The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-11-21
Correspondence Of the Express.
Col. BENToN's SPEECH AT CHuRcHv1LLE-
HIS PosITIoN IN MIssoURr.-WILL HE
BE SUSTAINED? - RI
KEoKUK. 31st Oct. 184o

NO., at Churchville, on Tuesday, deter
mined to hold over day or two Longer,
for the purpose Of seeing, more than oil
hearing, the "Sena,or Of thirty years
standing" I had never seen nor heard
any of the great men of our nation, and
| concluded that this might be tho most
'avorable-if not the only opportunity
which would ever present itself, to sec
and hear tho greatest Of the Great! The
citizens Of Keokuk turned out in large
numbers-Whigs as we'll as Democrats
and it appeared to me that many went
there for no other purpose than to salts
fy themselves, by ocular demonstration,
whether the luminaries Of our political
armament really did talk, walk, and act,
like the f1ickerin Jack o'lanterns Of our
immediate Hawk Eye horizon. The day
was fine; the roads bad, and the distance
by land 4a miles.
Churchville, (now called Alexandria,
is the Seat Of Justice Of Clark county. 1t
is much older than any Of our Iowa towns,
but it is cast completely in the shade by
its neighbor, Keokuk, which, although not
fairly more than three years old, scars
proudly above it, with about ten times its
population! Clark county, though larger
than any two counties in Iowa, and older
than our oldest, cannot poll more votes
than some Of our country townships! l
have never heard any other cause than
the existence Of slavery assigned as
reason why so great an inequality should
exist in tho increase Of population, be-
tween the counties Of Iowa and Missouri,
/ ing side by side with each other, and
possessing equal advantages in all other
respects. Many thousands Of our citizens
now resident in the uppe: Dcs Moines
counties, have crossed the Mississippi: from
Warsaw TO Churchvile, and pass over a
large district Of delightful country in
Missouri, as hastily as if some nauscous
substance were strewed~ along the road,
until they are satisfied that they are with
in the free soil Of Iowa Our popul Gus
counties Of Van Buren,, Davis, Appanoose,
&c., contain little or no population on
their southern borders, as the boundary
line is not yet defined and Migrants are
afraid Of being embraced within the linn
its Of slave State. But have wander
ed from my purpose.
The crowd assembled at Churchville
was large, and was, probably augmented
by the report that Hon. James S. Green,
member Of Cong ress, would reply to "Old
Bullion" Mr.. G. is young man, but
sustains very high reputation as stump
orator. He is known at Washington by
the cognomen of "Coon Skinner.'' The
people assembled at the Court House a.
bout 10 o'clock; but although the build
ing appears to be about 80 by SO feet, it
was soon found to be entirely too small
to accommodate the audience. An adj
journment was therefore had 10 the open
air, and a table placed across the door,
leaving a goodly number of ladies inside.
About half-past one o'clock, | had the
qualification ofseeing the greatest Of iiv-
ing Democrats standing before me in all
The majesty of his giant mind. Although
"a flash, brought all that had ever
heard and read oil him, before me, and
him infinitely from head to foot.
There he stood, forty-years' personifi-
cation Of our country's history. His Gold
Bill; his Salt Bill; his Expunging Reso-
lutions; his war on the Monster Bank;
his settlement Of the Texas and Oregon
questions; his scathing speeches; his ad-
vocacy Of settlers pre-emp,ion rights, &c.
&c.-all pressed upon my mind at that
moment; and, call it frenzy, enthusiasm,
or what you please, would not have ia
ken handsome sum in exchange for that
sight. think his likeness in the posses
sion Of our Benton, Jr., is as true a rep.
resentatioa as ever came from the hands
Of an artist. was. disappointed only in
his height. I always had the impression
that he was six feet high, or more; but on
standing beside him, find that he is We
ry little taller than am. Perhaps he is
S feet 10 inch. when standing in an elec,
posture. A German tourist said OF Dan.
iel O'Connell, tina: "his height was stri
king in the distance;'' and so it is with
Benton;-he maintains a stateliness OIL
gait, and dignity Of profile which i'm
press greatness on the mind Of an observ
er at glance. He is only corpulent in
symmetrical proportion to his very large
frame. His step is quite elastic for hi
age; and | think that no man would take