The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-10-15
W A S HI N G. I 0 N.
TUESDAY EVENING, oCTRl5 1874:
COL. BENTON IN A MUSS.

TUESDAY EVENING, OCT'R Is, 1874:
COL. BENTON IN A MUSS.
At Locofoco convention, the LIST instant, at
Hannibal, Missouri COL Thomas Hart Benton.
of the United States Senate, made speech which
We find in the Missouri papers, as reported by it's
author for publication. Its curious document,
and exhibits COL Benton at last in sad quandary.
He finds that the division in his party in Missouri,
between the Hards' and the 'Softs,'' or the
hard money men and the paper money men, is SO
great as to endanger his reelection to the Sem
ate-the fact being known to him that union
Of the Softs" with the Wings" in the Legs-
lature, soon to assemble, would lay him for the
future on the shelf. Hence he declares, in this
Hannibal speech, that she would take care to
have his name withdrawn, if there was any divi-
sion among his friends, THE HARDs, to whose de-
cision in all other respects he committed his fate"
As Col. Benton must play the egotist, to
superla,ive degree, in every speech he makes.
(poor man! its constitutional with him y, and
AZ We are willing to crafty his vanity by giving
to our readers portion of what he says in this
regard to the people assembled at Hannibal, we
make from his speech the following extract, which
is about the highest charged specimen of unadulte-
rated sELr-LAUDATIoN that has appeared since
the utterance of his former nagnitoquent apos-
troPhe to his own greatness, commencing, +" Soil
tary and alone. amidst the taunts and jeers of
my enemies, / set this ball in motion -
"Mr. B. ead he was glad of this public OPP
portunry to make this public and authentic dec
laraiion in relation 10 himself. lie wished the
State to know the dsintere-ted and neutral posi-
ton which he occupied in relation 10 the Senate
rial election. He wished it to be known that he
was not a.king soliciting re-election-,ha,
he was doing nothing 10 advance or promote him
self--that he LETT it to his friends 10 do they
deemed best; and that he should not speak
word in the case, unless it became necessary to
pronounce his withdrawal, in order to preserve
the harmony and unity Of his party.
"Having made this declaration, and thus shown
his readiness to retire from public lie, Mr.. B. said
he had nothing more to say on his account, and
was ready TO retire from the stand and leave to
others to crafty the vast sssemblage present, by
discussing the topics which were pertinent To the
occasion. For himself he should find it difficult to
say anything without being Inconsistent with the
declaration he had just made, he had declared that
he would say. or do nothing to promote his own
election: yet how could he speak upon any topic
pertinent TO the occasion, land all The principles
to iD without seeming to speak for himself, and
to be applauding or defending some measure Of
his public lite! During the twenty-five years
which he had been in the Senate all the measures
and all the principles which divide parties, and
agtate opinions, had been under discussion in that
body: and he had acted part more or less pro.
mnent on every one Of them. To enumerae
them. would be to recount his own labor: to ap-
plaud them, would be to applaud his own work."
flor h,J e.; hoJ
which he justified the course he had pursued on
the Texas question, and lauded Silas Wright, who
acted with him, as " the Cato of America" sew.
eral other gentlemen spoke, among whom was
Mr.. John Jamson, who sustained COL Benton,
aud announced that, if any we're dissatisfied with
the Colones position as just defined, that gentle
man was ready to speak again and explain
Whereupon Mr.. DAVIS, the head of the Commit
tee of Arrangements, took the stand and announ-
ced with much warmth that he and other Demo-
Gratis ,oere dissatisfied with Col. Benton's course,
ana desired that he would explain and inform his
constituents whether he would be governed by
Legislative instructions
Col. Benton would not 60 upon the stand again.
but rose from his place and replied TO Mr.. Davis
under great excitement. He said he would mn,
hold his seat an hour after ascertainng that he
was not representing the will Of his party, blu,
refused to say whether he would obey Instructions
The Convention adjourned in good deal of con-
fusion.
il is quite possible that in order TO avoid de-
Iea'' Co' Benton will decline being candidate
for reelection.
The GOVERNOR ELEcT.-Rumors b,vino hoo,