The Oxford intelligencer., 1861-03-13

This person, as our readers are aware, held
the post of Secretary of War under Mr.. Buch-
anan for a few weeks prior to the 4th of March
lie had previously figured a little as Postmaster
General He is the same ingenious hat outwit-
ted individual, who under the inspiration of His
Sublime Loflincss, Lieutenant General " Fuss
and Feathers" undertook TO land didn't rein
force Fort Sumter A. Mr.. lincoln made his entry
into Washington City, sncakngly. lie is the
same Joseph Holt who came to Mississippi, some
years ago, from Kentucky, made fortune here,
and then took his departure for colder and
more congenial cline, where he invested his
careful gains in State stocks and Washington
property. Although he has recently been dis
playing frantic devotion to that Union whose
disruption might unf'vorably affect the market
value of such investments as his he is the same
j. Holt who used TO he known in Mississippi as an
ncompromsing State-rights Democrat. Joseph
is a patriot, and he chooses the sort of patriot
ism that will pay. lIcis emphatically man of
principle who looks sharply after his interest
He is a man of strong faith, believing, with all
his might, in the law-and the profits Never
will he give up the glorious Union, and his bread
and butter. The general impression, in Missis-
sippi, among those who know him best, appears
to be that small iceberg was bestowed upon
him, by mistake, instead Of heart. So far as
we have heard, he has never been accused of
cherishing human sympAthics. Certainly, he
has never been convicted of such an offence,
nor is 1t very probable that he ever viii.
The speech which was delivered BY thc Hon
Jacob Thompson, when his neighbors and fl-
low-citizens received him, last month, upon his
return among them, and which appeared in our
columns On the 18th of February, has prodigi-
ously stirred ny The BIZ Of Joseph Holt aforc-
said who assailS Mr. Thompson, in the Nation
al iRieUjgeEr,' Of the 9TH of March, in card
which is chiefly remarkable for its studied malig-
nifty.
Mr.. Thompson, sincerely anxious to prevent a
hostile collision in the harbor of Charleston, aud
knowing that the sending forward of reinforce
ments to Major Anderson would iniallibly bring
on a conflict had declared his unaltcrablc pur-
pose to resign his position in the Cabinet, il Mr..
an assurance was given him by the President
that no troops should be sent without Cabinet
decision on the subject. lie felt authorized,
therefore, to assure his friends in South Carroll
ia that no troops would be sent so long as he
remained in the Cabinet; ana, relying upon
that assurance South Carolina relaxed her vigi.
lance in regard to vessels entering the harbor
Without Cabinet decision on the subject, and
without the knowledge Of Mr.. Thompson, the
steamer Star Of the West was secretly chartered
by M ilYll a.d despatched from New York
with troops for Fort Sumter. When Mr.
Thompson learned this fact, he did precisely
what, as a man Of honor, he was bound to do :
what he could net have omitted to do without
dlsqacing himself in the estimation of every
true gentleman. lie informed judge LongStrcet
of the trick to which Holt and Scott had resort
cd, and thereby put the authorities Of South
Carolina on their guard, as they would continu-
ally have been if he had not given them solemn
assurance that no troops were coming. For this
plain act of duty, he is bitterly denounced by
Mr.. Holt The attack will be powerless for
harm, except to poor Holt himself who was
once considered respectable man, but who has
sunk himself so low by pandciing 10 Black Re-
publicanism that it will excite little surprise that
he should denounce gentleman for refusing to
suHy his reputation by doing an inciIably mean
thing n