American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-06-16


toned the supposed discovery of gold in Maine.
The report is producing considerable excite
ment there. An extract from a letter from
Bingham, in the Portland advertiser, says:
9 Yesterday l went to the diggings, within
eight miles of this place. washed three pans
of dirt, and got ten or twelve particles Of gold.
As yet there has not been digging enough done
to ascertain whether it will pay or not but it
Is my impression, from what saw, that there
are some places on this creek that will pay.
There is good deal of excitement about it on
this river; and within two weeks, more than
two hundred persons have passed through this
place from Gardiner, Hallowell, Augusta, and
other places, en- route to the mines"
The Bath Tribune says:
1t has long been the opinion of those best
qualified to judge, that the geological formation
OF the northern region of the State indicated
the presence of gold, and that the indications
were stronger on the Canada side than on the
American side of the line. One statement,
from pretty reliable source and which we
have not yet seen in print, is, that for the year
and half which the English government have
been employed in mining, and by oil others who
have been engaged in that business there has
been about ten thousand dollars obtained, and
the average Of success for each man cannot be
safely estimated at more than one dollar per
day"
COLONEL BENTON. - This distinguished ex-
senator IS about to undertake literary labor
worthy OF his remarkable career, and equal to
the scholarship and ability with which his pub
lie life has been singularly illustrated.
Few OF our public men are better fitted for
this laborious and important undertaking than
he who has engaged to devote his time and tai
ents to it. Mr.. Benton's mind is analytical,
and, therefore, fortunately well adapted to this
particular sort of labor; since, amidst the mass
OF confused and redundant material before him,
it will become necessary, in order to render his
book valuable, to select that which will most
readily engage public attention, and at the
same time furnish useful instruction. The toll
which would dishearten ordinary men will be
to him pleasure and pastime, not only for the
personal pride which is necessarily attached to
anything connected with personal history, but
also because he has long schooled himself to
a system of study, research, and composition
which does not admit of Incidence or weariness.
However much we have been constrained to diff
fer with Col. Benton on questions of political
policy, we have never been among those who
joined in an MUST outcry against his patriot
ism, or in the habitual assaults upon his public
character That he is egotistical, every body
knows: but that he is able and accomplished
also, all must admit who claim any degree of
candor. Nor are we disposed to forget his emf
nent services during the pendency of the Ore
gon controversy; when, divesting himself of
party prejudices, he rose to the high rank of an
elevated and digni6ed statesman, and, by his
laborious and valuable investigations, contrib
uted very materially to restrain n false current
of popular opinion, as well as to bring the ma
tional mind to just understanding Of the sub
ject, and restore the relations of amity which
were so near being interrupted between Great
Britain and the United States. There are other
great occasions to which we might properly
refer, when the same voice and the same arm
were raised i'll behalf of the country, in disre-
gard of all opposing party incitations
These things entitle him to high considera-
tion, if not to public gratitude and political
opponents as we are, and as we always cxpec,
to be, it would be less than justice in us to deny
him these great merits. We expect from him
work which will doubtless be full of PARTIAL
ties-thc personal views, feelings, and preju-
dices natural to- the man and the politician
but which will be a valuable historical record
Notwithstanding. g.-PhRd. North american.
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