Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-08-22
Benton and the Dead Omnibus.

among tDo9o VINO nave OleubgulSneo tneWe
selves, during the long aud disgraceful reign Of
faction in the present Congress, BY their efforts
to resist the inrolling tide Of assumptions more
dangerous to our liberties than aught that has
been sought to be established since our exist
enCe az q Republic, no one occupies a more
proud position than Thomas Benton, the success
full antagonist Of tine defeated compromise
Hale, Chase, Giddings, Mann. Seward and 9th
ers, among whom be has been found fighting
shoulder to shoulder, during this perilous period,
have oil done well-all fought ably and fearless
ly. But the same ability which is powerful in
one position may be comparatively poverless IN
another. Mr.. Benton, from his position - a
Southern man, together with his long experience
aud acknowledged strength as a statesman, has
given him power to do good 10 this controversy,
which few even from the So0th, and none from
the North, could have effected. And nobly has
he employed those advantages on the side OF
freedom and right and in defence Of the broad
national principles Of jefferson, the UNMARRIED
maintenance of our Republican Institutions
Few will doubt, we presume, that had Mr.. Ben
ton taken an opposite stand, the South, for The
present at least, must have triumphed. And in
according honors, therefore, TO those who have
been most instrumental in overthrowing that
monster of Legislative inquiry, the omnibus bill,
the services Of the great Missouri Senator should
not engage the least portion of our grateful con-
sderation.- Green Mountain Freeman.
We cheerfully grant that Mr.. BENTON has
acted in Independently and fesrlessly against the
slavocrats in several points. So has Mr.. UN-
DEkwooD of Kentucky; so have both the Wing
Senators from Delaware; 50 have Mr.. BELL Of
Tennessee. and Mr.. BADGER of N. C. These
men Benton inclusive) are Southern men, and
anti Wilmot Proviso men, yet have refused to
act with the Slavocrats on various occasions /;
yet tie Freeman praises the solitary locofoco
and leaves the nalf dozen Wings unpraised.
Wonse than this: the entire body of Northern
Wing Senators have voted straight out for The
Wilmof Proriso-have gone the whole figure
and all but one went against the Omnibus. The
er-free soil organs have no praises for these men
they are free soil Wigs that is the rea-
son, doubtless, for the injustice done them by
these journals. 1t is Iocojocoism, then, that en-
titles a man to the praise of these papers-not
free ssiiism. Free soilism, then, is abandoned.
But to the main point. SENATOR BErroS is
praised-put above every body, both Liberty
men and Whigs-above Phelps, and Hale, Davis
and Seward, and Upham, and Winthrop, and
Baldwin, and Smith, and Dayton, &c. &c. above
the distinctive Liberty Senators, Hale AID Chase.
And what is BErroN's position? He IS oPro-
SEQ TO THE WiEMor PRovIso. The Wllmot
Proviso is humbug-"I 1t is goats wool"-says
Tom Benton. And Tom Benton pofes against
The Wilmot Propiso. See yeas & nays on Chase's
motion, August IA. Nay, more, Tom Benton
votes against Underwood's motion to reduce the
claim of slavocratic Texas to the free soil of
New Mexico: see yeas and nays recorded this
week on our first page. Nay further: the Free
man praises Benton for going against The Omni-
bus biA-but still Benton has gone for every
pal, OF that bill, in other distinct bills since
gaasea tnO ri, ufid the New R9gusarg
bill. The truth is, Benton was opposed to club
bling these bills in the omnbus-as one he OPP
posed them; as three distinct bills, he has voted
for them all How easy it is for an er-free soil
organ 10 cheat its readers, or-itseic The Green
Mountain Freeman and the North Star go for
Tom Benton the slaveholder-and so the Green
Mountain Freeman and the North Star repudi-
ate the free soil Test-repudiate the Wilmo,
Proviso.