The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-06-22
Mr.. Benton's Profession of Opinions.

| MIR. Benton's Profession of Opinions.
lie following Is the concluding part of Mr.
Benton's speech, wherein lie states his own per
soDal conclusions and purposes OH the slavery
question:
"My opinions" They are wanted. Heretofore
the public acts of public men have stood for heiT
opinions: it has been only the men, unknown
by their acts, that have been subjected to political
| caiechism Thirty years almost | have been in
the Senate and during that time have always been
a voter, and often speaker this subject of sIa-
very; and commenced with it in my own Stale
| was politically born out of slave agitaton-orlf
| of the Missouri restriction controversy and have
acted open part on it from the time it began to
the present day.
4 NV writings had some influence on the formation
of the Constitution of this State. They ssvere
pretty well known then, though forgotten now
They contributed TO keep off restriction, and to
insert the clause in the Constitution for the sane
ton of slavery. | urged the putting it in the Con-
stituoB for the express purpose of giving security
to property, and preventing agitation. | wanted
peace from the question at home, and contributed
to provide for it, by contributing put that clause
| in The Constitution; and now it is hard that we
should have an agitation imported, or transported
upon us, to harrass US about slavery when we have
| taken such care to keep out agitation
My votes in Congress have been consistent with
my conduct at home non interference, no agita-
| tion-securty to property-and tranquility to The
people. In thirty years | have not given vote
that has been complained Of have voted thirty
years, avoiding all extremes, and giving satisfac-
| ton. The old generation, and the generation that
has been born during that time, ought to consider
this, far as to let it stand the evidence of my
opinions. But it will not do. Finding nothing in
the past TO condemn, some people must 90 into
futnrity, to see if anything can be found there
and even into my bosom, to see if anything is hid
there, which can be Condemned
Very good: they shall know my opinions. And
frat fhovyr
proposals for the admission of Texas five years ago.
in which proposed to limit the western extension
of slavery by longitudinal line, believe the lOOth
degree of west longitude-next in my votes upon
the Oregon bill, in which opposed the introduction
of Slavery there-and, again in my letter to the
people of Oregon, in which declare myself to be
no propaganda of slavery.
These were public acts. But you want public
declarations of personal sentiments; very good
you shall have them. My personal sentiments
then, are against the institution of slavery, and
against its Introduction into places in which itdoes
not exist. II there was no slavery in Missouri TO-
day, l should oppose its coming in /; if there was
none in the United States, should oppose It's COM
ing into the United States; there is none in
New Mexico or California am against sending it
to those territories, and could not vote for such
measure-a declaration which costs me but little,
the whole dispute now being about the abstract
right of carrying slaves there, without the exercise
of the right
cannot ask it in the face of the dogma which denies
the power to grant it. States do as they please.
These are my principles; and they reduce the diff
ference between Mr.. Calhoun and myself to the
difference between refusing and not asking. And
for this the Union is TO be suhverted Oh meta
physics. political metapS ysitst far better stick 10
the innocent business of amending the Constitution
by putting three States and a river together!
If any one wishes to know still more about my
principles on slavery, will give him reference
ha Er,I starr, IL &c
stones Commentaries (appendix to the second vol
ume,) where irnbibed forty four years ago, when
a student at law, and have held fast TO them ever
SINCE all but the remedy and the difficulty of that
is one of the evils itself of slavery, and of the
arguments against one set of people putting upon
another. and a distant sci of people, especially |
while they areltting theirmploring hands against it,
To finish this personal exposition, have to say
that my profession and conduct-no unusual thing |
with frail humanity-do not agree. | was born to |
the inheritance of slaves, and have never been |
without them. have bought some, but only Oh |
their own entreaty, and TO save them from execu-
ton sales have sold some but only for mscon- |
duct. have had two taken from me by the Abo |
litioniss, and never inquired after them; and lib
Grated third, who would not go with them | |
have slaves now in Kentucky, who were elevated |
to the dignity of real estate, by being removed |
from Missouri 10 kentucky; and will have to |
descend next fall to the low degree of a chatel |
in spite of the laws of Kentucky, when | shall |
remove them back to Missouri. And Ihave slaves |
in Washington City-perhaps the only member of |
Congress who has any lhere-and am not the least |
afraid that Congress will pass any law to affect |
this property either there or here |
have made no slave speeches in Congress, and |
do not mean TO make them. Property is tmid |
and slave property above all. 1t is not right to |
disturb the quietude of the owner--to harrass him |
with groundless apprehensions. 1t is a private |
wrong 10 disturb single individual, by making |
him believe, nntruly, that his property is insecure.
Ii becomes public evil to disturb W hole commt-
nifty. 1t creates general uneasiness generates |
feranges business, and often leads to
hasiy and improvident legislation. have no |
danger to the shave property of any State in this |
Union by the acton.of Congress; and cannot con-
tribute to alarm the country by engaging in discus
sions which assert or imply danger.
BISHOP DoANE-OGcial Statement of his Bank |
long statement entitled &c Brief Mar
rative," appears in The Missionary, periodical |
published at Burlington, from the 1t. Rev. George
w. Doane, Bishop of New Jersey, in reference to
his financial difficulties The embarrassmeDts |
which have been much commented on by the press,
have been caused he says, by expenditures upon
81. Mary's Hall and Burlington College, the two
Episcopal Institutions at Burlington and not by
private extravaganza. The annual receipts of the
Two institutions are stated to he So 900, but their
has left him with SC an unmanageable
iebt.'' The Bishop adds: "At council of his
friends, called to consider what should be done in
his state OF affairs, the undersigned nnan-
pousiy advised to make an assignment of all his
property for the benefit of all his creditors and TO
arrange for the carrying on of the Institutions,
under his own conduct and supervision, but on the
financial responsibility and business direction of
others, as before proposed. This has been done
Fhe Undersigned gives up his property of every
orm, to meet SO far as it may debt, not personal
o himself-his private income being more than
,qual to his private expendimre-but growing out
If his venture for Christian Education in the two
Institutions above named-and only des,res the time
md opportunity to meet and pay The uhole amount
y debt, in principal and interest. Nothing dauned
n discouraged, by any thing which had occurred,
,e renews the devotion OF the strength now gra-
iousy restored TO him, to the same sacred cause
50 far from being daunted discouraged he con-
iders that the foundation of his great work is now
irst made sure and he firmly believes that, with
he continuance of the heavenly favor heretofore
ouchsafed, every form of embarrassment, in
cry few years, will be removed. and two great in