The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-05-29
The Late Ex.GOv. FOOte

The following, from tho N. Y.
Times, 10 by fur the best biogrsphi.
cal sketch We have sern Of the de.
ceased. whom We knew we'll:
Henry 8. FOote has been cOnspic.
uous In politics In bic day, and IL u
representative S0utherner, of q past
generation. According to the biOg.
raphies, he u near 80. having been
born IN EsuQuier county, Va, Sep.
tember %, 1870; though be has re.
Gently ootd that be was born some
yealD later. .s
After he had graduated ct Wash.
!n9too College. Lexington. he stud.
led Law, and removed TO Alabama,
settling ct Tuscumbia, where be 70.
aided three years. practictnR bic pro.
feooion and editing . Democratic
newspaper. He next went to Jack
con, Mss, where he was elected to
tho United States Senate In l8a7, and
was placed. the year following. at the
head Of tho Committee on Foreign
Relations. In 1850 be warmly sdvo.
ted the so.called compromise meas.
uree. He became. next year, the
candidate OF the Union party Tor
Governor OF Mississippi, and, after q
close and % exciting contest, was
elected over bio competitor, Jefferson
Davis. Resignlng his seat In tho
Senate, he entered upon his guber.
natorisl duties, and ut tho close Of
bic term removed TO California.
He ouDDort0d 0illard Fillmore for
President on tho Native American
nekot, us66,) and goiog beck 70 MI.
e.eetppi IN 1863, took up his abode q
Vlck1burg. He subsequently, attend.
"a the Southern Convention st Knox.
VILE, Tenn., and spoke With such 70.
homeoce against disunion % to draw
attention throughout tho country.
He bad attracted moro notice By tho
loct Of bio fervid oppoe1tio0 20 de.
union than BY anything contained
IN bic elSoets; and yet, when tho 70.
bellj0n had broken out, he Was on
the eide OF tho South, and. was Q
member OF tho Confederate CONGRESS
while Il lasted. But In that capacity
he was very troublesome. He was
continually opposing bills and meas.
ure0 introduced into tho House. and
Wa literally 0 thorn ID tho eide Of
Jefferson Davis, 20 whom he had
been opposed ever since theie stirring
competition for the Governorship Of
Alssissippi. r.. ~
Very 1raecible and quick to take
offenSe, be has been involved In any
number Of quarrels, and has taken
part In several duels; one With Win
st0n, OF Alabama, another With Gar.
gent B. Prenties, and Q third With J.
E.H. Claiborne, both OF 4isoiseippi.
A strict believer 10 the code, be was
ready % fight q any time on . pune.
tilio, thus proving bic sincerity and
courage; Tor b. hes been from youth
upward, % poor . shot that thero
has never been the least danger Of
bio hitting anybody or anything be
aimed Of. FO0te Was altogether
dr0ll parsonage, an odd c0mmlxture
OF virtues and defects. : se".
Uniformly amisble and courteous
when not ceooseed IL any way, and
psiding himself on his gallantry,
chivslfy, eloquenoe, and On every
talect aud merit which be has or haS
not, especially on WlAt be has not,
he has gone through life, exubersnt
With vsnity and full Of sell. delusion0.
A man OF words rather than OF ideas,
oil bic speeches and writings are re-
maekable for verbiage and bombast.
When he Was most ardent In behalf
Of the integrity ofthe commonwealth,
he Was equally ardent In bic attach.
ment % slavery. rating Abolitionism
- the first Of political sins. SKI
Az . friend Gen. Foote ma .exe.
~ g., ~.sSss0Iy uu06lu00, ~
far g worldly gain was concerned, he
lsvished what he received for bic
services With On unstinting hand;
none appealed to him in vain for
professional services OF pecuniary
assistance. 40 . criminal advocate
he had few equals In bic day, cor
tainly no superion; . vehement and
earnest speaker he always swayed
BIZ audience whether on the stump
Of n tho forum. He was tho parent
Of The Union movement in Mississip.
p IN 1851. Under hh sagsclous man.
agement that year . fusion va Per.
fectsd between the old.lins wings
under Judges shaskey and Ysrger
aad The Union Democrats, q joint
0tats and Cougressional ticket was
put IN tho Aeld, and elected By !
mAjority q go votes, againet sstand.
log majority for tho nulliAets Of oVsc
1000. 50
Il 3 but just estate, hoWevsr, that
Je6seson Davis, Who headed the
STATE Rights ticket, was confined
ttom partial blindness during the
entire campaign. aad unable 70 meet
Ab competitor On tho stump. i M
"A vindicsivs and Willy politician,
Ca. 1oose never toeeave On ensmy
| lee forgot . atised. 10 bis many
duels - exhibited moro beaysry
than tho average duslist. An %.
knovledssd bad SHOT, hs readily %.
commodAted tho moot pkillful nnarlap
nso. 4. K. NeCIuas. the oelebra.
ted duelist, once pronounced hin. d
To heasies Of tie writer. To beavest
ma - ever ssw IN hb liis., IN
hie duol With 6argsot 8. Preatlae IN
anecdots btold which b indubitable
peo1 q bio cool bssysey. Xifstbe,
ine ploeed iapooit3oa bJshe soooado,
~ ~ W1opoas handed % ~,
lreat { !! adnoahhsd BIZ second q
~ ct a range, @ 1oote Ne such
. bed shoe b would Shoot him oure.
Such 3 remark q such a'tiue oonld
- A.. a fs.f