The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-01-29
The War of the Factions-Why vindicnts
the President

The War Of the Factions-Why Vindicnte
the President
In an article published in yesterday paper, we
referred to the state of things existing in Wash
ington, and appropriately, as we think, termed
the twistngs and turnings of the political ciigues
In Congress, "the war of the factions We have
few words more to say on the subject, so that
we can produce another instance OF the existence
OF this war; and the merciless manner with which
it is waged by the eombatants. This instance is
the gratuitious exposition by Mr.. Benton in the
Senate, and his "vindicaton" as he facetiously
termed it, of the President, from the stigma that
it was supposed the rejection of the bill creating
Lieutenant General inflicted ON him.
In that exposition, Mr. Benton, in most ego
tislical and vain manner, took upon himself to
say, that in the beginning Of September last, Mr..
Polk sent for him and offered him the Office Of
Minister to France, which he declined. The
President, he says, again sent for him in Novem-
Der, and consulted with him in regard to the best
way OF carrying on the war, and asked him his
opinion about 1t, which he gave in writing, and
winch comprised among other things head to
the army; that the President voluntarily offered
him the post without any effort being made by
either him or his friends to obtain it and, more
over, that the Presidents offer of this high post
was not intended by him as virtually a nominal
ton OF Mr.. Benton as his successor to the Presi-
dency He, therefore, he said, made the EXPOSE
ton in justice to and in vindication of the course
OF the President
This is certainly very clear and plausible, as
far as it goes |; and, on cursory reading, would
strike people that Mr.. Benton was urged only by
motives which did honor to both his head and
his heart, to undertake this vindicatlon. We con-
Tess that we thought as much at first, but little
consideration, and little reflection on certain
passages it contained, induced us to alter our OPT
Mon, and believe that, if Mr.. Benton's object
was to vndieate the President, that he had ano-
Their one in view too, and that the first was used
as the weapon for carrying out the other.
1t is probable that Mr. Benton's partially
for the Van Buren-Wright clique OF loco
focos, and his opposition to the admins
traton in the annexation Of Texas and the
settlement of the Oregon question, were as
clearly marked and defined as they could be, and
are now matters of notoriety and history. In
deed, it is well known that he is an out-and-outer
Van Buren, man, and has always looked upon
Mr.. Polk as an interruption of the line of descent
which Mr. Van Buren, and his friends chalked
out for the Presidency. This being the case, of
TO which he had no right.
This brings us to the point which we think Mr..
Benton desired to give to his vindication of the
President in the Lieut.. General affair, which we
think was to put Mr.. Polk in false and rdicu-
lous position before the world, in regard to the
prosecution OF the war with Mexico
In November, he says, Mr.. Polk sent for him,
and asked him his advice in reference to the war,
and the best way of carrying it on. 1t will be
recoected that hostilities broke out between the
United States and Mexico in May last, some six
moa,hs before Mr.. Polk sent for Mr.. Benton.
Now, can it be supposed for q moment that the
President and his cabinet, and General Scott,
and General Taylor, had not, before the month
of November, fixed upon any plan of conducting
the campaign-that they were, in fact, all in the
dark on the subject, and knew not how to pro-
coed; and in the emergency called in the aid of
Mr.. Benton, and Immediately devoured his sug-
sestions9 We can hardly think that of the
administration, and we believe il will be diff
cult matter to induce the people to believe it.
In our opinion, Mr.. Bsnton's I" .vindication" of
the President, was an attem pit, in a covert man.
ner, to infict wound on him, though ostensibly
for the purpose of freeing him from reproach,
and that its object was to place him in false
position before the world njure his prospects
for the succession, and forward those OF the Van
Buren-Wright clique, Of which Mr.. Benton is
component part. That it was in fact another act
in the "war of the factions"
Time will settle the accuracy of this view