The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-07-28

| PrentiSS found there I0emen worthy OF
his steel. There were Joseph Holt, a
Kentuckian, an able debater, and fine
orator, who spent the closing years of
his life here in Washington; there was
George Poindexter, an able and eloquent
Senator; there was Judge Sharkey, an
able lawyer, and wise and worthy citi-
zen; there was Henry S. Foote, a bril-
liant, impressive speaker, and host of
Others, among whom should be named
Mr.. Claiborne, an accomplished man;
and later on came Jefferson Davis,
whose great talents are known and rec
ognized by the world; and Robert J.
Walker, whose high rank as statesman
was established and recognized by his
authorship of the best of all modern tar
ifs The Advalorem Act of 1916.
But talent in communities situated as
Mississippi was, all runs to the law and to
politics. There is no place for literary, sci
entifc and artistic pursuits; no market
for such waves. 1t is necessary that
communities should have diversified Oc-
equations and pursuits, with large cities
and towns, and to these must he added
centuries of experience, before the ripe
fruits of intellectual endeavor can be
gathered. In young communities the
people have their minds set upon the
things of to-day; upon money making;
upon clearing the forests, making fences,
digging bitches, building houses. They
are only getting ready to sit down and
contemplate.
The parents of Prentiss We're excellent
people His father was a sea-fearing
man; but father and mother were of the
straightest sect of the Pharisees, and the
children were taught to reverence re-
Lyon and obey their parents. They
were brought up on farm, a few miles
out from Portland, and the boys were
trained to work upon it. Prentiss wrote
his brother William, the next biggest
brother, from Cincinnati, Il suspect
you'll miss me little in husklng corn
and punching onions"
But the New England boy soon caught
on to Southern ideas. His Southern
biographer, Mr.. Shields, says of him,
after stating his admiration for Mr.
Clay, that-''In some respects Clay and
Prentiss were not unlike: both were pro
found lawyers; both were gifted with a
courage that never quailed before mortal
man; neither ever
| Crooked the pregnant hinges of the knee
| That thrift might follow fawning,
neither ever bowed to the popular breeze
when they thought it wrong, but each
| followed his conviction, though it might
| lead to martyrdom; and each had &C
| quired a wonderful faculty for extern
pore debate, and could sway multitude
as the wind sways the sea-"
The same biographer relates the cir
cumstances of the duels between Prem
tiss and Henry S. Foote, afterwards
Governor of the State, and United States
Senator. The first one occurred October
5, 1888, and was caused by offensive
words spoken by Foote, in speech, in
court, and was responded to by blow
from Prentiss. Fo0te sent the challenge.
They met on the louisiana side Of the
river opposite Vickst urg. Mr.. Foote'S
ball fell wide of the mark. Mr.. Prentiss
put ball through Mr.. Foote'S shoulder,
but with little damage. This satisfied
the aggrieved party for the time, however,
and would have ended the difficulty but
for remark made by Mr.. Foote to the
effect that his antagonist "took rest, ;"
referring to habit of Mr.. Prentiss, of
proping his hip on his lame side with his
cane. He was told that Mr.. Foote had
made the remark, and therefore request
ed his second to call on that gentleman
and inform him that if he was not salts
| fed he could have another opportunity
| of indicating his honor. The result was
that another duel was fought on the
same ground by the parties They fought
as before, with pistols, at the distance of
ten PAGES. Not much secrecy was neces-
sary in those times to prevent an encoun-
| ter between two irate gentlemen from
| becoming known who were bent ON vim
dicating their honor, and, as matter of
course, a crowd assembled in order to
witness the scene. Among them were
small boys who climbed up the trees in
the vicinity in order to secure a good
view. Mr. Prentiss warned them of their
danger by telling them Mr. Foote had a
way of shooting very wide Of the
mark. The signal was given, Mr.. Foote
fred, and his ball struck the ground
some feet in front Of the enemy. Mr..
| Prentiss was better shot, and seriou7l y
wounded Mr. Foote in the thigh; and
thus the contest ended. Each gentleman
| had INDICATED his honor, without taking
the life of the other, and they afterwards
became good friends. But Prentiss, a
Yankee, had indicated his redress to
take up the wager Of battle, if necessary
to the assertion of bis rights; and, there
can be no doubt that his prompt and in
trepid action in the case, saved him
from future difficulties.
But it cannot be claimed that to ex-
hibit readiness to fight duel is neces-
sary to the preservation of a mans self
respect, and that of others, even in Mis-
sissippi; for it happens that the two men
who have enjoyed the largest share of
the respect and confidence of the South
ern people during the two last genera
tiOns, were not duelists. There were
Mr.. Calhoun and Mr.. Jefferson Davis.
/ am not so sure that Mr.. Davis, in early
life, when in the army, avoided personal
quarrels, resulting in challenge, but,
50 far as know, nothing of the kind
ever occurred during his long, and often
warm political struggles Aud in the caller
days of the Republic, there were Wash
ington, Jefferson and Madison, the most
eminent Southern men of their day, who
were never involved in personal quarrels
which made necessary resort to arms,
in order vindicate honor, and maintain
the respect of the world They were
shielded from insult by always showing
. respect for others, or at any rate, by
avoiding the use of language calculated
: to insult the feelings of those with whom