The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-03-16
correspondence Of the Hawk-Eye.

Mr. EDITOR Allow, if you please, an "old
knight of the quill and scissors" the privilege
of making pen and ink sketch of some of the
characteristic representatives of the Sonth, who
rule and determine the destinies of the "Confed-
crate States of North America 1t would seem
at first to be placing the known leaders Of
this unnatural rebellion in too conspicuous
position to particularize, but when the reader
glances at the picture and sees that the writer
is unsparing in the artistcal endeavor to depict
the shades as well as lights, the DECENTRALIZATION
may be pardoned. Ipropose to begin with the
dirtiest specimen, Lewis T. Wigfall, and close
with the cleanest, Gen. Sam Houston.
Imagine an individual of say six feet in hight,
with a corresponding abdomen of, to speak
automatically, the proportion of two inches
to actual hight-a blear-eyed, red-nosed, harsh
voiced, beld.faced man, and you have the hon
orable gentleman from Texas. Sam Houston
spoke truly when he said the Senator was the
smartest id fool he eversaw in his life, and from
this sage remark from the military statesman,
the inveterate hostility which Wigfall las ever
shown to the General, can be imagined He
commenced life in border State, but failing in
his laudable endeavor to convince the minds of
his native people of his especial acuteness, he
left, leaving sundry dear mementoes of his at
tachment, which, it is needless to say, were at
tached He had been in Texas few years, be-
fore the easily satisfied mass of the inhabitants
of that region snapped him up as a tempting
morsel, little dreaming of the hook which lay
concealed in the bait. Imagine further, hete-
rogenous mixture of all the 'glittering generali-
ties" from Macauley and Carlyle back. to the
days of the Hebrew Scribe, and continuing this
antiquarian search still further, if you like, mix
them up together in gilt-edged book, to be pub
lished by Harper, and imagine some egregous
ass fool enough to commit them to memory, put
this ass on stump, uncork the bottle, like a
bottle of "ginger pop" let it run, and you have
speech by L. T. Wigfal, Esq, Senator Of the
State Of Texas.
Wigfall is maleable; yes, Mr.. Hawk-Eye,
malleable! of corporal consistency capable of
being draDn out to an indefinite extent He
has only one idea at time, and continues harp
ing upon it till he finds another. For instance,
he has used estate Rights" Majestic South, /"
"Poor Whites" "Glittering Generalities," as
his texts since he first opened his capacious jaw
in the halls of State, at Austin, Texas. The
last telegraph aludes to his having found anoth-
err; and what do you think it is? Mastery in
activity" Pretty good, Mr.. Wigfall.
The Hawk Eyes undersigned correspondent
has the honor of personal acquaintance with
the gentleman from Texas.
He was constitutional adviser of that
celebrated Governor of Texas, who quoted in
his Thanksgiving Proclamation the admirable
lines:
''There is destiny which shapes our ends" &C..
"a taken from the Psalms of David. The Boston
Bible Society Immediately forwarded him copy
of the Bible. He has figured in the United
States Senate as great Representative. Let
me tell you how he was chosen: Men always
ready to stir the fire, if they can eat the mush,
envious of Sam Houston and the popularity of
that hero, organized Estates Rights" party,
and nominated Wigfall, over the head of Hous-
ton, to ell the remaining term of the former
deceased Senator from Texas The reputed
6urnings in Texas, Abolition raids, and the
endless catalogue of imaginary grievances which
you have published in your paper. which, as a
citizen of Texas, l have the pleasure to pro.
nounce an unmitigated swindle, raised the ire of
the chilvaric cattle rancheroes, mustang owners,
ETC., and he was put through by dint Of hard
swearing, and harder whisky, by four majority.
There was . Northern man once who was stand
ing with the Senator on the beach at Galveston,
looking at the dark waters of the Gulf of
Mexico and enjoying the breeze. The Northern
man, looking up, remarked that it was ina
jestic MOON" Eyes" replied thismodern states.
man, "bm Ihas seen much finer moons at home"
In fact he is despised by the people, has been
obliged to apologize three times to them and the
Senate for his indecency, alleging for his excuse
drunkenness. This is life picture Of the hon.
orable gentleman, by the Hawk-Eye's
Fraternal friend,
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