Democratic banner., 1849-11-26
FLOR the Banner.

j DOtLCC III NuC loob IS" w ~
-I"Record'' Sc versl communications, ovsrth'
; signature Of "a Bentonian." snd n ovel
. that of a"Democrat Of Buffalo," all bearing
evident marks of the same paternity. TIL.
tone of these articles, ] apprehend, in al
Icandor, upon due consideration, would sp'
pear mischievous and wrong, even TO the
writer himself, ifhe BE- a democrat a hearf
II is always an unpleasant thing to me, te
/ undertake to remind my fellow democrats
of an error, and assume to speak and advise
when ] am Conscious that others are more
competent than myselfto discharge the du.
.ty. But ] hope my friend "Bentonian" will
give me credit for honesty and candor for
what ! shall say, and my heart tells me that
] shall speak the sentiments of nine.tenths
of the democracy of this county
For twenty-five years the democrats Of
this State supported Col. Benton with zeal
and success. prior to the "H0rd and S0ft'
contest of 1874. They were will, him in all
his difficulties, they generously gave him al
he asked. they cleansed his name from the
blacklist aspersiors and hesped upon him
~lronnrs, which seldom fail to corrupt the
I purrSi heart. During the contest alluded
10, which resulted in his re-ele ction to the
Senate, many democrats. 'good and true"
who nave nerer faltered in the support of
the principles Of our party. hut who had be-
come Disguised at the naughty and dictsto-
rial demeanor of their Senator, and honest
ly believed that he was straying from the
path Of duty, on the subject of the Texas
anne xstinn and other measures, opposed
with manly frmness his return TO tie Senste.
A majority Of the party rallied to his sup
port and triumph.d over all opposition,
though thousands sustained him more from
a recollection of past services, than from
admiration Of present conduct.
All remember the jars and hesrtbnrrings
of that period, and every true democrat
would deprecate the return of a similar
state Of affairs. The wings then, as now,
profe,spd to stand sloof and oct as "armed
neutrals" in the controversy. but on every
suitable occasion, they were found in "hear-
ty corporation" with every scheme Of eth
er party. calculated to widen the breach
and eject their owls success over the sun
ldrred elements Of the d. inncrstic party
That contest, now past and buried ] hope
forever, a contest productive of M good,
and fraught with so mucl, mischief, can now
he referred to as an instructive lesson. 70
mitigate the hitter snimosities that must re-
suit from intemperste haste and blinded
zeal.
Since that time. the question Of ~"slaverv
'estriction'' by Congress. has become an
absorbing question, and tie democrats If
Missouri, together with hree-fonrths Of tie
wings, took strong end decided action a.
%sainst this usnrpatinn Of power by the fed
sral authority. Col Benton. for reasons
best known TO himself. perhaps. was acting
in t"tal disregard Of the self-evident views
If his own constituents.
The war with Mexico was a question up
lon which party lines were closely drawn.
and mn man was deemed a friend 10 the
cause of democracy, who refused TO lend at
least his moral aid 10 the citizen soldier,
who had rushed to the battle field to sus-
ltain tile em,bi' m Of his countrv's honor, in
Ia Just and noble cause. Col. Benton mod
estly asked a Lieutenant Generalsl.ip. and
nnr constitution denying the creation Of an
office which srlpgitimately belonged 10 the
power Of kings and despots, he calmly fell
back upon his insulted dignity in the Sem
ate, ard with folded arms witnessed the des.
operate struggle for and against this war, and
gave its friends mt one ,Dord nf encourage.
ment. The policy Of the last administra-
Itinn was marked throughnut. by the derel-
opsnent of those great principles for which
we had commended for many years side by
side with Col. Benton. With mnrmuring
objections, he witnessed their progress thro',
and then secretly end openly urged an i'm.
peachment Of the faithful magistrate, who
had served his country a. an honest patriot,
and whnse memory will live till good deeds
cease to command respect and virtue has no
admirer. The President could not consci-
entinrsly disregard the voice of the able
and experienced Court Martial, that sat in
Judgment npon the errors Of his %son.in-law,
and the public interests and the high trusts
Of his elevated position must be merged in
the qualification Of personalf feeling and pri-
vate revenge.
From these scenes he returns, flushed
with anger and discontentment. to his own
State. Things did not suit him here again,
aud in the excess of his madness he tram
pied under his iron heel the most cherished
Iof the nrincinles of our marty. and attacks