The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-05-11
THOMAS HART BEN TON-THE MYsTF
RIOUS LETTERS.


stand that we do not desire to make use Of any
extraneous aid. We state this, because immune
rable charges, ola nature altogether diferentflom
the matter under consideration, from anonymou.
sources, are daily pouring in upon US. These.
without exception, we burn unread The man
who would use charges Of personal charac
ter, in mere political strife (having received no
personal or private injury from his oppo-
nents, is capable of the commission Of similar
acts himself. Further, we do not hesitate d..
clare that we believe Mr.. Benton to be iaaoce,l
of the various petty crimes alleged against him
and will continue 10 regard him so until he i,
proren to be guilty.
| On Monday, Mr.. Benton offered the FOLLOWING
resolution:
| Resolped That the Committee on the Post Office
and Post Roads be instructed TO inquire in what man
ner the Madisonian newspaper obtained knowlelre
Of certain papers supposed to be filed in the Genera,
| Post Office Department in relation 10 the appointment
| Of Mr. Watson as Deputy Postmaster al St [oni.
viz letter from Mr.. Benton to Mr. Van Buren, and
another to the Postmaster General and also in what
manner the editor of that paper became possessed az
| certain information, that there no other recon-
mendation for Mr. Watson, and that his appointment
Yves made on the sole recommendation OF Mr. Ben
ton. Also that the said committee inquire into the
manner in which the said editor obtained copy Of the
Postmaster Generals letter to the Senae's conNee
the Post Office and Post Roads in relation TO the
nomination of Samuel B. Churchill and Recommend
ing him for confirmation, and that they have power to
send for persons and papers, and to take testimony On
oath, and report the same to the Senate.
This resolution has reference TO an editorial
article in the Madisonan of the 9th instant
| That artcl. was called forth in consequence
the publication of certain letters by Mr.. Benton
"a publication which involved violation Of
| pledged secrecy-of confdence-of the homo
| rable and dgni6ed practice of Senators. They
were published for the purpose of nfctng
| 9raultous blow on coordinate branch Of the
| Government, and at time when the Executive
was rapidly advancing in the affections of The
People, and threatened BY its accommodating po-
pularity and power speedily TO overthrow erery
| partisan leader in america of course the
| ''base abandonment of Senatorial honor and
| dignity on the part Of Mr.. Benton, could not
and did not arrest its giant strides. OF course
his nterpostion could not avert the impending
doom.
! In our article we established the fact that
neither the President nor the Postmaster Gene
| raj ever read the letters which Mr.. Benton pub
| lished. They were received by them, and
as usual, filed with the application OF Col
| Churchill. They were sent to the Senate with
the nomination. They were borrowed by Mr..
Benton merely for examination, ;" as he stated
They were published by him, without the
knowledge or consent Of the committee from
whom he obtained them. Mr. McRoberts, the
chairman OF the committee, distinctly asserts
this in his letter. Ti.s papers were secret and
sacred, as the whole Senate AYERS Mr.. Ben
toh borrowed them. He carried them to his
room. nc locked the door and opened his
dark lantern, The sealed casket Law before
him on his table. a raw Of lloht from tbe lan
tern uisplayed tue hinged expression. Of fear,
shame, and revenge on lis broad face. He
placed his hand on the sealed casket. and bes,
tated The persplration stood Out on his fore
head. He looked tmdy around. Convinced
that he was not watched, by a desperate effort
he tore open the casket and rihed il of its con,
tents. But there WAS an eve upon him ,.#
Well, the copies, thus surrepttiously Oh
tanned, were despatched to the printer. The
sasket was resealed and handed back to
Mr.. McRoberts. He received back the trust
without dreaming its purity had been sullied
He thought not of "gun powder plots, rnor the
days of Queen Anne nor of the resuscitaton
'ot 9 Walpoean schemes" He knew not how
well Mr. Benton was versed in English history,
or how adroitly he can avail himself Of this
knowledge in every Transaction private and
public.
But the letters Were published, because Colo
mel Churchill was recommended by some Of his
friends on account OF chs party service"
Let II not be forgotten Mat neither the President
nor the Postmaster General ever read the letters
setting up these partisan claims. But Mr.. Ben
ton cared not for that. If he could fix the
charge upon them, ii mattered not whether they
were guilty or innocent. lie would reap the
advantage OF the blow, and why should he care
If It fell upon the innocent? But, after all,
what politician has not recommended applicants
on the same grounds
In our article we called upon the Missouri
Senator 10 say if he had moi recommended Mr.
Watson on account of his sacrifices '.lor the
party" Here is what we wrote, and we retc
rate il;
H'ha recommended Mr. Watson, and ,cho re-
him We do not wish to inculpate MIR
Watson We know nothing of him for good or evil,
save what we learn from the papers He, too, may
have been capable and honest" But Mr.. Benton
will not deny that while Mr.. Watson conducted Mr.
Benton special Locoioco organ, the Argus, he MIR
Benton) frequently promised him his reward He
will not deny that he (Nlr Benton) wrote to Mr.
Watson on more than one occasion TO be patient
lot to dcspair-hat all his losses and sacrifices for
: the party" should be compensated He sNIr. Ben
on) will not deny that he addressed Preside mt Van
Buren, in MIR. Watsons behalf and urged his appoint
nent on account of his party services He (Mr