The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-07-18

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faith, in opposition to our Baltimore
platform and Cass's Nicholson letter.
under which the whole party we're raj
lied in the last President contest. 4th.
Because he is unsound upon internal
improvements, having, at the last ses.
sion of Congress, proposed such sys.
tenn as, if adopted, would Inevitably
lead to consolidation. 5th Because he u
opposed TeSan annexation, and was
very near defeatingit. 9th. Because,
chiefly by his instrumentality, ne lost
part Of our valuable Oregon possessions,
to which our title, in the judgment Of
the whele Northwest, and Of many ster.
ling Democrats elsewhere, was ''clear
and Of unquestionable." 7th. Because
he did ali he could, in the secret ses.
sion of the Senate, to defeat the Mexi-
can treaty. Because he voted withsas !
few Wings, Free Soil, and Abolition
Senators, last winter, to defeat the
compromise Of the question of slavery
in the Territories, and to keep the ques.
ton open for his own advantage and
to the deep peril of the Union. 9th.
Because he insidiously labored, in the
last moments of Mr.. Polk's admipistra.
ton, to set up the PROTOCOL, so called,
against the Mexican treaty, and thus
defeat our title to California and New
Mexico. 10th. Because he attempted
to instigate an impeachment of Mr..
Polk, by the action of the House. Of
Representatives, designing thus TO die,
grace him and his whole cabinet, and to
bring most profound dishonor 3npon the
whole Democratic party. THIS may
need a little development. ! will nos
dwell upon it, though at present, as in
my place in the Senate last winter, I
charged his guilt upon him to his face,
and offered to supply proof Of all I said
on the subject, should it be denied
having such, witness present as Sena-
tors Mangum and Clayton! and he res
piled only by expressive silence = lt !;
is perhaps right here simply to say, IN iin
addition, that if Mr.. Benton will deny
that he handed the 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 commenced in tha
House against the lamented Polk, de-
signed to result in his impeachment, I
pledge myself, as man of honor To- 4
prove the facts to be precisely as / have
stated them to be. His conduct in
this proceeding is most aggravated,
when you recollect that MIR. Polk had
never injured him.-had done him no nm.
kindness at any time, but had put the
popularity of his administration in great
Jeopardy upon the lieutenant generaIcy
question; that this act Of ddling
on the part Of MIR. Benton was not
open and manly. but stealthy and secret;
and even the Wings of the Senate be-
came SO Disguised with the whole affair;
that they resolved to have no discns-
sion Of it in that body that the new ad-
ministration of General Taylor, aftera
thorough scrutiny of all the facts, with
true American feeling, (I am not afraid
to do them justice, ) refused to sustain
Mr.. Benton in his protocol movement,
and nobly resolved to maintain and vim
dicatc the course and policy in refer
ence to this grave matter, adopted and
prosecuted by the administration 81 of
Polk; Mr.. Clayton formally sending
for me, (this much j can say without
violating Senatorial secrecy and au-
thorizing me to declare for the new afi
ministratioR their determine ation in this
respect, and actually handing me re.
solution, drawn up under his direction,
assertiye Of the validity of the treaty.
Ofwhat may have occurred ON the sub
joct afterwards, when in secret session,
if indeed, anything at all did oecur,itis
not my privilege to speak. I rejoice,
though, to learnt :gh perfectly au-
thentic channel, that the Mexican gov
|ernment itself has formally repudiated
1.-THE ground takon IN her behalf, against
his own country, BY her selfappointed
diplomatic fnnetio tionary the Hon. Thom-
as Hart Benton. Forall these reasons
and d sthonsana others, which, IL necess !
sary, intend % specify hereafter, the
Democratic part will never take up
Mr.. Benton for the Presidency. New
er! Never! Nsysr!l,.
Will he be reelected to the Senate
from Missouri? This seems somewhat
more doubtful; but the prospect Of his
defeat is, unonlth whole, rather fiat
tering than otherwise. Indeed, tcar.
not be doubted that he must be ineyita-
bly, defeated, unless the Wings take him
lnplas their candidate; and unless he is
able to- draw off q considerable number,
Of Dem ocratic members Of the Legisla-
ture from the support of some regularly
nominated Democratic candidate; which