The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-01-24

clntO should be Slave s ate He closed his re-
marks by vehement frvective against Mr. Ben
ton, who, he said, was more responsible than any
mnr, living or dead, for the prssent unhappy state
Of things
{" 1t was he that urged 30 imperiously through
the Senate the odious Oregon bin ps.sed eighteen
months since. Il was he that voted against the
Mexican treaty, by which territorial domain so
invaluable was secured to the nation. IL was be
who attempted, after the treaty had become part
Of the supreme law Of the land TO nullify it's pro-
visions by setting up what lie known as the proic-
col in opposition TO IT, 1t is he who presumes to
disobey the instructions of the Missouri Legisla-
ture, to whom ne owes the Senatorial robes which
now invest his person, and all the opportunities
Of acquiring renown and influence which he has
enjoyed for the last thirty years Ii is he who has
taken it upon himself to wander off some thou
sands of miles into the bosom of his own State
and invegh in language Of the coarsest scurrility
and most envenomed abuse against men whom he
dares not here meet In debate-whose characters
public and private are as spotless purity itself
and whose whole lives have been illustrated and
adorned by the practice Of all those virtues which
bespeak the patriot, the philanthropist, and the
Christian. This, sir, is the heroic cbeftain who,
when far distant from the objects Of his hostility,
lains, and threatens on getting sight Of them in
the Senate-house, to demolish them forever; but
who, when he gets here once more among us, is
either mysterously and stoicaly silent, or, assu-
ming a truly lamb-like meekness Of aspect and of
manner, and soft ndsalHy Of intonation, COOS
round the Senate chamber " as gently as any
sucking dove" This, sir, is the person who has
presumed in the very bosom of one Of the large
slave States Of the Union, TO decaim fercely
against slavery, and to give forth all the encour-
agement which, as a Southernor and slavehold-
err" he had it in bis power to supply to the enc
mics Of our institutions north Of Mason and Dix
on's line. This is the Democratic leader who has
scattered confusion and discord through the whole
| Democratic ranks Of the North, who, but for him
aud his accursed teachings verify believe, would,
under the sage aud honest counsels which emans-
ted from the honorable Senator from Michigan
who sits before us, Mr. Cas- have stood firmly
and fesressly in the non-interference doctrines
of the renowned Nicholson letter.
This is the "learned Thebann who has taken
itlpon him to proclaim, in more than one speech,
now in print, not only that Congress has a right
under the Constitution to legislate upon slavery
in Territories, but who has even gone so far to
assert that no niQR Of sense on he continent non
dorbtsd the authority of Congress TO legislate in
this manner though he well knew at the time
that the honorable Senator from South Carolina,
! (Mr. Cslhoun) the honorable Senator from Mich
igsn, (Mr. Cass) the honorable Senator from
Georgia, (Mr. Berrien) and thousands and hun
dreds of thousands beside, in different parts of
the Republic, possessed of understanding, at
least, as sound and as trustworthy as bis own en-
tertaned opinions directly the reverse of that
which he was thus Aercely Eliminating; among
whom must mention the Senator froa, Texas,
tMr. Hous'on,) who ellis over the way, and who,
in his anti.Gadsden letter. has so emphstically
declared himself opposed to the Wilmot Proviso
upon every ground of opposition heretofore assu-
med to it, This, too sir, is the indiscreet rheto-
rician whose infismmatory addresses to large pop
ular assemblies in Missouri during the last sum.
mer, are said to have produced most startling
effect among the slave population In the surround
| ing country; who, as it is reported by twenties
aud for.ies, put themselves in full fight for the
Father of Waters, and made their escape into
the neighboring State of Illinois Here Mr.
Benton left his seat, walked towards the door OF
the Senate Chamber, and passed out of 1t See,
Mr. President, he flies as did those same deluded
sons of Africa among whom his eloquenoe Is re-
ported to have awakened regular stampede He
escapes me just as was about to compare him to
that degenerate Roman Senator, whom Cicero
once addressed in language that will never perish,
exclsiming, With majestic cadence: Qnosque TIM
dem abs,es Caiiisa, nostra pstientia ~ As FULLY
said Of that same degenerate Roman, | feel that
can ray now, for myself and my friends, in rela-
ton to him who has just quit our sight Tandem
aliquando Quirites, L. Catilinam furentem au-
dacia, sceus anhelantem, psaem patria s.tdris mo-
lisntem pobis aqns hsic Mbi Jerrum eamman-qw min
naniem, erbe, vel Jicimus, vel nissiaus, vel ip-
sum egrsdientem perbis prosecmi smus' may well
add !" Abud, euas1, ernpuo
There was much sensation in the Chamber,
during the delivery of this invective, but Mr.
Benton seemed to pay little or no attention to it
being engaged in writing untlhe left the Senate
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE.
The House made five Intellectual trials to elect
Doorkeeper, and then adjourned. On the iftl