The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-12
WASHINGTON, d. c.
TUESDAY MORNING, JUNE IL, ls4s.
COL. BENTON's SPEECH.
To the People OF Missouri.

fTeSIutHl Oh tue bHlttu totdtCst nC Wchu
sisters, in the shape of the old man that
taught him grammar, had whispered in his
ear-thou shah be President. Upon that
oracular revelation he commenced his pollti-
cal career, and has toiled at its iulhlment for
forty years-at first openly, and, it may be,
fairly, by putting himself at the head Of all
the movements which promised advance
ment in t public favor, In 1916 protec-
ton Of domestic industry was popular; he
put himself at the head Of the protective
policy, and went for the minimum provision
the cotton minimum-whch was the father
of all the rest, and the only real injury to
the cotton-growers by suppressing for thirty
years that class Of cotton goods which was
Of most universal use, and Of the largest
cotton consumption-the corduroys and vel
vets, so universally worn before lSl6--so
totally suppressed under the Calhoun mini
mum Of that year-and Just beginning to APP
pear again under the tariff of 1916. At
the sane time (1Sl6) a national bank-the
State banks having failed, and brought obi
UNI on the State instltutions-was much
called for; Mr. Calhoun put himself at the
head of the call, and carried through the
bank charter About the same time inter-
nal improvement, by the federal govern-
ment, became popular: he seized upon the
subject and in 1923, as Secretary of War,
made an elaborate report in favor OF gene
raj system of roads and canals, pervading
all parts of the Union. In lSl9-20 the
Missouri controversy ragged, and the whole
North stood up as one man for curtailing the
area Of slave soil: he took the free soil cur
rent, and expunged slave soil from all the
territories Of the United States by Joining in
the abolition Of slavery in Upper Louisiana,
giving Texas 10 the King Of Spain, and
giving the rest Of Louisiana to the Indians
At the same time jackson became the favor
lite Of the people Tor President: he withheld
and postponed his own pretensions TO the
presidency, became the advocate Of Jack
son, went upon his ticket, and was elected
Vice President with him. But this was the
end Of his popular movements to gain the
presidency. He expected to succeed jack
son, and that he would only have to wait
and serve eight years. That was only one
year longer than Jacob had to wait, and
serve Laben for Rachel. But, oh the dis
appointment in love and politics Like ia
cob, whenhe woke up, he found it was Leah
little magicianof the North, had got into the
bed and was to be Jackson's successor I'm
like Jacob, he could not wait and serve ano-
Their long eight years, and determined to
clutch the prize at once. Then came nulli-
fcation No. !, (pretexed by that tariff of
which he himself was the main author,) and
that scheme for dissolving the Union which
Jackon's proclamation put down. The tariff
failed to bear him through: more inham-
mable subject was wanted-and was found
in the sensitive question of slavery. Then
came that long succession Of abolition plots
for blowing up slavery in the United States,
compared to which all the popish plots in
England for blowing up the Protestant reli-
gion-the gunpowder, rye-house, meal-tub,
and other plots, so formidable in their day
were tame and impotent inventions. First,
there was the London abolition plot of Ash
bel Smith, John Andrews, and Lord Aber-
deem, for lighting the train Of abolition in
Texas, and thence running it into the Uni
ted States, where it was to explode and blow
all up and to prevent which it became q
case OF "self defence, )" admitting Of no delay,
to Jerk Texas instanter, by treaty, out Of theil
hands, before the plot was ripe something like
Jerking the fuse out Of the loaded bomb before
it ' ould explode. The treaty did not stand
the jerk, and was broke; and the plot eva.
porated without harm. Duff Green had
been paid thousand dollars, by the Tyler
administration, cut Of the United States
treasury, for bringing that plot from London
but it was money lost Then came the
Worlds Convention plot, also located in Lon
don, for the abolition Of slavery throughout
the world-the United States inclusively
but il came up feebly, and had no run
Then came the incendlary transportation
mail matter plot: and that for while threat
ened to break up the transportation Of the
mails, and to leave the two halves Of the
Union in a state Of non-intercourse. II
ripened into bill for searching the mails
and then expired. Then came the incendi-
airy petitions plot that occupied the time Of
Congress for several years, and considerably
alarmed the country, until every body saw
that II was game, performed by two sets
Of. players, playing into each others hands,
for their own benefit at home, and getting up
an agitation Of which the public peace and
the public business was the victim 1t then
died out. Thus allth abolition plots--pre-
texts for a second Observation-Disclosures
They were, what the New York law reform
statute, abolshing Latin, nterprets the writ
Of nc Great to be--no 60
In the meantime, there was an episode
which will require full history some day,
but which can only be limited at now, tc
complete the picture 1t happened that at.
ter Mr.. Van Buren's election, Mr.. Calhoun
became asort Of supporter Of his admins
tration; and, upon the principle that on
good turn deserves another, expected hl
support for the succession That involves
a scheme for northern votes There was
slave subject which prevented 1.-THE liber
alton Of American slaves by the British au
thorities in the Bahama Islands who had re-