Democratic banner., 1849-06-04

The following communication is from
the Hannibal Courier, sndis written by on,
Of the most talented and popular democrats
10 northeastern Missouri.
10 THE DEMOCRACY OF MISSOURI.
sraf Z , (Nu. ~
."SENAToR BENToN's APPEAL TO H Poo.
PLE."-In the st. Louis Union of May 10th,
1s49, is a card, purporting to be an Gap
peal to the people of Missouri"-from the
the instructions given to our Senators by
an act of the general assembly of the State
on the subject of Slavery-by the Hon.
Thomas H. Benton. As one of "the peo-
PR," to whom he addresses himself, I pro-
pose to offer a few remarks on his very sim
gular position. Col. Benton has heretofore
avowed himself to be an advocate of the
doctrine that the Legislatures of the sever
al States have the right to instruct TER
Senators in the National Congress, and that
it is the duty of these Senators to yield
obedience accordingly. Aside from numer-
Gus incidents that might be cited to substan-
tate this assertion. l refer to the simple
fact that at the Democratic Convention
holden during the presidential canvass of
1874, near the city of Hannibal, Col. Ben.
ton was Intercepted publicly from the
speakers stand, by Col. Davies, the Chief
Marshall of the Convention, to know if he
was not sin favor of the right of instruc-
ton by the Legislature" with reference to
the annexation of Texas. The thousands
who were present are witnesses of the fact,
that Col. Benton flew into a violent rage.
and in the most offensive manner, "demand.
ed to knows Of Col. Davies supon what au-
thOrity he brought the charge against him
Of having changed his pOsition"-alleging
that he had "always been an advocate of
the right of Instruction." and that he vent
beyond that point" He held it "not only
to be a duty to obey instructions directly
given, but that when a public servant in his
position had reason to suppose his c~onstit-
uents entertained certain opinions upon
any important question:, it was the duty Of
hot representative to act in accordance
Herewith, without ,caating for instruc-
tons" These declarations of Col. Benton,
made in the presence of thousands, quieted
the fears of many, respecting his SUISSE
qusut action upon the question of annexing
Texas to the United States, and exerted al
powerful influence in his favor when the
election for an U. S. Senator took place at
the succeeding session of our State Leg
~islature. Col. Benton was believed to be
opposed to the annexation of Texas by
many Of his constituencies large majority 1
Of whom we're in favor Of that measure, and
had he nOtbeen regarded as an advocate of
the right Of instruction, nothing is more
certain than that he would not have been
returned to the U. S. Senate at the session
Of ls44-6. During the canvass of lS44
for State officers, candidates for seats in the
State Legislature who were favorable toI
40 AS-SlSSSIOu VI SOIs OCutOu, "CIC tC
CURED to pledge themselves, and prOmi- !.
nent men of the party, friends of Col. Benz
ton, Who were not before the people for Of =
fee Of any kind-had to turn out and make
to satisfy the people that he would 8
obey instructions if given by the Legisla-
on that subject. Enough members
returned favorable to his reelection, !
Ind he was reelected. With a full knowl-I.
'dge Of those facts and the whole counsel
his past life staring him in the face, Col.
Benton now sets himself up against the leg }
slature-the power that created him-re-
uses to obey their instructions, deies their .
and for the first time in the his +
DRY Of this government, the singular fact is
low witnessed that an U. s. Senator, in
BY a State Legislature, sets that
'Ody at contemptuous defiance and takes
be stump to convince the people that he is s
ight and the Legislature wrong. Manylf
rho have heretefore been ardent support