Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-03-07
Foote'S History.


S. Foote has just published History
Of the Rebellion We find review of
it in Harper's Magazine for March, from
which we CLEAN the following
He has here written a work upon the
"Causes, Course and Consequences Of
the late Civil War in the United States; !"
reviewing the exciting topics Of the last
two-score years, all of which he saw and
part of which he was 1t is pleasant to
see that to him years have brought the
philosophic mind He speaks fairly and
Justly not merely of Webster and Clay,
but of John Quincy Adams and Seward.
If there are traces of old animosities,
they are to be found mainly in the pas
sages which relate to Benton. Abraham
Lincoln now appears to Mr. Foote as
the most humane, moderate and Glenn
ent of mem" and Andrew johnson is
''his frm-nerved, sagaeious and ener-
getic successor" who, if he perseveres
to the end in the execution OF his
admirable scheme of reconstruction,
will be recognized as the resterer OF
his country's liberties, and the renovator
of its glories." The secondary title of
Mr.. Footcs book is Scylla and Charyb-
dis" Scylla is Abolition, the rock, and
CharyOdis is Secession, the whirlpool,
the passage between which involves sore
peril to our Ship of State; and so he lifts
up the old warning cry: Eripite, socfi-
"'Pull off, my friends" though, as he
afterward afirms, the rock has been
safely passed and nobody hurt thereby;
while he and others have been sucked
into the whirlpool and yet they have
somehow managed to get safe again to
dry land, little damaged perhaps by
their rough experience. How it happened
that Mr.. Foote got sucked into the whirl-
pool of secession is rather hinted than
told. His course, he says, was governed
by motives of nature most peculiarly
pressing, good deal out Of the ordinary
routine of civic duty, anomalous and
eccentrical,
Jefferson Davis is "the unfortunate
victim of dark and dangerous heresies,
for which he is by no means primarily
responsible" a victim, likewise, OF the
intriguing Vaccinations Of cunning
and unscrupulous managers, whose true
character he had never penetrated and
the dupe calculation and Of false prom
ises from abroad, which might, per
chance, have deceived men far more
sapacious than himself" His Cabinet
consisted of "a large proportion OF in
competent public functionaries, with
some who we're more knaves; for in
stance, Judah p. Benjamin, who, be-
sides his inability to meet the military
exigencies which he had been encoun-
tering, as well as the more serious ones
in prospect, was subject to other objec-
tions as the incumbent Of a high Cabinet
position, of the greatest and most vital
character His reputation for lnteg-
rity had never been good, and OF late
years it had become deeply tarnished bye
his known participancy in schemes OF
notorious corruption, both in the State
of Louisiana and in Washington city"
Once Mr.. Foote was present at dinner
party where were present many OF the
prominent men of the Confederacy, IN
Guiding Gen. 10. Johnston. There, says
Mr.. Foote, Mr.. Benjsmin's gross acts of
official misconduct becoming the topic
of conversation, one Of the company
turned TO General Johnston and inquired
whether he thought it possible that the
Confederate cause could succeed with
Mr.. BENJAMIN as War Minister. To this
INQUIRY, General Johnston, after little
pause, emphatically responded in the
negative, in consequence Of this, BenJa-
min left the Department of War, but was
appointed by Davis Secretary of State,
where, according to Mr. Foote, he had
it in his power, both abroad and at home,
to perpetrate more bareiaeed acts OF
corruption and proAigacy than any single
individual has been known to commit in
the same space Of time in Christendom.
In this incident Mr. Foote finds the solu-
ton Of the mystery Of the hostility Of the
Richmond Administration toward Gen.
Johnston.
OF Seddou, who, in time, succeeded
BENJAMIN as Secretary Of War, Mr..
Foote says that "he did not possess one
single qualification needful 20 a crediia-
Bile and useful performance Of the duties
devolved upon him; he proved himself
to be the most heartleSs and rufianly
tyrant whom ever yet saw in possession
of official power" Seddon, according to
Mr.. Foote, resigned bis Office Of Secretary
of War, only when it had been proved by
the books of his own department that he
had caused to be paid to himself $40 a
bushel for his entire crop Of wheat, while
he, at the same time, compelled the far
mers Of North Carolina and Georgia TO
yield up theirs at the inadequate price
of from 81 to 80 in Confederate paper.
OF Jefferson Dayis' Cabinet, there were,
according to Mr. Foote, only two whose |
were respectable-the At !