American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-05-14
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH
EX-SENATOR BENTON. Z

able; in length of time they have been un.
equalled by those of any other person. Mr.
Clay first took seat in the Senate Ito fill q
gress, in December, 1906, and served till March
Sd, 1907. He again served in 1910 and 1871,
for an unexpired term ending March Sd, 1911.
Though repeatedly chosen to the Senate since
that period, the aggregate term of his service
in that body is much less than that OF Colonel
Benton. Mr. King, of Alabama the present
President of the Senate, took his seat IN the
Senate upon the admission of Alabama into the
Union in December 1919, and served uninter-
ruptedly till the spring of 1874, when he re-
signed, having been appointed minister to
France by Tyler. Shortly after his return he
was appointed to fill vacancy, and subse-
quently was chosen for six years, which will
expire March 9Th, 1858. On the 4th of March,
1861, the aggregate of Mr. Kings service in
the Senate was less than that of Colonel Benton.
Messrs. Clay and King are the only Senators,
members Of that body at the late session, who
served previous to the election of Colonel Ben
ton, or who were members Of the Senate during
the 18th Congress, which was the first after the
admission of Missouri.
Missouri was admitted into the Union by the
proclamation of the President of the United
States, in August 1921, and on the 4th of De-
cember following Mr.. Benton took his seat in
the Senate. Upon the classification of the SEN
ators from that State, Col. Benton drew the bal
lot emitting him to the term ending March 3,
1927. Since that time he has been reelected
for four successive terms, the last ending on
March 8, 1851; making an aggregate uninter-
rupted senatorial term Of thirty years.
His term in the Senate has comprised fifteen
Congresses; he has attended thirty-two regular
sessions of Congress, and at six special sessions
of the Senate. The aggregate number of days
in which the Senate have been in session during
his senatorial time has been four thousand eight
hundred and three days, which, calculating a
year at three hundred and sixty-fve, would
give, as the time in which he has been actually
eight days.
During his time he has seen the Senate pre-
sided over by seven persons holding the Office of
Vice President, and by eleven different Senators
chosen from time to time as President pro tenn.
He was never chosen as presiding officer. He
has voted upon the admission of seven new
States, including Texas, and has Witnessed the
increase of the number of Senators from forty
eight to sixty-two.
Including those who were Senators of the 18th
Congress, at the first session of which he first
attended, and those of the last Congress, he has
witnessed the attendance of no less than two
hundred and ninety different individuals who
have been chosen or appointed as Senators from
the several States WITHIN that time that is to
say, from Maine II New Hampshire IA Mas
sachusetts 10; Rhode Island 81; Connecticut
ID; Vermont 8; New York 10; New Jersey 8;
Pennsylvania II Delaware IL; Maryland ID;
Virginia IA North Carolina To- South Caro-
lima IS; Georgia IS; Kentucky 8 Tennessee
IL; Ohio IL !; Louisiana l3; Indiana 10; Ala
bama II; Mississippi IA; Illinois 10; Arkansas
s.; Michigan I; Florida 3; Texas 2; Missouri
Gncluding himself) 5; Iowa 2; Wisconsin 2 !;
and California 2.
OF those who have been members of the SEN
ate during his service in that body, four have
since become Presidents of the United States !;
five Vice Presidents; two Judges Of the SUI
preme Court; nine Secretaries of State; six
Secretaries of the Treasury; seven Secretaries
Of War; six Secretaries Of the Navy; one Sec
rotary of the Interior; one Postmaster General,
and four Attorneys General Besides these,
many who have filed the post of Senator during
his term have filed foreign missions and other
important posts. OF those chosen Senators
during the term Of Colonel Benton, no less than
thirty-fve died while holding the Office of Sena-
tor.
OF the great political events which have
taken place during that period, it is unneces-
sary to speak; they form the most important
part Of the history of the nation, and in all Of
them he occupied an important and most dis
tinguished position. The great political agita-
tons growing out Of the changes Of the tariff
of 1923, 1892 1912, and 1886, were shared in
by him, and throughout them all he was looked
upon as leader, and the champion in the SEN
ate of the party with which he acted. During
the troublous times of 1836-'37, his voice was
heard often and with effect, and also during the
agitation of the annexation of Texas.
He came into the Senate upon the close Of a
long and protrscted agitation anu excitement
upon the slavery question, growing cut Of the
admission of Missouri as u slave State, and
went out of the Senate after an equally excited
and protracted agitation upon the same subject,
growing out of the admission of California, o
free State
Whether Colonel Benton should ever again
be chosen to the Senate not, his unexampled
and distinguished career in that body can never
be forgotten: his name and his acts as q legis.
lator have been stamped in enduring characters
upon our nations history, and they viii stand
forth in all their strength so long as the nation
exists His reputation as an orator and his
-. - c-o.I =, Al