The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-07-11

his position; but that even ho should
have presumed to turn, without provo
cation, upon those who had been strug-
Cling ardently for two sessions to save
the Union from destruction, and the
South from degradation and ruin, and
accuse them Of being traitors aud dis
unionists, was surely not to be anticipa-
tod. And yet this is precisely what
has occurred; and, though the intelligent
frecmen of Missouri appear to take q
correct view of his conduct, still the
fact cannot be concealed, that his de-
fection has already impaired much con-
fidence to our enemies in the North;
whilst our friends in that quarter of the
Union have been proportionately dis.
couraged and paralyzed. It now ap-
pears manifest that the lNilmot
Proviso will pass both houses of Con-
gress; and if he who saved his country's
honor upon the field Of Bcuna Vista
shall be found unwilling to rescue it
again in tho dread hour which is fast
approaching, God only knows what hor-
rid scenes we are to witness. OF one
consolation, though, the generous sons
of the South can never be detraudcd:
no instance has yet been recorded OH
the page Of authentic history, in which
the faithless soldier, who abandoned
his colors, and stole over to the enemy,
amidst the heat and confusion of5attlc,
ever afterward found himself rewarded
according to his hopes by those whose
triumph lie had thus become auxiliary.
On reading the speech which Mr..
Benton delivered at Jefferson city a
few weeks since, copy of which was
sent to you day or two ago from this
place, you will not fail tn be struck
with the fact that, whilst he has taken
it upon himself, at the safe distance of
a thousand miles or so from the officers
Of his assailmcnt "Addrcss of the South
crn Delegates in Congress to their Con
stitucnts," of having been found aiding
and abctting in a rank disunion plot,
he has done you and your patriotic
county of Accomac the honor of array
ing you in the very front rank of trca-
son and rebellion.
cannot doubt that YOU will agree
with me in considering this last haran-
guc of Mr.. Benton as one of the most
remarkable productions Of this remark
able age. It would appeal to have
met With unusual favor in certain Vi
cinagcs, and to have called fol tn lusty
commentator from one or two cditcrs,
who have not been heretofore classed
as his admirers. Indeed, he is said to
have been actually nominated for the
Presidency itself in several rather OBJ
scurc Abolition neighborhoods. And
yet, for the lie of me, l cannot sec
nothing either in the speech or speaker
which should provoke such admi-
ration. It is evidently long medi.
tatcd, laboriously prepared, and dill
gently mcmorizcd discourse, upon GER
tain national topics Of most surprising
interest; and yet do / feel that I can ob-
serve Of justly, and without the small
lest cxaggcration, that its feeble and
confused reasonings, its tawdry grand
iloqucncc in some places its coarse
scurrility in others-i:s awkward and
clownsh attempts at sort Of Ciccronc
facctitousness-its unmanncrly dogma
tism-its nauseating egotism-and that
Internal spirit of maliynity which it
brcathes throughout, and which would
have hecn far better suited to animate
the outcries of some "gobfn damucu,''
or devil broke loose from hell, than to
give grace and dignity to aught Of hu,
man mould and tcmperamcnt-would
be sufficient to eXtinguish the glory and
blast the fame of the most distinguish
cd orator that either ancient or modern
times have afforded. I will not weary
you by dilating further upon a theme
which could not but prove unsavory.
You have heard this "man Of head and
intellect" attempt to grapplc with great
questions of State. when he evidently
seemed to suppose that fit of genuine
rhetorical inspiration had come upon
him; and you will have no difficulty in
apprcciating the cncomi,lms which have
been 50 lavishly bestowed upon the au-
gust dclivercr of Calhounias.
1t is amusing enough to observe with
what pcrtinacity Mr.. Benton keeps up
his pursuit of the favoritc statesmen of
South Carolina. The issues which he
makes in his Jefferson City speech are
all made with Mr.. Calhoun. His de-
nunciations are all for him. lie redi-
culcs him--he maligns him---without
stint or remorsc. lie mentions no 9TH
er signer OF the Southern Address by
name at all. He glanccs, to be sure,
furtively, and almost as if by pure acci.
dent, once or twice at those who united
with the draughtsman Of the address,