROM COLONEL FREMONT.
SIR: Your paper of this morning (Monday,
September 3Q) contains paragraph in letter
from this place, which it is obligatory on me to
notice, and in such clear language as believe
the circumstances justify me in using. 1t an.
pears under the well-known signature X. and
| believe it to have been written By Mr.. Grund.
But the paragraph which concerns me- / con.
slider as the work of Mr.. Foote himself and
shall accordingly treat him as the author.
The following is the paragraph
The difficulty between Senators Foote and
Fremont has been amicably arranged, as YOU
will have seen by the card of those gentlemen's
friends in to-day's Union. This is as II sbopld