The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-16
AN INDEPENDENT VIEW OF MIR. BEN
TONS FREE SOIL SPEECH.

Now, what does all this amount to /, Pre-
csely to what we have again and again TOLD
the public, viz:--that the Wilmot provise
question was from its commencement mere
pretext, started by Mr.. Van Buren,, for the
purpose Of ruling and running the nc vements
Of the Democratic party during the asst Pres
idential election. That humbug of the Will
mot proviso having divided the democracy
Of the North during the late general cleo
ton, and defeated General Cs.ss, is now
adopted by all the Hunkers and the. Free
Sellers; and it appears, too, by some. even
in the slave States, such as Mr.. Bento n him
self in Missouri. Poor Cass is now ont Of
the way and the free democracy having,
by its noise on the Wilmot proviso, and the
slavery question generally, pushed the Wings
from their own ground, and appropriat ed it
to themselves, are now going to work and
uniting their various elements with all the
popular impulses Of the free States, to take
the purse in any future race that may be run
on the Presidential race course of the Uni on
With regard to Mr. Benton himself, his
motives and purposes are easily seen through
Discovering in the State Of Missouri stron,q
opposition among his own party to his re.
election to the United States Senate, Mr..
Benton very adroity makes great fuss and
clamor against Mr.. Calhoun, assails the i'm
prudence and folly Of the southern statesman,
assumes new ground, apparently, to the
rest Of the country; but yet, while he is
throwing his tremendous speech to catch the
Wing party Of Missouri to his support, he lets
the cat out Of the bag, and acknowled ges
that the Wilmot proviso disput is a mere hum.
bug and never amounted to anything at all
Yet he expects, by the cla-mor that he ma ke'
on the subject, to eaten the votes Of The
wings Of Missouri, and be returned to the
United States Senate, and when that takes
place, he VIII. resume his own ground, ant
kick away the ladder which helped him to
his re-ele ction, out Of sight ever after. The
wing journals Of the North are playing into
Mr.. 3enton's hands in this matter. He is
mer ely stocking the democratic cards for a
new deal, and the wing leaders, here and
elsewhere, are approving his project and
luxuriating over his action, as if he intended
to help them in the difficulties which they
will Observation-Disclosures arising from the
very movements which Mr.. Benton has as
sisted and promoted in Missouri, and in othel
States, where the democracy are endeavor.
ing to unite their forces, without reference
to the Wilmot proviso or any other proviso
The effect Of Mr.. Benton's movement
among the free States will therefore be, t.
bring the two sections Of the democracy, the
barnburners and the old hunkers, here ant
elsewhere, into the old union. The Wilmo
provso quarrel has answered its purpose
and Mr.. Benton now shows that no differ
ence exists between the two sections, ant
that they may unite as soon as their per
sona difficulties are settled IN the scvera
States, and terms Of agreement made tina
will be satisfactory to each The whlg'
themselves are aiding this movement, ant
especially are they assisting in the re-elec,
ton Of Mr.. Benton to the Senate, in which
place they will find him just as sturdy an an
tagonist as he has been for the last twenty
FIVE years.--N Y. Hrald-