The true Democrat., 1857-05-26
o Consistency. thou art a Jewel!

i" o Consistency, thou art Jewel" We venture to say that there is not an ln- stance on record of more glaring inconsistency, than the political career of Henry 5. foote' formerly distinguished democrat m the U. D. Senate, from Mississippi, and more recently prominent leader of the Know Nothing party in California He has abandoned pnnciples' shifted positions and changed opinions with facility equaed only by the weathercock on windy day. Albeit, he enjoys the lofty title of statesmau; he has done service in the highest councils of the nation. He is no fiery youth, whose opinions generally huctuate with each passing wave of popular opinion, or popular prejudice, and whose tergversatlons may oc pardoned. if not justified, on the score oi mex perence and immaturty; but his locks are 1 doubtless silyered over with the frosts of many winters, and his opinions and prlnclples upon questions which have for years excited the na- tion, must have been long since formed and matured. Yet he changed those pnnclpes and opinions, and abandoned the democraticp party at time too when his services were most needed. It seemed strange indeed, and was doubtless mortifying to his former co, ,adjutors, to find him in the late Presidential canvass under the thin veil of neutrality, indirectly aiding and assisting the Fremont disunionists to defeat the national democracy, by supporting Fillmore But stranger still was it to find him openly ad- vocatng principles at which, few years ago, he declared his mature revolted." Last year he was the representative and most ardent ad. vocate of an order whose only tangible doc trnes were prescription for opinion sake and persecution of the foreign born citizen, or un- yielding opposition to all who are not native and to the manor born. Of these proscriptive, intolerant and aHi-Amercan principles Gen. Foote was the great high priest in California; To him the dulcet melody of the rich Irish brogue' and sweet German accent" had de- parted, while they fell upon his ears as harsh tones distinctly expressive of the baleful in- tiuence of foreign sentment.'' But "Lord, we know what we are, yet know not what we may be- few short years ago. there was none more earnest in the advocacy of the claims of the foreign emgrant or the rights of the naturalzed citizen than Senator Foote. In 1850, while bill concerning the mines in Cali fornia was pudding in the Senate, he delivered speech in which he went as far as the farthest, and declared--
 He cou7d see no oljectioa 10 an insm;qrant inamediately up2n Ais mrird uiton our shores beconpng c citizen, upon the presentation of certificate of good character at the Custom house."
 Again, in 1849, pending the consideration of the admission of Gen. Shields to a seat in the Senate of the United States, (See appendix to Congressional Globe" second session, thir. teenth Congress, page 349,) Gen. Foote deli vered another speech in which he characterized in scathing and bitter terms the doctrine of the Know Nothing party, as the accursed spirit of native Americanism whose fell influence has already deiuged the streets of some of our populous cities with precious blood and carried the torch of the incendiary into private man. -ons and into the temples of the living God." l Thus spoke Henry s. Foote who afterwards, in the space of few short years became the mouth-piece, champion and leader of a faction which sought Co degrade and prosecute not only Gen. Shields but thousands of freemen who have come to our shores in response to our cordial invitation to the oppressed and down-rodden of every land What excuse is there for man who can thus boldly and unequivocally renounce his own deliberately expressed opinions and retract his declarations made openly and in the eyes of the world? Some might recognize the excuse and admit the plea that Senator Foote, in his infatuation and in the excitement of wild hunt for spoils "knew not what he did"--but how can they confde in the political honesty and reliability of such changeling"? He penitentlv re- turns to the democratic party and advises his late brethern to diabaud His reasons for so dongn the following address, are unquestiona- ply sufficient, and might emauate, with truth, from any source of oPposition-but can he be regarded desirable acquisition to the demo- cratic party? We think not.
 To tEe members cf H,e Anaeyjcan
 Pqrty in Callto1na:
 FELLOW CITIZEN S-I have rerpived within