Democratic banner., 1850-03-11

Benton voted with the abolitionists and Free
Soilers from the North to strike out the 18th
section of the same bill, and insert in lieu
thereof the Wilmot provisd, thereby prohi-
biting slavery-striking down the coinpro-
mise, and preventing the people from doing
as they pleased upon the subject Of slaveay.
1t is true that this amendment applied TO
that part Of the bill in relation to Oregon
Territory; but it is true again, that this
bill constituted one whole, providing by
different sections for three territorial gov.
ernments, all of the same order and chsrac-
ter, aud based upon the ssms principle Of
compromise leaving to the psOple in each
the right to determine for themselves on
the subject. And if you disturbed one part of
the compromise in this bill you disturbed
the whole, for the basis Of the compromise
was that all three, in the one bill, should go
through the Senate side by side, upon the
same principle: let people choose for them
selves. And although Benton was under
instructions of the Legislature of lS47, re.
quiring him to sustain the Missouri compro-
mise line, and has bossted that he obeyed
them, yet he virtually in this instance VIOLA
ted those instructions, by not insisting upon
the Missouri compromise line, (Which he
was instructed to sustain, if any amend
ment had 10 be passed, instead disappearing
the Wilmot proviso; by which he yielded to
the north the right to pass the rroviso regsr-
dless ofthat line, and the right TO apply il TO
California and New Mexico, which Icy south
as well as north Of that lnie. And if this
amendment, inserting the proviso, which
failed, however, by argemsjority.) had
passed, have no doubt it would have been
proposed to apply it to California and
New Mexico. And no doubt, sgsin, but
Benton would have voted for it. His con-
duct and his course in the Senate, 60 Ito
show it. He had deserted his State. He
had deserted the south, and he had deserted
the democratic platform laid down by the
Baltimore Democratic Convention; and as
acting, as it were, solitary and alone from
the south on this question Of slavesy, by
going over to the north, ond standing side
by side with the abolitionists and free soil
ers.
Another proof of the fact is, that he was
often asked last summer, in a respectful
manner by respectable citizens, to whom,
among others, he had appealed to sustsin
him in his treachery, whether he would vote
for the Wilmot Proviso to be applied to the
territory in California and New Mexico,
south of the Missouri Compromise line; and
in every instance he treated the question,
and the person asking it, with scorn, and in
q contemptuous manner refused TO answer
the question. He knew that all, or nearly
all, the people of this State were opposed
TO the application of the Wilmot Proviso to
any territory belonging to the United States,
and more especially to that portion which
lies south of that line. And If he had been
against the proviso he would have quickly
so answered, for he knew that it would
have aided him much in his struggle last
summer, in wsrding off the many heavy
blows lie was getting and the charges that
were made sgainst him by many good and
true men, who had never been charged with
any legal or moral crime, that he was a
Wilrot Provisoist-that be had Joined the
abolition and Free Soil party of the North
I-and that he had turned traitot to the peo-
tple Of the State, to the South, to Demo.
cratic principles, and to the Democratic
party. But being full blooded Free Soil
er, and in favor Of applying the proviso to
all the territory now owned or hereafter &C.
quired by the government, whether south or
north Of the Missouri Compromise line, he
skulks and evades the answer to these ques.
tions, on an assumed, self y-conceited, hypo-
critical sort 81 dignity-that he had grown
too big to be questioned on any subject by
his own constituents: the triers of his sp-
psal-that they are only fit to be his SER
wants, and not to be his master and he the
servant. What, constituent Of his, or
any person here ask so great a man as
BENTON even a civil question? A man
who has always had some great measure
ahead as hobby to ride on; but who, to be
sure, has never got any Of them passed, or
done any thing Of consequencefor the bene-
fit ofthe people or the State. A man who
has s'givep 50 great q character to Missouri
abroad, that Lord Ashburton and others
make inquiries about her" A man who,
in his speech in Fulton, after stating that
Jameson, Hall and Green, and nearly all
the Judges were opposed to him, and all
wanted bic seat in the Senate, said Of him
self, "thst IL the bfains Of forty Of them
9. e L.. haaA~ NloA