New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-12
Col. BENTON on the Compromise.

t0itOiIh correspondence.
WAsHINGToE, Monday Evening, June TO-.
Col BENTON made rather taking Speech
against the Compromise in Senate to-day.
i Thought some of his points were decidedly
well put and strongly sustained, especially
that in which he argued the improperly of
such an aggregation Of properly independ-
ent measures from the fact that many Sem
ators were expressly instructed to vote
for the admission Of California and
against the organization Of the Terri
tories on the basis provided in the
Compromise, so that this bill would
compel them to violate one instruction in
\ order 10 obey another equally imperative.
This Speech had evidently been got up with
great labor and research, and is to be re.
garded as Col. Benton's final appeal to his
constituents with reference 10 their pending
Election, on the issue Of which hangs his
reelection to or exclusion from the Senate.
lie, therefore, appeals to their LOcO-Foco
prejudiees 10y representing the Compromise
as a Wing measure and assaihng it as the
bantling of Mr.. Clay, and to their jealousy
as Shareholders, by holding it up as a COM
promise Of the rights of Shareholders which
he, as STAKEHOLDER and representative of
Shareholders, could never consent to, but
must stand on the Constitution and permit
no other compromise. do not think the
Speech, though able, will detach any votes
from the Compromise, but it is quite likely
to brighten Col. BIS prospects of reelection.
am sorry so old Senator should have
found it necessary to assail with personal
contumely the oldest Senator now living,
merely because he reported and sustains the
Compromise. Mr. Clay has not deserved
this Of Col. Benton, though he can far easier
forgive il than Col. b. can afford to forgive
himself. 1t may be that Col. 3. will want
Wing votes in the next Legislature Of Mis-
souri,, and lie is notlkely to secure them by
showering coarse jests and low sarcasms on
the head Of Henry Clay, who sat in his seat
too i'll, in fact, to be safely out of his bed
Why was Mr.. Clay there? Why is he in
the Senate? Whst moved him t. propose
the COMPROMISED Can any man imagine
motive likely to impel the great Kentuckian,
at his advanced age, to encounter all this
labor, anxiety and opprobrium, other than
that Of devotion to his country? Is it
not notorious that he is willing to sac
rifce his own opinions on this point
or on that and shape the measure in
any way so that it may secure the as.
sent Of Congress and give peace to the
Country! Admit that he is mistaken and
his Compromise unacceptable, is that a rea-
son for suhecing him to personal obloquy
md degrading imputations: Yet Gel. Ben
on saw fit to talk Of him as political
a Congressional eharlatan,
cal Dr. Townsend, whose Sarsaparilla was
ertain to cure because It was his, while the
anne article, if prepared by any other DR..
'ownsend, would answer no good purpose
'hateyer SSch sniartness as this would do ,,
cry well for the stump in Western Missou- /
, but was out of place in the American 4
snate. / apprehend Col. BentOn's cause /
i'll gain nothing by it, am quite sure !
d. Benton himself will gain less than no il
ing though his speech, apart from this, 5
rs well calculated to be effective. | am h
I'd Mr.. Clay did not reply to it, and trust q q
viii not to SO much Of it as is personal to Of
nself The arguments of the speech seem 81 81
me weighty and demand reply; the slr- v
ms do not. ~ a.
cannot yet sec an end to this discussion. | Ia