Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-06-11
MIR. BENTON

The newspapers have been intolerably dull for
the last two or three mails and contrast in the mos,
tiresome manner with the stirring news which we
had some days since.
Quite the spciest article that we have met with
in the last mail, is the report given by the National
lntellgencer of Mr., Ben,on's reply to an effort of
Mr. Cass to get loose of the dilemma on which Mr..
Benton hung him and his $40 confedera,es. We
give an extract or two from it,
Mr.. Benton has turned his knowledge of farriery
to some account. He proposes to cut out ignorance
asthey do ''hooks" from horse's eye. He calls
the operation ''cutting for the simples"
And how does the Senator conduct his new de-
sign by endeavorng to make me a fifty four
forty man by reading mutlated scraps, cut from
my old speeches, torn from their context and made
by mutation and false application, to apply to $40
4o on the continent, when applied it to the Is
lands; making it apply to New Caledonia, when |
spoke it of the valley Of the Columbia had occa-
sion to cut some Of the fifty fourforties for the .ssi
peS' when spoke some days ago, and must do
II agaln--but first explain the operation, as it is
only understood in the West. 1t comes from horse
surgery-cuttlnga horses eyes for the hooks The
horse Is subject to disease Of the eye something
IKE cataract, which blinds him and, when emol
ieht remedies fail, the knife is applied the diseased
OF the simples. The allusion is metaphorically TO
the cutting fJr the hooks, and is TO make simple
ton see clear, by opening his eyes to what he did
not see before All these caterers for the Senator
all these searches among my old speeches, may look
out when they are worth it, for the operation of be-
ing cut for the smples. Of course, the operation
cannot be performed on Senator.
| tell the people there is no such line as $40 do,
from the sea TO the mountains. | tell them that.
SO lar as such line was ever proposed by the
American government, it was proposed as north
ern line for the British, and not as northern line
tor ourselves | tell them that 400 was offered by
MT Jefferson, by Mr.. Monroe, and by all the early
statesmen, without exception, who NEGOTIATED the
treaties which gave us Louisiana and the Spanish
CLAIMS to Northwest America. tell them that the
British claim TO Frazer's river is precisely the same
with our own to the Columbia. And saw to them
that, whoever says the contrary of this, will be
hencetorth wilfnl deceiver. make great allow
ance for Ignorance-for the mistakes OF ignorance
Out ignorance ought to be doce, and surrender on
conviction. make broad distinction between the
wlfu and the ignorant deceiver, and a broader one
sun between the deceivers and the deceived The
Ormer are generally few the latter many--the for
her are more OF less culpabe, the latter always in
hocent. vi the myriads, nay millions who have
propagated the error of $40 40', all but few were
the innocent repeaters of what came to them in a
way they could not doubt it. All these will rejoice
to be relieved from their error. Instead of getting
angry with me, they will thank me for the trouble
l Jake TO set them right. They want nothing but
truth and justice, and thank God that have cour
age to give 1t to them regardless of all earthly con-
sequences; am right. | speak to save my coun-
Try from the calamitles of "a war upon mistakes and
plumbers. rely upon the equity and intelligence
OF the people, give defiance to ignorance, malice
and Misrepresentation
When the vote is taLen nm tho inctr,ot;on ,,,h;.,
| have submitted, let the Senator from MICHIGAN
move to strike out 400, and insert $40 4O' we
shall then see the sense of the Senate and the
country Will see who perseveres in error, and con
Verts into DESIGN what was at first the mischief of
MIsTAKE.-Pet Int