The North-Carolina standard., 1849-07-25

n.
Protocol, so called, against the Mexican treaty, and
thus defeat our title to California and New Mexico
10TH Because he attempted to instigate an lmPeacn
ment of Mr.. Polk by the action OF he House OF heP'
resentatves, desiring thus to disgrace him and MS
whole cabinet and to bring most profound dishonor
upon the whole democratic party. This may need
little development. will not dwell upon it, though,
at present, in my place in the Senate last winter,
charged his guilt upon him his face, and offered
to supply proof of all said the subject, should II
be denied-having such witnesses present as Sena-
tors Mangum and Clayton! and he replied oni y oy
" erpressiUe silence" 1t is perhaps right here simply
to say in addition, that if Mr. Benton will deny that
he handed a copy of the protocol to Mr. Clayton
which was afterwards handed to certain gentlemen
in the House of Representatives, and upon the basis
of which these unkind and unjust proceedings were
designed to result in his impeachment. Ipedge my
self, a Of honor, 10 prove the facts to be precise
| ly as have stated them to be.
His conduct in this proceeding is most aggravated,
when you recollect that Mr. Polk had never Injured
him--had done him unkindness at any time, out
had put the popularity of his administration In great
jeopardy upon the questions that
this act of intermeddng on the part OF MIR. benton
was not open and manly but seaHhy and secre1 tnat
even the wings of the Senate became so dlsgusted
with the whole affair." that they resolved to have no
discussion of it in that body that the new admins
tration of General Taylor, after thorough scrutiny
of all the facts, with true American feeling, am not
afraid to do them ustice,) refused to sustain Mr.
Benton in his protocol movement and nobly resolved
to maintain and vndicate the course and policy In
reference to this grave matter, adopted and prosecu
ted by the administration of Mr.. Polk; Mr. clayton
formally sending for me, (ths much can say without
violating senatorial secrecy) and authorizing me to
declare for the administration their determination
in this respect and actually handing resolution
drawn I'D under his direction, asserve OF the validity
of the treaty. Of what may have occurred on the
subject afterwards, when In secret session. II lndeeu
anything all did occur, it is not my privilege to
speak. rejoice, though to learn through perfect
,.I,~ H. fha
itself has formally repudiaed the ground taken In her
behalf, against his country, by her selaPpolnted
diplomatic functionary, the Hon. Thomas Hart Ben
ton. For all these reasons and thousand others,
which, if necessary, intend specify thereafter, the
democratic party will take up MIR. Benton for
the presidency. Necer! Neuer :! Nerer!!!
Will he be reelected the Senate from Missouri!
This seems somewhat more doubtful; but Ihe pros
pect of his defeat is upon the whole, rather hateng
than otherwise. Indeed it cannot be doubted that he
must be inevitably defeated, unless the wings take
him up as their candidate and unless he Is able to
draw off considerable number OF democratic men,
bers of the Legislature from the support OF some reg
ularly nominated democratic candidate; which sup
pose not to be all probable from present indications.
Some of Mr. Benton's friends seem to hope that he
will be able gull the people of Missouri into the
support of his senatorial pretensions, by his project
of grand national highway from the Mississippi TO
the Pacific. But, so practical population as the |
people of Missouri reputed to be, can never In
my judgment, be taken in. In the first place, they
must perceive, that II THIS Scneme OF DenIon
udicions one, he is by means the person to carry
it through, inasmuch he is decidedly odious at
present both to the Senate and country 1t is well
attesed fact, that hefaied in every undertaking In
which he engaged last winter, commencing with the
Panarna road Notwithstanding bis silly and rldc-
nlous demonstration against the coast survey policy,
and ending with the Protocol.- But the scheme in
itself is purely ridiculous and absurd! 4rood mile
Cide all the tUav from 81. Louis to the Pacific! A
-oad the cost of which, upon Mr. Benton's plan, as
he in amDlV. .
some two hundred and fifty three hundred millions
If dollars! road, the annual expense of which,
ter it shall have been established, will he some five
,r six millions of dollars! And to the building of
his road ' seveniy-ive per centum of the proceeds
# the public lands in Oregon and California, and
fifty per centum of the amount of the sales of all other
ublic lands in the United States," to be set
part and pledged 80 So that all reduction in the
rice of all the public lands in the United States is +
be dispensed with, thing altogether impossi-
lie to be effected, in the face of this solemn pledgng
nd setting apart of the proceeds of the land sales
he graduation principle is longer to be heard of!
md this road is run over high mountains, covered
nth eternal snow, which is ofentimes from 20 40
eet deep! Besides these objections to MIR. Benton's
roect, his speech In support OF it shows 1t to be the
lost enormous project of the kind heard of in
ther respects; for in this speech he does advo-
ate this road alone, but he himself in favor q
other such roads all the country. In fact he
as been all his life coRtendng for general system
internal Improvements, and this bill seems to be c
Ich system. do not at all msstate his scheme, i
N confident; for, in the course of his speech now
ferred to, he formally introduced paragraph
ON Gibbon descriptive of the Roman highways o
nder the empire, (God save the mark y in which that
Titer enumerating the four thousand cities belong
g to the Roman empire, in Europe, Asia, and Afri-
l,'' goes say Z" 4Htese cifies connectedJ
18th each other and with the capital by the public
ghways, which, issuing from the forum of Rome, I
aversed Italy, Pervaded the provinces, and
nated only by the frontiers of the empire &C. and q
Ir. Benton, referring to this Roman-imperial road :
'stem, says: Such the extent and solidity of 3
e Roman roads single line of road, above 1000
900 cities of the empire all connected with roads of
Iual sodty besides - and presently, saying of all
ese wonderful Roman roads: 81 mention them for v
eir magnfcence, their grandeur, and presenting e
example ,0Orthy of limitation - Surely, sure
:, our patriotic and udicious friends in Missouri .
nnot desire to enlist in this system at
e present moment. A railroad from st. Louis to G
anita Fe, devised by practical men, and brought for
ard under proper auspices, even of the strict
instructed democrats in Congress-, doubt not, for
gh national reasons, could vote for cheerfully. Il
ilroad from Memphis Vcksburg, in the direction
the Gila river surface comparatively favor. Il
lie, and running all the way through mild and d
faithful climate, l know that many members of o
ongress suppose to be practicable and polite; and
ey would in all probability, allow to st. Louis
anch railroad pursuing the general course of the
ssissppi river, and becoming connected with the a
and southwestern road at eligible point-hus e
liking the city of St. Louis double terminus, and
curing her all the commercial advantages which {,
le desires. But repeat, Mr.. Benton's scheme will a
pass Congress and it is only destined to make
author Immortality ridiculous. "
ends upon this genuine hwm6ug project, his chances n
OlOOmU indie l.