New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-07-18
Col. Benton a schoosmastsr.

The Senator from Missouri as our readers al
know, surpnzed the Senate and del gin ed a LARGE
number of the Senators, with his recent speech
against the Annexation of Texas. He was after.
ward attacked by Mr.. McDnffie, and responded
IN a speech which must have made the South
Cafonan feel uneasy, for no gentleman is more
restless under rcpropf or opposition than he In
the course of his reply To Col. Benton, he mani
i5Sted no little dissatisfaction at the Co oaels use
anI application Of the word neophgfs. On this
part OF his speech, Col Benton offered the follow.
ing very pleasant commentary:
The Senator from South Carolina, who has
done mic the honor 10 address his whole speech to
me, takes exception TO the word neophyte, applied
lynne TO the new friends of Texas. | am sur.
a'iscd at this exception coming from him. That
Senator IS a scholar--no mean one-I use the
term nlts literary sense-and in his ear, familiar
nth the language of scholars, the word can i'm.
ply nothing offensive or derogatory 1t is, indeed
chaste and classic phrase known to the best
writer's, both sacred and profane. st. Paul uses
t IN his epstles, Qhe Greek copies and, alter
naming him, no higher authority is wanted for
what Is gentlemany and scholastic, as well as
| &hai is p!ous and Christian but bring me a die.
,;nnary. Speaking to page of the house J bring
me richardson letter n, and Let us see what he
says
ihc book was brought. Mr. Benton read:
NropnTTg-ln French neophy,e in Italian, neofito in
S'nish. nc0phyo; Latin. uenpiytus Creek neophutns
from neO' new. and phn,cn plant. plant fgur.
iTcy; new convert newly implanted s. c. in the
church and consequently newly converted the Christian
faith one newly nitated. newly introduced employed
This Presumed Mr. Benton) is Richardson's
definition and ctymology and nothing can be
more classic or innocent. Ii is pure Greek, only
modified in sound and termination, in going
through six languages and, both literally and
iguratlvely, has an innocent and decent signif-
cation. Richardson gives illustrations in the use
of lhc word by eminent writers. Let us follow
him, and see the application of the term and
6rst he quotes from Lord Chancellor Bacon char
acterized by Pope in a single line, which 1 will
not repeat; for it is only OF the scholar and phi
losophcr of whom we speak. In his essay on the
Union of Laws he says:
Nay the effects Of grace which exceed far the effects o
nature see ST Paul mikes difference between those he
rus neOphUteshat newly grated io Ciristian5-and
,ose that are brought ny in the faith"
This is a scrptural or sacred application ofthe
word, and very applicable for the Senator is
graft in the Texas faith and was brought up in
it. But it has many other applications; and
Ben Jonson applies it histrion!cally, "a profess
SioDal application with him. and shows that the
stage, as well rs the church, had its crops OF
thcse new plants. He says, in Cynthia's
Revels:
II IS with your young grammatical courte as with your
"coStpte payer Thing usda TO be dauned at the first pre-.
Se:Ice or interview
In poetry as well as in prose the neophyte
figures; and thus we find him again in Ben JON
sou, in the Revels ofCynthia: