The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume], June 22, 1865, Image 1

About The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865

Image provided by: University of South Carolina; Columbia, SC

                
$1 a Month, in Advance. ''Let our just Censure attend the tmo Even*."-Shaksprare. Single Copies Five Cents
By J. A. SELBY. . COLtJMBIA, S. C., FRIDAY MORNING, MAY 19, 1865. VOL. l.-NO. 43.
THE COLUMBIA PHOIVIX,
PUBLISHED DAILY, EXCEPT S CK DAT,*
BY JULIAN A! SELBY.
TERMS-IN A D tr ANCE.
SUBSCRIPTION*.
Six months, . - - - $5
Uno month, ... ? 1
ADVERTISING. **
One square, (ten line*,) ?ne timo, fiOcts
Subsequent insertions, - 35 cts
Special notices ton cents per line.
Ijetter from Henry S. Foote tc Presi- j
? , dent Johnson.
MOSTREA*., May I",. 18G5.
To His Excellency Andrew Johnston.
President ot' the United States:
Sut: Circumstances of recent oe j
currerice muk? it necessary that I
should rall (your attention for a mo- I
nient to a matter which, though in I
.some of its aspects personal to myself, ?
yet in others, involves considerations ;
of momentous importance to the whole i
o?' {hat vasfcountry whose elliot e.\- j
ecuttvc magistrate you now nre. I
shall be aa concise in this communi
cation as possible, and shall endeavor ;
to employ- language which will be |
regarded both by yoursell and by
otliers a*< alike courteous and kind I
have no special favor to ask at, your ?
hands, and hope to be recognized as ;
desiring nothing in the way of inion
Il i ty for alleged political offences in ?
connection with the deplorable civil j
content which is now just terminating, \
such as the great tua-s of mjS^outh?
em fellow countrymen shall he also :
.allowed to enjoy. I let tho Solidi in
January ?as!, solelv for the purpose of
.saving, if possible, tlioje whom I left
behind in*', f oin, the grievous calami?
ties which have turi ce conic upon them,
and which I then ^elt oou?? onlybe ?
averted by timely eiibris to obtain an
?'arly and an honorable peace. My j
exertions tor the attainment of this ;
ond have been mos*, zealous ami un- '
tiring, though thus (yr, I must confess, 1
the\- h ive resulted only in bitter dis?
appointment, and in bringing upon I
thyself much both of.obl.iquy and of !
hostility among extreme mun alike 'rh
tile .North and in the .South, and in -
exposing me, in addition to a lar^e
amount ot' physical discomfoit and
? nfferino;. I
Laving tims premised, I proceed to
say th?'lon the day previous to my
leaving Tue ciiy of New Voile for this
place, the following communication :
from Mr. Stanton was handed to me
:U the headquarters of ( jen. Dix:
Major-General doini A. Dix:
The President directs that Von in
form Mr. Foote that his letter a.-kinir j
leave of Hie President to <xo to Cali?
fornia has been received and the appli- '<
cation refused. The President further !,
directs that you.notify' Mr. Foote thar, i
if he does not leave'lhe United States
within forty-eight hour--, he will be
?n ested HUM deal' with for treason and I
rebellion against the Ciovernment of '
the United Stttes. You will report '
whether he corrfplies with the outers
of the President.
EDWIN M. STANTON. ?
Not desiring to add in the 'east de- j
gree to the present disquietude of thc I
country, arid yet deeming it not. alto- !
gether safe to surrender myself i neon- ;
tinently to the mercies of that extra j
ordinary Star Chamber tribunal r ow
holding its dark sessions in Washing,
ton City--(such a tribunal, I will add, j
ns has not been known before in atty j
country pretending to be free for two j
hundred years) - I resolved to come
within the British dominions, where 1 j
now nm, and where ail subjected to I
political persecution in other lands are j
yet secured a safe asylum from oppres?
sion elsewhere, so long ns they may j
conduct themselves with circurnspec- ,
lion HI.d propriety.
It is true, sir, that I did ask nb.mt. j
ten days ago to be allowed to journey
to the far-off Pacific coast, where, I
made known to you. I had four ch il- \
cipht "rind children, ar. oidv
sister ?tul .nujuerou? relativos and
friends beside^ nil of whom are very
dear lo nie, :Hid in whose society 1
had hoped to be permitted to spend
the remainder of a life, now somewhat
protracted, in quiet and repose, after :t
i public career which has been peculiarly
matted,'.in all its Finges, with turmoil, j
excitement and conflict. ' My just and I
reasonable application tor t?iis purpose
has been most decidedly iii.*jgnl*ved, I
and in language, I num say, not alto i
getber so complaisant us a Chesterfield
or a"Palmerston v.? tdd bc rxpoeted to ;
employ on snell a ' occasion, ur as I
would seem in th?, least, decree to com
port with the ?l?gant amenities sup
posed lo prevail in high-bred ?nd- ?
refined society. Of these things I do 1
not fed inclined t'> complain. If yon, '
sir, really confider mc guilty of tica KUI,
I rallier marvel that 1 should have
been graciously allowed to escape pre- ,
sent trial by going i:?'rt .exile, and 1 j
have no special rirrjil io criticise lite
abrupt and scornful language which ?
your War Secretan" ii,.s thought it j
consistent with his own (iliei.-il dignity '
lo use, since lie is responsible in this ;
regard to-yourself and to'the count!y, I
whose manners he is understood to
represent, an<i r:ot at ali to myself in
[.?articular. 1 could scarcely have rea- ,
sotiubly expected to IM; very defereh- :
tinily or kindly treated li}' a function
ary who has not hesitated on a la'c
memorable occasion to* miminate I>i i
Ogehestic and snubbing telegrams '
against ;i distinguished military officer
(General Sherman) who had just filled j
the civilized world with his fame as a
warrior, a statesman and philanthro?
pist, and who had moreover secured
claim*, tj the universal admiration and j
esteem of enlightened and virtuous i
men everywhere, by evincing that,
wlj:lc more uniformly successlu' even
than Alexander" or "Napoleon in the
whining of splendid military victories :
upon great and perilous battle-fields, '
Caj-vir himself had never displayed in j
a grander and more impusin<? manner '
thu high virtues of cle*men?y and mag I
.naninvitV towards a subdued an 1 lallen '
foe. To bc sure, G.encral Sherman
has one advantage over all ordinary ;
men when made the subject of ML
.Stanton's hypercritical malevolence,
fur he can claim the consolation which
springs from the kuowie'.lge of the
truth that
He who surpasses or subdues mankind,
Musi lookdown on the hate of those below.
Having thc fullest evidence of the j
g?rerai love and respect of his couti
tryuicn everywhere, he has no reason i
to lour thal, ju relation to himself, it
will ever be truly said -
An eagle, towering in his pride of plae".
Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed.
Our nio-.lfni Diogenes, who would i
.seem to have imagined thar his own :
precious sunshine had been more or
less obstructed by tfie intervening I
form of iii'- hero cd a hundred battles,j
is now sulkily sneaking back to his
own tub, ba flied and disconcerted, j
having been taught lbj* sanitary les-1
son, from whic.h it is to be hoped he |
will inure or 'ess profit; that it is not ?
always sate for upstart insolence to |
snarl ai thc Leds o? its superior.
1 will lc.re add, thai ir. w=, perhap?, ?
upon the whole, not a little fortunate j
tor me that 1 have not been received ?
by the Washington authorities in my ?
character of a voluntary and self
accredited miniideV o? peace with moie |
striking indications of rc-pect andi
sympathy, since, had I beim more gra- j
ciously t rented in that quai l er, 1 should, j
in all probability, have been suspected
by fume of those whom I left bc!.ind .
me in ^'.o. South last winier of having ?
sought access to personages in power i
in Washington for purely selfish pur?
pose?, or, perchance, even ?^r the
attainment of ends yet ?nore unworthy.
Let me now soy tu yon, sir, Ln your
high official character, that whenever
1 shall ascertain tl?! I shall be permit- ,
ted to return lo the United Slates and j
undergo trial, before a jury of the i
country, upon any charges which it
ma}' lu? deemed proper tc prefer
against rae. 1 pim)] lose no timo in
once inore crossing llie Canadian bor?
der, and confronting 'my accusers
before sonic one oi our accustomed
tribunals of criminal justice.
In'former ami happier^days, Mr.
President, I Ti ad liic I.odor of serving I
with von in tin: National Congress, you 1
being then a Representative and 1 a'
Senator. Wc were never upon inti?
mate torms, nor indeed ? ver bc!.I
familiar intercourse, cither socially or
politically, which I suppose I must,
now recognize as to some extent, on
my part a circumstance of personal
ill fortune, lam gratified lo rexnem
be-j though, tha? there -was nt the
period r.-lerrrid to much similitude in
our general political opinions, and ia
our vote- upon the floor of Congress.
We both supported President Polk's
administration. We both sustained
his Mexican war policv, tile famous
Monroe doctrine, as abiv expounded
in Mr. t'olk'-i messages, and presented
tho" sternest, opposition to what was
known as the Wilmot Proviso. We
both warmly advocated ?Mr. (/lavs
celebrated compromise 'measures of
1S?0.
When, afterward?, thc Kansas-Ne?
braska bill was brought forward, and
tin n again th? Lccoinpfon < ?onstitutiou
l?iil, though riot then in Congress, I
opposed them both, on thc ground
that they -.ven- likely to lead to re?
newed sectional agitation. How you
voted on these quosiio'ts j am not pre?
cisely informed. When, in 18<i0, a
sectional hiciion in the South, abetted
an i sustained by ? crt;.tn slippery and
intiiguitifj; politicians of the North,
succeeded in mod i lying tim Democratic
Presidential platform, giving thereby
to that platform, 1er the first ti.ne in
'>nr history, un aggres ive aspect in
regar.! to slavery, 1 eli i not unite with
Ll ? em, belie? ing are! openly predicting
that this movement would be fatal to
the unity of the Democratic, party -
would separate the South most unpro?
pitiously from uer natural political
?Hies, t ? i ? : > LT about the election of a
sectional President from tiie North,
Fi nd thus supply to th" secession lead?
ers of the Siiutii the opportunity, for
which they had been .- > long s'gliin:*,
ii with .'rawing the Slave'nokkng States
Vorn ti?' I'Vf.-r.ul Union, at ?he hazard
A one of tiie MoOilies.t wars which has
iver occurred. J am pained to re?
member, Mr. President, that yon
idvoeated tho modified Democratic
dat.'orm, and both spoke atul voled for
Q reek in rid ge and. Lane, which I did
u>L dolor ibo reas.ms stated. -Mid
lot suspect yon of doing tin se things
.\ith a view to disunion, stud have
lever so charged. W ben Mr. Lincoln
.va< ascertained to have b en e.'ecLod
o the Presidency, yon and I concurred
i:;ain in asserting that, being elected
icoordiug to the forms of the Consti
ution. that event could not justify the
vithdrawai o? t ! i e Southern States
rom the Union. You did not, as a
southern Senator, withdraw from Con?
gress, as others tiki; and 1 am sure
rou acted wisely in not doing so.
When? aftervv; rds, tin.- St?le of South
arolina, as I thought most in liscreet
y, adopted :.n ordinance o! secession,
>peuly co:; .e..ned her con'un-;; you
iii likewise. When the peppio ol
.rcorgia called a convention ior the
)urpor>e of deciding whether they
von kl fcCcede, in imitation uf the ex
imple of South Carolina, J. earnestly
uged my f llow-citizens of Tennessee
,o send commissioners to the place
?vbere that convention was expected to
isscmble, lor the purpose of solemnly
?rotesting against snell action of the
Eaij i:e Slate of tho South, as 1 fore?
saw and predicted, should it take place,
would ultimately cirag all tiie thc
Southern Stales into tho vortex ot
jismiion.
Tno--e to whom } appealed, saw the
propriety in ibo movement which J pro?
posed, lo them, and no such commis
tioneis were, thciajfore, sent. No one,
Mr. President, kuowvj belter ih.i t you
I ilo that the cotton States ol the South
had all seceded; that Virginia, North
Carolina and Arkansas, had followed
their example; thar, the now Govern?
ment had hcen tonne;! in.Montgomery
and put in actual operation; that Fort j
Stumer had hecn attacked; that a |
bloody conflict of arms had occurred I
in the streets of St. Louis; and that
President Lincoln's proclamation call- j
tug lor 75,000 soldiers had been sent
forth, before' anv comiderable number .
ol' thc Tennessee people were lound !
willing to take np arms in defence of j
the South. To the last moment, wo 1
refused to-sceedo; and, in pointof fact, I
we never did furmaby adopt an ordi?
nance ol'secession, lc is true, that wc j
agree 1 to go into the war, and did go
into it zealously and valiantly. And j
hore. sir. 1 will make y trank admis?
sion, liad I been able at. thal time to !
road the lamentable Lincoln';? inaugu- '
ral. address by the light ol' subsequent |
events;, I never sliould have consented I
to take up amis in opposition to thc
Federal Government. I will go lar
ther, and say that, hail I anticipated
such astounding abuses ol' power as
have been since perpetrated by the
Confederate Government, 1 never
should have consented to assume a
position ul' hostility lo (he Govern?
ment established by our fathers. And
winni 1 thus declare for mysrli, 1 am
suie that 1 could make a similar decla?
ration in beli.il:" ol nine tenths ol' the
people ol' Tennessee, and ot' tuc South
generally. After Tennessee had con?
cluded to assume.a warlike attitude,
under the painful conviction that this
had become* indispensable alike to lier
safety and her honor. T consented to
occupy a scat in lin- Confederate Con?
gress as one of her representatives.
! am ii'-ither ashamed nor afraid lo
avow a 1 that 1 did and'said in Lieh?
mond, during tho doleful throe years
Giut I struggled lhere to preve.u? thu
establishment of a military despotism
-to suppress corruption, to bring lo
punish mont tlie atrocious abuses of
entrusted power, and to bring about,
as cuh" as possible an honorable
peace. I did not vote for a single
measure calcinated unduly to prolong
hostilities .or :*> heighten in the least
degree the"asperities ol thc contest. I
voted and ?*ioke in opposition to con?
scription, conli-cation, forcible impress?
ment, the suspension of the writ of
habeas e-rpu.*, ti.o subjection of men
to punishment for the entertainment of
Union sentiments, the impressment of
citizens in what-was popularly called
incinism, an 1 I interfered actively, and
at much personal ivspotfsibililyj to
prevent the starvation and genera! ill
treatment of I ni n prisoners of war.
J was ct listantly insisting upon
sending commissioners with peace pro?
positions lo Washington City; and
when 1 lound tjiat the stale ul" things
was i-uch that the two Governments
would never be able to hold diplomatic
intercourse with each oilier, for the
purp iso of agreeing upon thc terms of
pacifi a;mn, and when I plainly saw in
addition that before thc month of May
great military calamities would occur
which would render ir. almost imposa?
ble to obtain for the South terms ol'
s itlement consistent with those prin?
ciples of equality ' mid right upon
wuich the Federal Union itself liad
been established", I carno forth fruin the
C iiifederatc Slates iq open defiance of
the Liehirjond authorities, to propound
a ulan of pacification to President
Lincoln and Iiis Cabinet, which, had it
been acceded to by them, would have
been almost unanimously ratified in
the South,, in" accordance with which
thc States of the South would have
como back at once within the told of
thc Union; African slavery would have
i ecu given np on the principle of
gradual emancipation; peace, order
and brotherly iceliiig would long since
have been restored; thousands of pre?
cious liv.s have boon saved, and the
tr. ub'otis scenes through which we aro
n e.v passing would have b en fffcctiv
:.r!y precluded. .
Such i* a Iran;-: and explicit state?
ment of :IJV public conduct for the last
tour years iu connection with that de?
plorable struggle of arms which-is now
drawing to a close. Il has been my
fate to have been grossly misjudged
and misrepresented by men 'ot ex?
treme views, both in the North and in
the South. Mercenary and profligate
editors have abused and ridiculed me
without stint all over the land. 1
har?' been deprived of i#y personal
liberty m the South, because 1 would
not submit toa military tyrautfv there.
1 have been twice shut up in a com?
mon jail in the city of New Torie, bv
command of those in power in Wash?
ington, bfcaise, under emilinetances,
such as I have described, J united rnv
Southern brethren iu an effort to pre?
vent, that '*intolerable oppression" with
which wc then honestly believed our?
selves to be menaced.
No man has accused me anywhere
of peculation, of tran i, ?if servility, of
MCIUMI ambition, <*!' trickery and man?
agement, of insincerity, of profligacy,
of intemperance, of attempted -assas?
sination, or ol' murder. Mv con?
science, both in my priva'eand public
capacity, is "void ?<t offence towards
(Jod and man.'' ami though il should -
be my f?te never again to bc allowed
lo revisit my native country, yet 1
feel, in my heart of hean.-, that no
man loves that country and the whole
country more truly a nd'.intensely than
I ?io; that no man more earnestly ?c.
sire-: than I do the prosperity-,and hap?
piness of tho great Republic, which ?
have so dong endeavored most faith?
fully to serve: and that no man ia
more solicitous than J am that liberte
-constitutional liberty-liberty regu?
lated by law,-and consisten!, with order
and p jac, should be thc; precious and
enduring heritage of ?ny countrymen
in all time to come.
Sincerely wishing, that with a
slur?yaud elevated patriotism, with an
enlightened judgment, with a soul
alike fiee from prejudice and from
passion, you. Mr. President, may, with
diligence, with a fervent and inspiring
zea!, with a finn determination to do
your duty* to jour country honestly,
disinterestedly, anil independently,
sucosed in restoring the blessings of
peace and concord to a bleeding and
distracted land, and that you may st?
act in all things, at, all times, and
under all circumstances, as to secure
Lo yourself permanent and deserved
honor, the lasting gratitude of your
countrymen, and the respect and ad?
miration of the whole world. 1 have
'.ho honor to be, \otir banished fellow
nitizen, " II. S. FOOTE.
P. S. I feel bound to add that 1 clo
vt believe that you ? vcr saw tho
Stanton letter above referred to. I
eave you to decide whether you are
ustiftVl in keeping me in exile.
H. S. F.
0-ROOKR1ES,
m GOODS, t?.
lE.WKTil & GIBSON,
At Robert Bryce's Old Stand,
4 CHOI Cd? ASSORTMENT of ("ooo's.
/\_ coiifiitinji in part, of:
1,200 Ihs. chole? BACON.
7 hhls. FLO Hil.
10.0 boxes No. 1 HERRINGS,
f, English Hairy CHEESE.
5 bbls. BUTTER CRACKERS.
hexes FAMILY SOAP,
a COHN STARCH.
r> doz. BRI X >MS.
r>0(i yards | ure M ADI ?ER. PRINTS..
.ixii)' '. Checked English Al.?'ACA.
HM) ?. - CAMBRIC
500 superior LONGCLOTIL
' ALSO.
COLOGNE JELLIES, BLACKING.
Windsor Soap Hair xnd Tenth i rushes.
Dressing an?! i-iiie Loot.li t'ombs.
Sweet Dil, Gout's Tiipcr Collars.
Sugars, Loci..-, Smoking Pipe*.
Ami various nth r srtiolcstoo nurrermiR
to ni' htion. June 12