Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-10-01
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

pOfIduCo W tuo Wi loSs ~ tuV LuOot
eccentric of all living American politicians.
Instead of devoting column on column, as it,
did day or two since, to the disssetion of his
political remains-for, as a public man, be has
really been dead and buried for near decade
past-it should simply have urged him to ''stop
dat knocking on the political coffin inside of
which he lies, So deeply inferred as that he can
never achieve a political resurrection. 4
1t is utterly impossible that there can be
man of sense in tho land who knows susht Of
the politics of the times, and yet fails to COM
prehend the fact that Ex-senator and ex-Gov.
Foote, in coming out as q full blown Douglas
lite, and, as a consequence, in denouncing the
organization of the Democratic party, is merely
eA1Sing to scratch his way out of his political
grave, upon which the turf lis now 20 matted, as
that with all his reputation as the most adroit
and indefatigable scratcher of his time, in pol
itics, he cannot 80 tear it asunder as to rise
again mounted upon the Douglas, or any other,
hobby.
He was originally Democrat-turned Union
party man during a momentary storm of ex-
element against the Democracy in Mississippi
and thus got a new lease on office. Sober Sec
ond thought soon left such gentlemen as him.
self, in his region, high and dry, as so much
political drift wood.
He went to California-the fancied heaven
of banked gentlemen of inordinate ambition
with no discretion to match it. There, he
turned up the American party leader, when it
was vainly thought that the American party
were about to sweep that State. of course he
was the American party candidate for the Sem
ate there. As they could not elect him to that
position, or because it is utterly impossible
that Mr.. Henry S. Foote can remain for more
than twelvemonth occupying any given po-
litical position, he soon quit that organization
in disgust, and was found again in the Demo-
cratic ranks in the last Presidential canvass.
Since then, Mr.. Buchanan has offered him
nothing that we have ever been able to learn
and he is next heard of demanding in a late
rambling, rafting and intense speech to the
dear people, a new shuttle, cut and deal of par
ties Lie pronounces the organization of the
Democratic party corrupt, stigmatizes those
who are to act in the party's name at Charles
ton, In advance, as men against whose lead the
patriotic should Indignantly protest-and all
that sort of thing.
Well; We are by no means Surprised that
Mr.. Henry S. Foote is awakened by the blasts
OF the Douglas trumpet, and thus proclams
that he has "jined de army" of phunkey,
fishy, headed troops-political, who evil
IDENTIFY aim to back Douglas in his contem-
plated purpose of running a muck against the
democracy in 1860 on the greater practicability
and availability Of his abolitionism, at the
North; and on his mettle and talents. 6. his
brass-Gt the South. Reader, we have seen
too much Of the inside of politics not to be
ready to aver that when Senator Brown reads
ex-senator Foote's speech, he will jump clean
out of the Douglas cock boat, even if in fifty
feet wafer. He is q gentleman of too much
brains and reliable democracy to hesitate in
stantly to get out of any political craft Of
which Mr.. Henry s. Foote without as much as
" by your leave, sirs, to such accidental pas
sengers as himself-Senator b has seized
the helm.
CALIFoRNIA.-The mail bringing the account
OF the overwhelming defeat Of the combined
oppostion-Republican, American, and Plum
key-in California, published in the Star of
Wednesday, also brought US the Albany Ere
m'mg Journal replete with wise calculations
that the combined opposition aforesaid mus
certainly carry the State. The truth is, Thur
lows elements of calculation were wrong in
two particulars. First, in his omission to re-
member the fact that there no longer exists an
g American party" in California. More than
year since the intense opposition men of that
party merged themselves In the Republican
ranks, and its national men as quietly became
members Of the Democratic party. Second. in
his niscalculatiOn with reference to the strength
of the Phunkey fellowship Douglas Demo-
crats-the men disappointed by the present
National and State Administrations about
Office for themselves or their personal friends,
or ''strkers''-the men who train under Brod-
erick and McKibbin. They are with great
unanimity gentlemen who ego in for the main
chance Taking warning by the refusal of
the Republicans Of Illinois to pay their great
leader his own estimate of the value to them of
his desertion Of the party to which he owes
everything, considerable portion OF the mer-
cenary California band who originally backed
Frederick and McKibbin in their desertion Of
the cause they were elected to support, de-
clined following them clean over to the Repub-
licans So the Phunkies strength was nuoh
less in the recent California election than
Thurlow anticipated-much less
When Mr.. Broderick was simply a noted
New York Knight of the Teddy Stick, he
was all powerful with the class of voters
who are to be swayed by politicians of his cal
ibre. Speculation in San Francisco water lots
and the action of the Legislature of California,
however, made him rich man and his am-
bition prompted him to higher things and as
sociations than such as he had been accustomed
to when compromising brandy cock tails In New
York. He aspired to be a political leader, rather
than a mere Il" striker" as of old His wings
were not competent to the design of bis fight
30 he made his memorable fasc0 in the Senate
OF the United States last winter, and his even
more memorable failure to {" head off ~ the
democracy and the National Administration in
the recent California election. Mr.. Thurlow
Weed should wipe the glasses of his spectacles,
ntc H., L.. L.